Choosing the right university is a big decision, especially as online study becomes a more popular way to juggle work and family life.
According to Canstar Blue’s 2025 survey of online university students, 42% of students believe their degree was vital for their future career.
Our survey also found:
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,060 current students and graduates of the past 10 years to identify which online universities students rated the best in Australia. (Note: ‘online universities’ refers to any Australian university that offers online degrees and courses). There are many university ratings out there, but for this survey, Canstar Blue asked students to rate their university on a range of factors that were important to them and to understand how satisfied they were overall with their university experience.
Please see our methodology here.
The winning university is the one that receives the highest overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Universities must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all universities available in Australia have been compared in this survey. In our 2025 student satisfaction review, we collected sufficient data for 15 universities (assessed by domestic and international students) to be included in our ratings. So, which are the highest-rated online universities in Australia for student satisfaction?
Here are the online universities in Australia that were included in Canstar Blue’s 2025 student satisfaction survey, listed below in alphabetical order.
| University | Locations |
|---|---|
| Charles Stuart University | NSW |
| Curtin University | WA |
| Deakin University | VIC |
| Griffith University | QLD |
| La Trobe College | NSW |
| Macquarie University | NSW |
| Monash University | VIC |
| RMIT University | VIC |
| Swinburne University of Technology | VIC |
| University of Melbourne | VIC |
| University of New South Wales | NSW |
| The University of Sydney | NSW |
| University of New England | NSW |
| University of Southern Queensland | QLD |
| University of Tasmania | TAS |
The University of Sydney received five stars for student support available, quality of education received, teaching staff, learning resources and overall satisfaction.
The University of Sydney was Australia’s first university and is a top performer in global rankings across a range of disciplines, including endocrinology and metabolism, transportation science and technology and public health.
The University of Sydney offers on campus and online learning for postgraduate degrees, massive online open courses (MOOCs) and short units.
If you’re considering online study, it’s natural to wonder if an online degree is as valuable as one earned on campus.
The short answer is yes, provided the degree is from an accredited university or higher education provider.
In Australia, most universities accredit their own courses. For those that don’t, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the national regulator, handles accreditation.
It’s important to remember that online study is simply a different way to learn; the degree you earn is the same.
However, some degrees are better suited to online learning than others. Courses with fewer practical requirements, such as accounting, IT, social sciences and business, can be a good fit for online study.
Degrees that require more hands-on learning, like medicine, science-based programs and engineering, are often better suited to on-campus study.
Your chosen university or provider can help you decide on the best study options to suit your career goals and personal circumstances.
Current and past students surveyed by Canstar Blue were asked to name the key reasons for choosing their university. The main factors identified included the reputation of the university, acceptance of enrolment from the university, and the physical location of the campuses. These are the reasons students and graduates cited for choosing their university:
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This article was written by Canstar Blue Consumer Content Writer, Rachel Bollerman. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology in 2021. She has worked in public relations, marketing and communications roles at Jessica Cotton PR & Marketing and the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health. Gaining experience in broadcast journalism and blog writing, Rachel has also interned at 4ZZZ Community Radio and Fishburners.
When she’s not working, Rachel enjoys doing arts and crafts projects at home, watching true crime and spending time with friends. You can follow Rachel on LinkedIn.
Grace is in the final semester of her Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) degree at The University of Queensland, majoring in Business Analytics and Marketing. Her studies have equipped her with strong capabilities in data analysis and consumer research. Grace began her journey with Canstar in early 2025 as a casual research assistant and has since progressed into her current role, where she oversees the consumer research ratings across a wide range of product and service categories. She is responsible for survey design and consumer data analysis, and enjoys her focus on uncovering insights that inform Canstar Blue’s ratings and awards and help support consumers to make more informed decisions.
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s online Australian university ratings:
