The city of Newcastle is located just over two hours north of Sydney on the New South Wales coast. While Newcastle is the state’s second-largest city, it’s also considered a regional area. Its regional status not only offers the benefits of a laidback lifestyle, friendly locals and affordable living costs, but it also gives international students the opportunity to qualify for post-study regional migration opportunities and visa extensions.
If you’re thinking about where to study as an international student, here are a few reasons why you should live in Newcastle, Australia!
World-class education
Thinking about where to study in Newcastle, Australia? The city is home to a number of world-class education institutions, including a university and several TAFE campuses and other VET providers.
If you’re considering university, the University of Newcastle is ranked in the top 200 universities in the world and is the only regional university in Australia that ranked in Australia’s top ten universities in 2020. The University also offers an award-winning English Language Centre and state-of-the-art facilities. A number of scholarships for international students are available at the University of Newcastle, which can help reduce the cost of tuition and study-related expenses. You can see the full list of scholarships offered by the University of Newcastle here.
If you’re eager to undertake an undergraduate or postgraduate degree but haven’t got all of the necessary prerequisites just yet, the University of Newcastle College of International Education (UNCIE) is an official pathway college to studying at the University of Newcastle.
There are three TAFE NSW campuses in Newcastle, too, all offering short courses, certificates and diplomas across a wide variety of subjects including engineering, business, maritime operations, marketing, fashion design, conservation and much more. Alternatively, you can also study at one of Newcastle’s private VET providers and complete vocational courses in community and aged care, hospitality and retail, music, business, health and beauty, tourism, horticulture and more.
You can read more about the different types of study on offer in Australia here.
Opportunities to stay and work in Australia
After graduating from your educational institution in Newcastle, you may be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa. This visa allows you to temporarily live and work in Australia for up to three years after graduation. This means that Newcastle could be the perfect place for you to launch your career after you’ve completed your degree.
Career opportunities
Many international students who move to the area are curious about what jobs there are in Newcastle. The city is the economic hub of the Hunter Region and is home to a diverse range of industries. The healthcare and social assistance industry is the area’s largest employer, but you’ll also find job openings in education and training, creative industries, financial services and information technology. Newcastle is also home to Australia’s largest coal export port, offering opportunities in the logistics industry and related maritime services. Plus, there are big plans to grow other industries in Newcastle and turn it into Australia’s next metropolitan city. Small businesses and start-ups, particularly in professional and creative industries, are huge focuses for the Hunter Region, as are tourism, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, defence and aerospace.
To ensure students are ready for the workplace after graduation, the University of Newcastle encourages students to gain real industry experience during their studies. To facilitate this, the University has built strong relationships with local industry partners and even holds the top ranking for industry collaboration in Australia. As the only university in the Newcastle and Hunter region, the University of Newcastle sees many students hired by industry partners after graduation.
Affordability
Compared to most major cities in Australia, Newcastle is a very affordable place to live. The city doesn’t have the same high rental prices as bigger cities like Sydney and Melbourne. On average, rental costs in Sydney are 50 per cent higher than in Newcastle, while the average cost of groceries is nearly 10 per lower in Newcastle compared to Sydney. If you’re trying to save money on essential purchases, you will have more to spend on fun things like day trips and eating out.
Easygoing lifestyle
Despite the obvious benefits for your studies and career, you might still be wondering, ‘Is Newcastle a good place to live?’ Well, with beautiful beaches and a laidback energy, Newcastle is a great spot to enjoy a typical Aussie lifestyle. The city boasts an almost year-round warm and sunny climate, pretty coastal walking trails, a vibrant bar and restaurant scene, and an enviable work/life balance. Here, you can enjoy all of the amenities of a major city without the heaving crowds, and if you do need to head to Sydney, there are bus and train routes that can get you to the city in under three hours. Needless to say, life in Newcastle is pretty perfect.
Newcastle is also home to the Multicultural Neighborhood Centre, a community support service for people from non-English speaking backgrounds that hosts social groups and conversational and accredited English classes.
