Perth City Highlights - Attractions, Accommodation, Study Programs

Perth Snapshot

Perth is a city surrounded by natural wonders and is a world-renowned center for science and technology. The city is perfectly situated on the Indian Ocean with the Swan River dividing the central district and Kings Park providing the ideal backdrop for this vibrant, cosmopolitan metro. Long days of sunshine and a Mediterranean-style climate provide the perfect environment for exploring the local ranges, forests or beaches any time of the year, while five impressive universities offer international students the opportunity to study in Perth and earn a degree that will be respected around the world.

Study Options

Perth is often referred to as Australia's Education City and is an important center for science and technology. Students come from around the world to study in Perth and to participate in some of the many programs available, including Aboriginal studies, humanities, business, health sciences, human genetics and several fields of research. There are five well-known universities in Perth, including a Group of Eight school, Australia's only Catholic university and schools that rank among the top universities in Australia every year.

International students who wish to study in Perth can choose between:

• Curtin University of Technology
• Edith Cowan University
• Murdoch University
• University of Notre Dame Australia
• University of Western Australia

Each of Perth's universities offers a unique study abroad experience in this safe, culturally diverse city. International students who study in Perth are sure to feel comfortable in this multinational city that is well-known for both education and an international, cosmopolitan culture.

Local Scene

Perth residents and visitors enjoy average temperatures of 29oC in the summer and 18oC in the winter, making beach-going and outdoor activities possible throughout the year in this Mediterranean climate that offers hot, dry summers and mild winters with some rain. Those who choose to study in Perth will be delighted to find that this is one of the sunniest cities in Australia and offers a plethora of outdoor activities that range from cricket and football to surfing and sunbathing. Students can also commune with dolphins at Dolphin Beach in Shark Bay, take a short ferry ride to Rottnest Island, explore Kings Park and Botanic Garden, ride a camel and feed a kangaroo at Caversham Wildlife Park, or spend the day at the Aquarium of Western Australia in Sorrento Quay.

Perth also offers many annual festivals that celebrate both local and international arts and culture, including the UWA Perth International Arts Festival, the Fremantle Street Arts Festival, the Perth Fashion Festival, the Comedy Festival Roadshow, the One Movement Festival and Sculpture by the Sea.

International students who study in Perth will have ample opportunities to explore Fremantle, Perth's port city, which has a distinct eclectic European feel and is home to boutiques, cafés, pubs, galleries, beaches and sports facilities that appeal to students who enjoy meeting local artists and indulging in a city's bohemian culture. Students are sure to also spend plenty of time in Northbridge, with its variety of nightclubs, restaurants and entertainment options, as well as Subiaco, where lively football matches take place at the Subiaco Oval, followed by lively after-parties at local pubs.

Accommodations

Choosing accommodations for your international study in Perth is an important part of ensuring a gratifying study abroad experience. Fortunately, when you choose to study in Perth, housing options are abundant and each university offers on-campus or university-managed off-campus housing for students who wish to immerse themselves in student life. For those who choose to live on-campus, the self-contained campus villages found at most Perth universities are sure to provide a warm, community feeling with easy access to everything you need.

Each campus is located in a vibrant community, meaning that off-campus housing also offers an enticing option that allows students to live like a local and easily travel to and from school with Perth's excellent public transportation system.

Perth Highlights

Even though Perth is the largest city in Western Australia, as well as the fourth largest city in Australia, its 1.65 million inhabitants enjoy clean, pollution-free living. Located on the banks of the beautiful Swan River and just minutes from pristine, white sand beaches and natural wonders, such as the Bungle Bungle Range, the Darling Range and Karri forests, Perth is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a laidback atmosphere and warm, welcoming residents.

As the capital city of Western Australia, Perth is a center of business and government and offers all of the arts, culture and conveniences of a major city without the crowding of Australia's larger metropolitan areas. Ranked among the world's most livable cities in 2009, one of Perth's greatest draws is its close proximity to an array of natural attractions, followed closely by the 320 days of sunshine that allows for year-round outdoor activities.