Macquarie University: What it's really like

Want to study at one of Australia’s most highly ranked universities with great employability prospects? Macquarie University could be the place for you!

Macquarie at a glance:

Anthony Bradley, Regional Director for Africa and Europe at Macquarie, tells us more about the university.

What is Macquarie?

Macquarie University is based in Sydney, Australia. It’s one of Australia’s 42 comprehensive universities, which means it teaches across a wide range of academic areas, from business to science, and health to humanities. It also has a pathway option for students who do not meet the requirements of their chosen subject, and an English language centre.

The university is very large, based on a single campus that covers two square kilometres of land. There are approximately 45,000 students at the university, and roughly 25% of the student body is international.

Why apply to Macquarie?

Macquarie is very highly ranked, both for the teaching of its subjects, and for graduate employability. 

It’s ranked top in Sydney for graduate employment, meaning there is a high proportion of students who find a career in the field in which they studied six months after graduating.

Several of Macquarie’s programmes rank in the top 100 in the world, with some of the business programmes in particular ranking in the top 50 in the world, and linguistics in the top 10! So you can rest assured that whatever programme you choose, it will be recognised globally on the QS World Rankings system as a competitive choice.

The university also has a super easy application process for international students recognising a range of global qualifications, as well as scholarships on offer for international students. International students also feel supported here by a range of social clubs, associations, and societies, like the African society, European club, and associations dedicated to food from different countries around the world. 

Who isn’t the right fit for Macquarie?

It’s worth noting that Macquarie is not based right in the city centre, so you might prefer to look at a different institution if that’s what you’re after. The same advice applies if you’re looking for a smaller university with a slower pace of life.

Any application tips? 

Macquarie has a very efficient admission system, so you will know within two weeks of applying whether or not you have an offer. 

You can apply directly, which is where you would collect all your documents and complete the process on your own; or you can apply through one of our representatives or agents.

To apply, you will need an academic transcript with your most recent qualifications. If you meet the entry requirements for your programme, you will get an offer: simple! For most programmes and for applications from most countries, the uni doesn’t require a Personal Statement or cover letter. So academic grades are super important.

You will also need to show evidence of the language you completed your qualification in, and this may mean completing an English language entry requirement.

Finally, you will need to apply for a visa separately. This process is carried out by the embassy in your country. Rest assured, with students from over 130 different countries, the application will be made as easy as possible for you.

What’s the location like?

Macquarie is based about 20km outside of Sydney city itself, situated on a large parkland site. One thing students like about Macquarie is that it feels very self-contained, like a small town in itself. It even has its own train station, with trains running into the city every six minutes.

Next to the campus is a shopping centre with over 100 shops, where lots of students find part-time work. Nearby is Macquarie Park Innovation District, the largest and fastest growing technological precinct in the southern hemisphere, connecting students to even more work opportunities. There are 300 companies based here, from Microsoft to Deloitte.

A couple of hours west of Sydney, students can go hiking or take a cable car up the impressive Blue Mountains. East of the university, students can enjoy some of the world’s best beaches, like Bondi and Manly Beach.

What facilities does Macquarie have to offer?

Macquarie has the kind of facilities you would expect to find in any small town. So that includes an olympic-level sports centre; a swimming pool; a park and lake; tennis courts; and a train station. Macquarie is also the only university in Australia to have its own hospital on-campus. This supports medical students in their studies, but is both a research centre and a public-serving hospital too. 

There’s a new law school; scientific labs for science and engineering students; and a media institute, including a film studio and sound-recording studio. There’s also Cochlear, the world headquarters for audiology research, so audiology or speech therapy students can take advantage of cutting-edge facilities there.

On top of this, you can enjoy your social time with a range of clubs, associations, and societies. Sports clubs include popular choices like rugby and swimming, but also scuba diving, surfing, and sky-diving! Societies include a debating society and stamp collecting society. You can even petition the university to create your own club if you can’t find one for you.

When you’re hungry, you can enjoy food from over 30 cafes and outlets on-campus which cater to all tastes, from Mexican to Thai food, and from Chinese food to pizza. 

What is the accommodation like?

As Macquarie is so large, our students have a range of needs. They might be undergraduates in their first year, mature students doing PhDs, and/or students with their own families to look after.

Our accommodation options reflect this. Our newly built Central Courtyard, right in the middle of the campus, has options from a one-bed studio to a six-bed apartment.

We have a tiered structure in terms of cost, with the cheapest option being to share a room or apartment, and at the top tier, a small apartment just for you and even your family.

We also offer privately operated apartments off-campus with fully catered or self-catered options.

How does the university meet the needs of students with different accessibility requirements?

If you have a disability or health needs, our assistant services are on-hand to support your study life at Macquarie. This includes access to free assistive technologies, and most of the campus is wheelchair accessible. We also have a neurodiversity hub to support neurodivergent individuals in finding employment.

Whatever your additional needs, the key is to make sure you communicate this to us as early as possible, so we can get the support in place for you for the start of your studies. As a large comprehensive university, as long as we know in advance, we can put reasonable adjustments in place for you.

Macquarie also has one of the widest-ranging scholarship mechanisms of all Australian universities. We offer, for example, regional scholarships, so depending on the region you’re applying from, you may have access to a 5,000 AUD per year fee waiver. If you’re from the UK or any of the surrounding European countries, we double that to 10,000 AUD guaranteed per year of study.

Want to explore more Australasian universities? Remember, Unifrog’s Shortlisting tool can help you put together a list of great potential courses.