Address: 221 Burwood Highway, 3125 Burwood, Victoria, Australia
Health, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, Law, Education, Architecture
Deakin University has its roots in the Gordon Memorial Technical College, opened in 1887 and later renamed the Gordon Institute of Technology. The higher education arm of the institute merged with the Geelong campus of the State College of Victoria in 1974 to form Deakin University, established under the Deakin University Act 1974. The university is named after Alfred Deakin, an early Prime Minister of Australia. It merged with the Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education in 1990 and with most of Victoria College in 1991.
Four campuses serve it. Burwood, in Melbourne, is the largest, with about 31,975 on-campus students in 2020. Waurn Ponds, in Geelong, is the original campus, with about 8,382 students in 2020. The Geelong Waterfront campus is in the centre of Geelong, with about 5,362 students, and the Warrnambool campus, created in 1990, had about 1,135 on-campus students.
In 2023 the university enrolled 58,853 students: 38,815 undergraduates, 17,198 postgraduate coursework students, 2,236 research students and 604 non-award students. It had 6,051 staff, of whom 1,880 were academic and 2,639 administrative on a full-time equivalent basis.
Teaching is organised in four areas. Arts and Education covers education, humanities and social sciences, communication and creative arts, and the Institute of Koorie Education. Business and Law groups the Deakin Business School and the Deakin Law School. Health includes the School of Medicine, nursing and midwifery, and health and social development, which covers psychology and exercise and nutrition. Science, Engineering and Built Environment includes architecture and built environment, engineering, information technology, and life and environmental sciences.
Alumni include John Brumby and Denis Napthine, former premiers of Victoria, Peter Gutwein, a former premier of Tasmania, the actress Rachel Griffiths, the journalist Leigh Sales, the businessman Jim Stynes and the musician Mandawuy Yunupingu, Australian of the Year in 1992. Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
Alfred Deakin was the second Prime Minister of Australia. The Burwood campus is the largest, and the Warrnambool campus serves the south-west of Victoria.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Campuses at Burwood in Melbourne, Waurn Ponds and the Waterfront in Geelong, and Warrnambool; Institute of Koorie Education.
Research:
Health, life and environmental sciences, engineering, information technology, architecture and the built environment, business, law and education.
Famous Alumnis:
John Brumby, Rachel Griffiths, Leigh Sales, Jim Stynes, Denis Napthine, Peter Gutwein
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4519
Current students***:
58853
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Four campuses in Victoria with online teaching, broad degrees, strong in health and technology, large student community.
Cons
Campuses spread across Melbourne, Geelong and Warrnambool, large and sometimes impersonal, high fees for international students.
Best For
Students seeking a large Victorian university with flexible study modes and strong health, technology and business programmes.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Among national alternatives, Monash University stands out for its focus on chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is slightly larger, at about 86,600 students against roughly 58,853 here, and is also a public institution.
Among national alternatives, University of New South Wales stands out for its focus on chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it is slightly larger, at about 82,300 students against roughly 58,853 here, and is also a public institution.
University of Sydney overlaps with this university on chemistry, physics and mathematics, so the two are easy to compare, and it covers finance and marine science as well, and is slightly larger, at about 70,300 students against roughly 58,853 here.
Another national school that puts chemistry, physics and mathematics at the centre is Macquarie University, and it is also a public institution and does not run the graduate diploma programmes found here.
Curtin University overlaps with this institution on chemistry, physics and mathematics, so the two are easy to compare, and it has almost the same size, at about 61,193 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Abroad, University of Auckland (New Zealand) covers chemistry, physics and mathematics in a comparable way, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral, graduate certificate, graduate diploma and mba.
Beyond national borders, University of the Witwatersrand stands out as a comparable school for chemistry, physics and mathematics; it does not run the graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes found here and covers finance and astroscience as well.
In Saudi Arabia, King Saud University teaches much the same core subjects, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it has almost the same size, at about 61,412 students, and is also a public institution.
University of Granada in Spain is the nearest foreign match on chemistry, physics and mathematics; it is also a public institution, and does not run the graduate certificate, graduate diploma and mba programmes found here.
University of Cape Town, in South Africa, takes a similar route through chemistry, physics and mathematics; it does not run the graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes found here and covers finance and astroscience as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Deakin University?
Its largest campus is at Burwood in Melbourne, and it also has campuses in Geelong and Warrnambool, Victoria.
When was it established?
In 1974, under the Deakin University Act 1974.
Who is it named after?
Alfred Deakin, an early Prime Minister of Australia.
What are its roots?
The Gordon Memorial Technical College, opened in 1887.
Which campuses does it have?
Burwood, Waurn Ponds, Geelong Waterfront and Warrnambool.
How many students does it have?
58,853 in 2023, including 38,815 undergraduates.
How many staff does it have?
6,051 in 2023, of whom 1,880 were academic on a full-time equivalent basis.
What is the Institute of Koorie Education?
A unit within Arts and Education.
Which premiers studied there?
John Brumby and Denis Napthine of Victoria, and Peter Gutwein of Tasmania.
What does it cost?
Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff.
Architecture, Biology, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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