Modern life, in which juggling full-time work and family commitments with continued learning is often a necessity, means that online or ‘flexible’ studying is an increasingly popular choice at many universities. Call it post-COVID education or lifestyle prioritisation, but students now often look for study programs that fit around their busy lives. Nearly a quarter of students (24%) surveyed by Canstar Blue undertook some type of distance or remote learning, with the majority either working casually or full-time while studying. More than a third (38%) look back at their time at university – either virtual or in-person − fondly.
It’s clear that university, whether it be online or on campus, part-time or full-time, is about more than just education. From study options and career paths to student support and learning outcomes, there are many things to consider when deciding which online university to choose, including how it fits into your lifestyle.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 598 current students and graduates of the past 10 years to identify which online universities students rate the best in Australia (Note: ‘online universities’ refers to any Australian university that offers online degrees and courses). There are a lot of university ratings out there, but we wanted to take a different approach by asking 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 2023 student satisfaction review, we collected sufficient data for six universities (assessed by domestic and international students) to be included in our ratings. So, which are the highest-rated online universities for student satisfaction?
Here are the online universities in Australia that were included in Canstar Blue’s 2023 student satisfaction survey, listed below in alphabetical order.
| University | State |
|---|---|
| Charles Sturt University | NSW |
| CQUniversity | QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA |
| Deakin University | VIC |
| Griffith University | QLD |
| Swinburne University of Technology | VIC, NSW |
| University of New England (UNE) | NSW |
Griffith University was rated five stars for quality of education received, student support available, learning resources, opportunities & career prospects after graduation and overall satisfaction.
Griffith University offers a wide range of postgraduate and undergraduate degrees and courses, with options to study part-time or full-time depending on your schedule. Griffith University also offers over 100 of online degrees, allowing for hybrid or external learning, with a number of its degrees, subjects and teaching staff having received international acclaim.
Griffith University offers over 100 of degrees via online means, with its Digital campus allowing for online or hybrid learning. Online course materials, virtual classrooms, digital collaboration opportunities and online assessment lodging are all on offer, with a suite of services and guides available to also help you on your online learning journey, including dedicated IT support and an online library. If you’re not sure about what you’d like to study, Griffith University also allows you to search online courses via its website, with filters to help you find certain study areas or degrees, with examples of online courses including communication, computing and data analytics, public administration, climate change adaption and business administration.
Interested in finding out how students rated other top universities from around Australia? Click on the links below to read more about the top-rated universities in the country.
Online university degrees hold the same value as traditional degrees in most, but not all, industries, providing they’ve been accredited. Most Australian universities accredit their own courses and degrees. Education providers without self-accrediting authority must have their courses accredited by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), which is the national regulator for the higher education sector.
Keep in mind that online degrees are simply a choice in the way you learn, not the degree you earn. While accredited online degrees are just as good as traditional, on-campus degrees, it’s important to mention that some degrees are better suited to studying online than others. Degrees in areas such as accounting, IT, social sciences, and business can more easily be conducted online because they have fewer practical elements than study disciplines such as medicine, science-based programs, and engineering, which typically require more hands-on learning.
Your chosen university or higher education provider should be able to advise you on the best study options for your field of study, career goals, and personal circumstances. If you’re after more information, check out our guides on how online university works, and if they’re a good idea for you.
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.
Canstar Blue has a collection of the best deals on student phone plans in Australia. Find out if you could save more on a new phone plan.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
