The Gold Coast is a great city for international students, as well as a popular tourist destination. With around 300 sunny days per year, locals and visitors can make the most of the pristine beaches that make this city famous. Residents can also escape into the lush rainforests and national parks just outside the city, or take a short plane trip to the Great Barrier Reef.
On top of its natural beauty, the Gold Coast offers lots of employment opportunities and access to world-class educational institutions. Here’s our guide to the benefits of choosing to study and work in Queensland’s most well-known beach city.
Top universities
With three major universities—Griffith University, Bond University and Southern Cross University—the Gold Coast stands out when it comes to education. In 2019, the city came in at 84th in the world in the QS Best Student Cities Ranking.
Griffith University is recognised as one of the best universities in the world and ranks in the top 2% of universities worldwide. Southern Cross University sits in the world’s top 200 universities under the age of 50 according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
The Times Higher Education Rankings for Best Small Universities 2020 lists Bond University in the top 30. Plus, TAFE Queensland (Gold Coast) offers state-of-the-art practical and business education, with experts in a wide range of industries and topics.
World-class research facilities
No matter which educational institution you choose, you’ll have access to world-class research facilities to support your studies. Bond University has a ‘Well Above World Standard’ rating for their Public Health and Health Services research education, while Griffith University boasts numerous research centres in diverse fields, including health, technology, environment, and learning.
Griffith is also home to the prestigious School Of Medicine that collaborates with the Gold Coast University Hospital to give medical students the latest in real-world learning.
Opportunities in Health and Social Assistance
In Queensland, Health Care and Social Assistance is currently the largest employment industry, with 353,625 employed in 2020.
With state-of-the-art hospitals and medical centres in the area, it’s the perfect place if you’re considering studying for a career in health. TAFE and all three universities offer excellent medical research facilities and degrees for those looking to excel in the health industry.
Room for growth
With a population of just under 700,000, the Gold Coast may not be as big as Brisbane, but it’s one of the fastest-growing destinations in Australia. Thanks to the local tourism industry, the Gold Coast has rapidly expanded in recent decades to become a first-choice destination for those looking to live, work and study in Queensland.
Major events such as the 2018 Commonwealth Games helped further put the spotlight on the Gold Coast as it becomes one of the most exciting cities in Australia.
Innovative business culture
Business is booming on the Gold Coast, with industries becoming more diverse and entrepreneurship turning into a big focus for the city. While hospitality and tourism have always offered plenty of job opportunities (and will continue to be big employers in the future), new industries like Information and Communication Technology (ICT), advanced manufacturing, education and professional services are starting to emerge.
The city is also becoming a hotspot for start-ups and entrepreneurs thanks to business growth programs run by the City of Gold Coast, and Gold Coast Innovation Hub, a centre designed for budding business owners. Gold Coast Innovation Hub was set up to provide services, programs and support for new business endeavours, including student enterprises, in order to help them network and grow.
Space for start-ups
For start-up owners and entrepreneurs, the increase in co-working spaces in the Gold Coast is great news. These spaces provide creative, well-equipped offices for independent workers to get things done, network and socialise with other like-minded professionals.
From well-established options like CoSPACES in Southport to newer additions like Cohort and Hotel Miami, co-working spaces are the perfect place to grow your small business into a big success.
