Universities in Perth: UWA, Curtin & WA Guide

Perth's higher education sector is anchored by five universities: the University of Western Australia (UWA, one of Australia's Group of Eight research-intensive universities), Curtin University (Australia's largest university by international student enrolment), Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, and Notre Dame Australia. The sector's total enrolment of approximately 130,000 students makes Perth a mid-sized Australian university city, but the extraordinary resources sector partnerships (particularly through UWA and Curtin's engineering and mining programs) give Perth's university sector a disproportionate economic impact in Western Australia.

University of Western Australia (UWA) — the UWA Crawley campus (founded 1911, on the Swan River at Crawley) is one of Australia's most beautiful university campuses and a founding member of Australia's Group of Eight research-intensive universities. UWA is consistently ranked in the world's top 100-150 and leads in earth and mineral sciences, agricultural science, and the emerging Indian Ocean-facing research agenda. The UWA campus's extraordinary cloisters (Winthrop Hall), the Swan River foreshore, and the Sunken Garden provide outstanding heritage academic architecture.

Curtin University — the Curtin Bentley campus (established 1966 as the Western Australian Institute of Technology, university status 1987) is Australia's largest university by international student enrolment and one of the most commercially active Australian universities in terms of industry research partnerships. Curtin's particular strength in mining engineering, petroleum engineering, and the resources sector-aligned programs reflects WA's economic foundation. The Curtin Dubai and Curtin Malaysia international campuses reflect the university's significant international ambitions.

Murdoch University — the Murdoch campus (South Street, Murdoch) provides strong veterinary science, environmental science, law, and business education. The Murdoch Veterinary School is one of only two veterinary schools in Australia's western half.

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