Nursing in Australia: 49 courses at 34 institutions for 2027 entry

As of 2026-10-26 · Fidelity Admissions

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The two ways to become a registered nurse in Australia, a three-year bachelor and a two-year graduate-entry course, for 2027 entry. Campuses, intakes, fees and English requirements for each institution, plus graduate-entry prerequisites, regional study points and the steps from graduation to permanent residence.

Nursing is one of the occupations people most often look at when they plan to study in Australia and then migrate. The study is relatively short, and the path from graduation to registration, skills assessment and permanent residence is relatively clear. This guide lists nursing courses open to international students for 2027 entry, based on each institution's official pages (checked 26 October 2026).

A registered nurse with the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AusMAT). Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Always check the institution's own page.

Fees, intakes, English requirements and prerequisites change often. This guide reflects each institution's official pages as checked on 26 October 2026. Before you apply, open the institution's page from the links in the tables and confirm the latest details. Fees are for international students and come from each institution's official fee schedule.

Why nursing is popular

1. Short study Two years if you already hold a bachelor degree, or three years after secondary school.

2. Skills assessment without work experience Once you finish an Australian course and register as a nurse, you can have your skills assessed by ANMAC without separate work experience.

3. Many visa pathways Nursing is on the skilled occupation lists, so most visa pathways are open, including the 189, 190 and 491 skilled visas and the 482 employer-sponsored visa.

4. A health profession You work as a professional, with good earning potential.

5. Jobs The Australian Government's occupation shortage analysis names health as an area where shortages persist.

6. Visa processing priority Under the skilled visa processing direction in force from 19 September 2026 (Ministerial Direction 122), healthcare is in the highest priority group.

7. Lower invitation scores Recent 189 invitations went down to 70 to 85 points, lower than for the most competitive occupations.

There are two ways to qualify.

Both lead to registration as a nurse. The three-year degree is usually called a Bachelor of Nursing. Graduate-entry courses go by different names: Master of Nursing, Master of Nursing Practice or Bachelor of Nursing (Graduate Entry).

Two-year graduate-entry courses (2027 entry)

Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove campus. Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

If you already hold a bachelor degree, you can qualify as a nurse in two years. Select an institution's name in the table to open its course page.

Graduate-entry prerequisites

Some institutions accept any degree. Others ask for anatomy and physiology first.

• No prerequisite: Queensland University of Technology, The University of Queensland, University of Wollongong, University of the Sunshine Coast, The University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, University of Canberra

• Required, short course accepted: Monash University, Southern Cross University, Western Sydney University, Edith Cowan University, La Trobe University, Flinders University

• University-level unit required: Adelaide University (not needed with a health-related degree), Curtin University

The University of Sydney asks for one relevant unit only if your degree is more than 10 years old with no study since. The University of Melbourne recommends a short course but does not require one.

A short course several institutions accept is the Monash Human Biology Short Course (online, about 96 hours, A$885.50 plus textbook). Flinders University offers its own anatomy and physiology short course (online, four weeks, A$770), and La Trobe University offers a Bridging Course in Physiology and Anatomy (online, about 80 hours, A$559). Western Sydney University accepts only its own short course, WesternX Preparation for Tertiary Nursing Studies (about 180 hours, A$499, start any time). Which short courses count varies, so check the requirement of the institution you are applying to first.

Three-year bachelor courses (2027 entry)

The University of Sydney Main Quadrangle. Photo: Jason Tong / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

For school leavers, the three-year Bachelor of Nursing is the usual route. Select an institution's name in the table to open its course page.

English requirements

Entry and registration need the same level of English. The NMBA English standard from 23 April 2026 is:

The University of Queensland, Adelaide University, The University of Sydney and The University of Melbourne ask for more at entry (IELTS 7.0 in every band, PTE 66 to 72). Some course pages still show the pre-April 2026 standard, so check again before you apply. You also need to meet the NMBA standard when you register after graduating.

Test results must be no more than two years old when you apply for registration. Older results may still be accepted if you started an NMBA-approved nursing program within 12 months of the test, studied continuously and passed subjects every semester with no break, and apply for registration within 12 months of completing the program. The conditions are strict, so check early whether they apply to you.

Sources: NMBA English language skills registration standard, Ahpra Accepted English language tests

Regional study points

Adelaide University City West campus, in a designated regional area. Photo: Yu Chu Chin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Living and studying in a designated regional area for at least two years adds 5 points to the skilled migration points test. Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong, Newcastle, Canberra, Geelong and Hobart all count as regional. Campuses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne do not.

It can differ between campuses of the same institution, so check the regional label in the tables.

Home Affairs regional postcodes

Migration points for nurses

New nursing graduates without work experience usually have their skills assessed and lodge an expression of interest as Registered Nurses (nec) (254499). The lowest score invited for this occupation in recent subclass 189 rounds ranged from 70 to 85 points.

In the June 2026 round, nursing specialisations needed 75 to 80 points: 75 for Aged Care, Medical, Surgical and others, and 80 for Paediatrics, Child and Family Health and others.

Invitation scores change from round to round and do not indicate future scores. Results for the October 2026 round have not yet been published on the Home Affairs website.

Home Affairs invitation rounds

After graduation: from registration to permanent residence

1. Complete your course Three-year bachelor or two-year graduate entry

2. Register as a nurse AHPRA registration, meeting the English standard

3. Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) Apply within six months of completing your course, aged 35 or under

4. Skills assessment ANMAC; without work experience, Registered Nurses (nec)

5. Expression of interest EOI (189, 190, 491) or a state ROI

6. Permanent residence If invited, apply for permanent residence

Order and timing depend on your circumstances.

Summary

• With a bachelor degree, the two-year graduate-entry course is the usual route; school leavers take the three-year bachelor.

• Graduate-entry prerequisites differ by institution.

• The English baseline is IELTS 7.0 (Writing 6.5) or PTE 63; some institutions ask for more.

• Studying at a regional campus for two years or more adds 5 points.

• Recent 189 invitations for Registered Nurses (nec) ranged from 70 to 85 points.

Institution scholarships

Each institution lists its own scholarships on its website. Nursing courses are often excluded from institution scholarships, so check which courses are eligible on the scholarship page of the institution you are applying to.

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