Should you study overseas or locally?

Thinking about whether to study locally or overseas? Learn about career goals, budget, preferred learning experience and some other elements to help you make the right choice for you.

For many international students, studying abroad is more than just getting a qualification. It gives you the opportunity to build experience globally, develop professional skills, expand your network and strengthen future career opportunities.

According to Study Australia, the Australian Government's official international education resource, international students bring diverse perspectives, adaptability and a global mindset that employers find incredibly valuable. For students who study a degree in Australia, these qualities are built deeper, through the everyday experience of navigating an unfamiliar education system, culture and way of life.

Compare: Study local or overseas

Studying overseas can open doors to new cultures, global networks and international career opportunities.

Studying locally often costs less, keeps you close to your support network and may provide a more direct pathway into professions with local licensing or accreditation requirements.

Rather than asking which option is better, ask which one is better for your circumstances.

If your priority is...	Studying locally	Studying overseas
Keeping costs down	Yes
Building an international network		Yes
Staying close to family and friends	Yes
Experiencing a different culture		Yes
Meeting local accreditation requirements	Yes	Yes*
Building global career opportunities		Yes

*Local accreditation requirements

These can vary depending on the course, qualification, and local licensing standards. Students who intend to work in a licensed field after graduating from overseas study should confirm the local requirements to practice before deciding where to study.

The main differences between studying overseas and locally

The biggest differences are the opportunities, costs and experiences that come with either option.

Studying locally usually means you’ll already understand the education system, culture and professional expectations. It can be a practical choice if you’re planning to build your career close to home or enter a profession with country-specific licensing requirements.
Studying overseas means that, along with your studies, you’ll experience a different education system, develop cross-cultural skills and build connections that may support an international career.

Neither path is automatically better. Each involves trade-offs, and those trade-offs matter more in some careers than others.

The learning experience

Teaching styles vary between universities just as much as they do between countries. Some institutions place a strong emphasis on independent learning, discussion and critical thinking. Others use more structured teaching, regular examinations or practical learning environments.

You may also notice differences in class sizes, access to research facilities, industry engagement and assessment methods.

If you’re studying in a country where you’ll be adapting to a new language or academic culture, too, there may be an adjustment period. While this can be challenging, many students also find this multi-cultural exposure to be one of the most rewarding parts of studying overseas.

Is a degree earned overseas worth more to employers?

It depends on your field and employer. An overseas degree may offer an advantage in industries with an international focus, including business, research, technology and some creative fields.

In a number of industries, internationally recognised accreditations such as AACSB International in business or an accord from the International Engineering Alliance act as a trust signal, letting local employers recognise the quality of a program even if they're not familiar the institution that provided it.

In each of the above examples, and similar accreditations in other fields, these tell employers that the institution you have studied at meets the highest global standards for quality and continuous improvement in education, proving the quality of your qualification. Employers may also value graduates who have demonstrated adaptability, independence and experience working across cultures.

In other professions, particularly those that are tightly regulated, local accreditation often matters much more than where you studied.

Some licensed professions may require qualifications to meet specific national standards.

Recognition requirements vary between countries and professions, and it’s much easier to investigate them before enrolling than after graduating. This is common in areas like teaching, nursing, engineering, law and more.

Before accepting an offer from an overseas institution, check whether the qualification will be recognised in the country where you hope to build your career.

Career outcomes

Career outcomes depend on far more than the location of your university. Students who complete industry projects, work-integrated learning (WIL), internships and professional placements generally graduate with stronger employment prospects, regardless of whether they studied locally or overseas.

Studying overseas can help you develop an international professional network and expose you to employers, industries and markets that may not be available at home. If you’re hoping to build a global career, these connections can be valuable.

Studying locally often provides stronger links to domestic employers and professional associations. If you’re planning to establish your career in your home country, these local networks may prove just as important.

Across both options, employers consistently value transferable skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving, adaptability and critical thinking alongside technical expertise.

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Cost comparison

Studying overseas is often a bigger financial commitment than studying locally, but many students view it as an investment rather than an added expense. Along with tuition, you'll usually need to budget for accommodation, flights, health insurance, visas and day-to-day living costs, and exchange rates can shift the total depending on your destination.

The table below gives a general sense of how these costs compare across some popular study destinations.

	Australia	United Kingdom	Canada
Average annual tuition (estimate for bachelor’s degrees)	AU$20,000 - AU$45,000	GBP£12,000 - GBP£38,000	CAD$20,000 - CAD$40,000
Average annual living costs	AU$30,000 - AU$45,000	GBP£10,800 - GBP£15,600	CAD$16,000 - CAD$30,000
Part-time work rights	48 hours per fortnight	20 hours per week	24 hours per week

These are indicative figures only and can vary largely depending on a number of factors.

Overseas study and personal growth

This is where studying overseas has the biggest advantage. Living in another country encourages independence in ways that are difficult to replicate at home. Over time, you’ll become comfortable to navigate unfamiliar systems, manage your own finances, build new friendships and adapt to different ways of living and learning.

Many universities with large cohorts of international students often have established communities or societies where students can find familiarity and comfort amongst others in the same space as them. For students, these groups act as a point of comfort and support for international students settling into their home-away-from-home.

3 RMIT students walking on campus together smiling

International student communities

PPIA RMIT is an Indonesian Student Association that hosts social gatherings and events for Indonesian students here. Similarly, RMIT’s Indian Club aims to build connection between the university’s Indian student community.

These experiences can strengthen resilience, confidence, communication skills and cultural awareness. While they’re not a guarantee of better career outcomes, they are valuable life skills that many graduates carry throughout their careers.

If personal growth and experiencing another culture are high on your priority list, studying overseas may be worth the additional investment.

You should consider studying locally if you:

want to minimise education costs
have strong professional or personal networks where you live
prefer remaining close to family or existing support systems
want to begin building relationships with local employers while studying
plan to work in a profession with local accreditation or licensing requirements.

Choosing to study locally doesn’t close the door on international opportunities. Many graduates later pursue postgraduate study, exchange programs or overseas employment after establishing their careers.

You should consider studying overseas if you:

seek opportunities that are not available to you locally
like learning about cultures different to your home one
can see yourself growing personally in a new environment
want to expand your networks, both personal and professional, internationally
plan to work in a career where international experience is an advantage.

Choosing to study overseas doesn’t mean moving away from home forever. While some students may continue to advance their education and careers internationally, others return to their home country with everything gained from their overseas experience; a highly regarded qualification, quality industry experience, and a fresh perspective on the world.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Should you study overseas or locally?