How to Study at the Australian National University (ANU) as an Indian Student: The Complete 2026 Guide

The Australian National University was set up differently from every other university in the country. It was not founded by a state or a church. It was created by an Act of the Federal Parliament, and it turned 80 on 1 August 2026. That national mission still shapes ANU: it sits in Canberra, a short walk from the institutions that run Australia, with small classes and a research culture that has produced Nobel-winning science. Understanding that identity is the key to writing a strong ANU application.

For Indian students looking to study in Australia, ANU is an easy university to shortlist. It is 29th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and its fees are simple: one indicative figure covers most of its popular programs. It has run a scholarship category just for Indian students, and it is in a city that gives graduates extra post-study work time. This guide covers what it takes to study at ANU as an Indian student: fees, entry rules, English tests, deadlines, scholarships and the visa details that apply specifically to you.

ANU at a Glance

ANU's most famous recent result came from Mount Stromlo Observatory: Professor Brian Schmidt and his research partners won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering that the universe's expansion is accelerating. In the THE World University Rankings 2027, released in September 2026, ANU placed 77th, and ANU reports that its teaching score reached its highest level in six years, with its international student and staff metrics scoring close to 100.

ANU Courses: What Can You Study?

ANU offers courses across science, engineering, computing, business, law, the humanities and public policy, but a handful of areas are especially relevant for Indian applicants, and each one plays to what makes ANU different.

1. Computing, AI and Machine Learning

ANU offers two master's routes that suit two different kinds of applicant. The Master of Computing is a two-year degree designed, in ANU's words, for "graduates without a computing background". A BCom, BSc or mechanical engineering graduate can use it to move into software. It includes specialisations in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science and Software Development, plus a computing internship option. The Master of Machine Learning and Computer Vision is for cognate graduates, meaning those with degrees in computer science, software, electrical or electronics engineering and similar fields. Its core covers computer vision, deep learning and statistical machine learning. At undergraduate level, the Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Honours) is a four-year program.

2. Public Policy and International Relations

This is ANU's signature strength and the clearest benefit of studying in the national capital. The Crawford School of Public Policy trains policy professionals from across the Asia-Pacific, and ANU's security, international affairs and Asia-Pacific studies programs sit a short distance from Parliament House and the federal departments. If you want a career in public policy, development economics, diplomacy or international organisations, it is hard to find a better-placed university. Note that Crawford has earlier application deadlines (see below).

3. Science, Engineering and Data

ANU's physical sciences, astronomy and earth sciences are world-class. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and the Master of Applied Data Analytics are both popular with Indian students. The small-cohort model means you are more likely to work directly with active researchers, which is a real asset if you are considering a PhD later.

4. Business, Economics and Finance

The Bachelor of Commerce is a three-year degree, and ANU's economics research carries strong weight with government and policy employers. If you are interested in economics and public policy together, ANU's combination of the two is rare.

Entry Requirements for Indian Students

Undergraduate

• How ANU assesses you: international applicants who finish a recognised secondary qualification are assessed on an equivalent ANU Selection Rank, calculated from your results when you apply. ANU uses one common scale for every applicant, whether they studied CBSE, ISC or another board.
• What the ranks look like: for 2027 the Bachelor of Commerce guarantees entry at a Selection Rank of 80, and the Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Honours) guarantees entry at 85, with a minimum unadjusted rank of 70 to be considered for both. ANU's program pages link to its international equivalencies. Ask ANU, or ask us, what your predicted Class XII percentage converts to before you draw up your shortlist.
• Prerequisites matter: computing, engineering and science degrees expect strong Mathematics, so check the prerequisites tab on the program page as well as the rank.

Postgraduate (Master's)

• The degree rule: you need an Australian bachelor's degree or a qualification ANU accepts as comparable under the Australian Qualifications Framework. Most Australian bachelor's degrees last three years, so a three-year Indian degree is not excluded simply because of its length. Your grades and field of study decide the outcome.
• The GPA rule: ANU converts every qualification to its 7-point GPA. The Master of Computing needs 5.0/7, or 4.0/7 plus three years of related professional experience. The Master of Machine Learning and Computer Vision needs 5/7 in a cognate discipline, or 4/7 with three years of relevant experience.
• The ranking detail: entry is competitive, and ANU first ranks applicants on a GPA calculated without your final semester, then uses the higher of two calculations for the admission decision. Your early-semester marks carry real weight, so get your full transcript ready early.
• Applying: each application costs A$150 and can list up to three programs. ANU advises against listing three with identical entry requirements, because a varied list gives you a better chance of an offer.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 for most undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Some programs, such as clinical psychology and medicine, require 7.0. The test must be taken at a centre, and IELTS Online is not accepted.
• TOEFL: for tests taken on or after 21 January 2026, ANU accepts only the TOEFL iBT Australia version. Select it when you register. PTE Academic and Cambridge C1 Advanced are also accepted.
• The Class XII exemption: for undergraduate entry, ANU's English policy accepts a C2 or better in English Core in the CBSE AISSCE, a numerical grade of 1-7 in English on the ISC pass certificate, or 120/200 in English in the Tamil Nadu HSC. Many CBSE and ISC students can skip the test entirely.

Tuition Fees and Living Costs

ANU's fees are some of the easiest in Australia to plan around. Its catalogue lists the same annual indicative international fee, A$57,640 for 2027, across many of the programs Indian students choose most:

ANU is clear that this is an indicative figure based on a standard full-time load of 48 units a year. Fees vary with the courses you choose, are reviewed every year and usually rise during your degree, and every student also pays the Services and Amenities Fee. A two-year master's therefore costs a little more than twice the first-year figure.

Scholarships for Indian Students

1. ANU Chancellor's International Scholarship: India category (25%)

ANU's scholarship page lists a dedicated "Chancellor's International Scholarship - India" worth a 25% reduction in tuition fees for the full length of an undergraduate or postgraduate coursework degree. Up to 200 awards have been offered across all categories. There is no separate application: every eligible international applicant is assessed automatically on academic merit, using the qualification submitted for admission. Recipients are also guaranteed accommodation in their first year if they want it. You must accept the scholarship offer separately from your academic offer. When we checked in September 2026, the page described the award as "currently unavailable", so confirm whether it is open for your intake. Because it is merit-based, strong marks make the biggest difference.

2. ANU research scholarships (PhD and research master's)

Research students are funded through a separate system from coursework students. If you are aiming for a PhD, look at ANU's postgraduate research scholarships and contact potential supervisors early. A funded research place is the most affordable way to study at ANU.

3. External Indian funding

Because ANU's own awards reduce your fees rather than cover them, many families add external funding such as the JN Tata Endowment, the KC Mahindra Scholarships for Postgraduate Studies Abroad or an education loan. Check each funder's current eligibility and deadlines directly.

Key Dates for 2027 Entry

Programs with additional selection criteria can have different deadlines, so check the program page. After you accept, allow time for your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), health cover and visa application before you book flights. Applying well before the closing date also leaves room for a scholarship assessment.

Your Student Visa: What Applies to You

• Visa: the Student visa (subclass 500), which allows study for up to six years in line with your enrolment. The application charge for most primary applicants is A$2,500 from 1 July 2026, up from A$2,000. Check the current figure in the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay.
• Genuine Student requirement: since 23 March 2024 every applicant must show they are a genuine student and that studying in Australia is the main reason for the visa. You answer short questions in the application form (Home Affairs sets a 150-word limit per response) about your current circumstances, why you chose this course at ANU, and how it will benefit you. Home Affairs also states that wanting permanent residence later does not count against you.
• Money: 12 months of course fees, A$29,710 for living costs and about A$2,000 for travel if you apply from India, or evidence of a parent's or partner's income of at least A$87,856 in the previous 12 months.
• English for the visa: your ANU offer requires a higher English score than the visa does, so meeting ANU's standard normally covers this too.
• Work while you study: up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session, with no limit during scheduled course breaks. Students in a master's by research or a PhD have no work limit.
• Health cover: Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is compulsory for the whole visa period.

Post-Study Work: Better Terms for Indian Graduates

Here Indian students have a real advantage. Under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), Home Affairs sets longer stays on the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) for Indian nationals than the standard ones:

• Age: you must be 35 or under when you apply, or under 50 if you are using a master's by research or a PhD.
• English for the 485: for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the minimum is IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each band, taken in the 12 months before you apply.
• The Canberra bonus: Home Affairs lists Canberra as a Category 2 regional area, alongside cities like Perth and Adelaide. If you studied in a designated regional area and lived there for at least two years on your first 485, you may be eligible for a Second Post-Higher Education Work stream visa of 1 more year. Sydney and Melbourne graduates cannot use this stream.
• Timing: you must apply from inside Australia and must have held a Student visa in the previous six months, so plan your final semester and your application together.

Life in Canberra

Canberra is a planned capital with lots of green space, and ANU's Acton campus sits right beside the city centre. ANU runs an accommodation guarantee for new students who apply for housing by its published deadline (for 2026 entry that was 31 December 2025), and Chancellor's scholarship recipients are guaranteed first-year accommodation. Check the deadline for your intake and apply for housing as soon as you accept your offer. Canberra is smaller and quieter than Sydney or Melbourne, which many students find makes it easier to focus on study and get to know their classmates. Its winters are noticeably colder than Bangalore's, so pack proper warm layers for June to August.

Applying from Bangalore and Karnataka

If you are applying from Bangalore or anywhere else in Karnataka, these are the specifics that apply to you.

• Karnataka II PUC (KSEAB) students: ANU converts international Class XII results to an ANU Selection Rank, but it does not publish a separate PUC conversion. Ask ANU to confirm how your percentage will rank for your program, and aim above the guaranteed-entry rank (80 for the Bachelor of Commerce, 85 for the Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Honours)). ANU's published English exemptions name CBSE, ISC and the Tamil Nadu HSC but not PUC, so plan on taking an English test.
• CBSE and ICSE/ISC schools in Bangalore: you can use the same selection-rank route, and your Class XII English result may exempt you from IELTS for undergraduate entry (C2 in CBSE English Core, or a 1-7 grade in ISC English).
• Graduates of VTU, Bangalore University, IISc, NITK Surathkal, RV, PES, BMS or Manipal: ANU does not publish a list of Indian institutions or tiers. Every degree is converted to the same 7-point GPA, so your marks and the relevance of your subject decide the outcome, not the college's name. Gather full semester-wise transcripts early, because ANU ranks you on the GPA without your final semester.
• Your visa from Bangalore: you lodge the Student visa online through ImmiAccount, so you do not need to visit an embassy. The Home Affairs list of Australian Biometrics Collection Centres (correct as of March 2026) does not include any centre in India. If Home Affairs needs your biometrics, it tells you after you lodge how to provide them (at a collection centre or, if eligible, through the Australian Immi app), and you have 14 days to do so. Follow the instructions in your ImmiAccount, including any health examination request, which must be done with a Home Affairs-approved panel physician.
• Getting to Canberra: there is no direct flight from Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) to Canberra. Most students take a one-stop connection through an Asian hub to Sydney or Melbourne, then a short domestic flight or the road trip to Canberra.
• Talk to us locally: Falcon Nova's office is on the 7th floor of Kirloskar Business Park in Hebbal, North Bangalore. You can book free counselling in person or online.

Is ANU Right for You?

ANU suits students who want a research-led education in small classes, especially in computing and AI, public policy, international relations or the sciences. Its fees are predictable, it has run a merit scholarship with a dedicated India category, and Canberra's regional status offers an extra post-study work year that big-city universities cannot. If you would rather be in a large city with a big industry job market, compare it with UNSW Sydney or the University of Melbourne, and choose the one that fits the career you want.