Monash is the biggest university in Australia, with 84,196 students.

Happy female student walking on campus

Monash University is the largest university in Australia, with 84,196 students. Of these, 35,897 are international students. Monash also has a strong physical presence, with 77,229 students attending on campus. Its size and international reach place it at the forefront of Australian higher education, drawing in students from around the world.

Other universities follow closely behind, including the University of Sydney with 76,088 students and RMIT with 73,327. Notably, Sydney Uni has the largest international student cohort at 37,528, despite a slightly smaller total enrolment than Monash.

Institutions like Deakin University and Swinburne have smaller on-campus figures relative to their total student population, with a focus on online education.

Biggest Uni Campus in Australia

University of Sydney main campus
University of Sydney

University of Sydney - Camperdown/Darlington Campus

The Camperdown/Darlington campus is likely the largest in Australia, housing most of the University of Sydney’s 72,517 on-campus students. Given its central location and wide range of academic offerings, it could accommodate around 90% of the on-campus population, which translates to approximately 65,000 students. This makes it a contender for the top spot in terms of size and student numbers.

Monash University - Clayton Campus

Monash University’s Clayton campus, the largest of its campuses, likely serves around 80% of its 77,229 on-campus students. This would result in approximately 61,000 students attending Clayton, making it one of the biggest campuses in the country. Clayton offers an expansive array of faculties and facilities, acting as the university’s main academic hub.

University of Melbourne - Parkville Campus

Parkville is the flagship campus for the University of Melbourne, with the vast majority of the 68,747 on-campus students studying here. About 85% of students are likely based at Parkville, equating to around 58,000. As the heart of Melbourne’s academic community, Parkville hosts a wide range of programs and is known for its strong research focus.

RMIT University - City Campus

RMIT’s City campus in Melbourne is a prominent urban university setting, likely hosting around 85% of its 68,998 on-campus students. This would bring the number of students in the CBD to roughly 58,000. The campus is well-integrated into the city and focuses on technology, design, and business studies, drawing many students into this central location.

UNSW Sydney - Kensington Campus

UNSW’s Kensington campus is the main base for the university’s 62,446 on-campus students. With a broad academic offering and comprehensive facilities, approximately 90% of students could be attending this location, which would be around 56,000. Kensington is the university’s largest teaching and research facility, serving most of its faculties.

University of Queensland - St Lucia Campus

The St Lucia campus at the University of Queensland is likely the primary location for most of its 51,986 on-campus students. With its large size and extensive offerings, around 90% of the students, or approximately 47,000, would attend this campus. St Lucia is a sprawling campus that supports a wide range of disciplines and research activities.

Largest Schools and Faculties

RMIT College of Business and Law
RMIT College of Business and Law

The single largest school or faculty in Australia appears to be the College of Business and Law at RMIT University, with approximately 23,743 students enrolled.

Management and Commerce

Business schools offer a wide range of courses, from management to economics, and are some of the largest faculties in Australia.

  • RMIT University - College of Business and Law – 21,028 undergraduate, 2,715 postgraduate
  • Monash University - Faculty of Business and Economics – 13,449 undergraduate, 4,999 postgraduate
  • University of Sydney - Business School – 5,595 undergraduate, 9,099 postgraduate

Society and Culture

Faculties in society and culture focus on areas such as social sciences, law, and the humanities, catering to students interested in public policy, legal studies, and cultural research.

  • Macquarie University - School of Social Sciences – 10,343 undergraduate, 1,532 postgraduate
  • Monash University - School of Social Sciences – 8,740 undergraduate, 3,866 postgraduate
  • University of Melbourne - School of Social and Political Sciences – 7,579 undergraduate, 6,511 postgraduate

Engineering

Engineering faculties train future engineers in fields such as civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering.

  • RMIT University - School of Engineering – 8,506 undergraduate, 1,773 postgraduate
  • UNSW - School of Engineering – 6,282 undergraduate, 3,896 postgraduate
  • Monash University - Faculty of Engineering – 7,275 undergraduate, 1,443 postgraduate

Computer Science

Information technology faculties are growing rapidly, focusing on disciplines such as artificial intelligence, computing, software engineering, and data science.

  • Monash University - Faculty of Information Technology – 4,017 undergraduate, 3,067 postgraduate
  • RMIT University - School of Computing Technologies – 4,265 undergraduate, 1,615 postgraduate
  • UTS - School of Computer Science – 3,699 undergraduate, 1,819 postgraduate