Welcome and session overview

G'day, and welcome to the Choosing Your Uni National Virtual Expo. I'm your host, Rob Malicki, and welcome to this session on Flinders University. I acknowledge Country. I live and work on Kaurna land, and I pay my respects to elders past and present and all traditional custodians.

For those of you joining us live on the stream, whether you're on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or wherever you might be, you can ask any questions you've got about Flinders Uni in the chat and we will try to get to them by the end of this session. And if you're watching this on the recording, here are some of the topics we're going to be covering in the next 20 minutes or so.

Firstly, we're going to be talking about what Flinders is known for and who would do well studying there. We're going to hear from some students about what they say about studying at Flinders, and we're going to find out about Flinders' academic strengths. We're then going to get into all of the stuff around rankings and ratings and things like that, and I'm going to explain how those actually work and which of those might actually be relevant to you. And finally, I'll take you through which universities I would have on my shortlist if I was thinking about Flinders University.

If you're watching this on the recording, thanks for watching. Down in the description below there's a link to our Discord community for the uni expo, and for parents there's a link to the Facebook group as well. If you want to ask any questions about Flinders University, or about anything to do with going to university or post-school options, jump into that Discord community and we're going to be making sure that everybody gets an answer to every question.

Now, this whole expo wouldn't be possible without the support of our major presenting sponsor, Southern Cross University. So a super quick word from Southern Cross, and then we're going to get into this session on Flinders Uni.

Who Flinders University is and isn't right for

Flinders University is ranked 21st in the entire world for making a real difference. That's a position it holds in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which measure things like how universities contribute to health, climate action, and reducing inequality. 21st out of roughly 2,000 universities. That's a pretty extraordinary result. And yet a lot of people outside of Adelaide probably haven't heard of Flinders Uni.

So let me save you some time. Flinders Uni probably isn't for you if you're chasing prestige above everything else. It's not one of the Group of Eight universities. That's Australia's sandstone, prestigious, research-intensive institutions which tend to appear highest on global rankings, universities like Melbourne, Sydney, and UNSW. So if a top-50-in-the-world ranking on your resume is a priority for you, then maybe it's not the institution you're looking for.

It's also possibly not the university for you if you're looking for that giant, bustling inner-city university experience with 50,000 students, where you walk out of class and suddenly you're in the heart of a city amongst the limelight and coffee shops and everything else. The main campus for Flinders University is at Bedford Park, which is in Adelaide's south, about 12 kilometres south of the city centre. It's a leafy area, it's elevated, it has genuinely beautiful views, but it's not Swanston Street in Melbourne and it's not Broadway in Sydney.

The other reason not to consider Flinders is if you have zero interest in areas like health or defence, or in applied, career-focused degrees, because that's what you'll find most at Flinders. These are the strongest areas at Flinders University. But if you're still here, then Flinders has got a heck of a lot to offer. But don't just take my word for it. Let's hear from a student who has studied at Flinders University.

Student perspectives on studying at Flinders

I'm so happy that I came to Flinders over another uni, just because I got to meet my good friends here. You can drive here. That's one thing I didn't want to do, like wait for a bus in the morning and need to catch public transport. And I can stay here all day and just relax. I've got no rush to be anywhere, no rush to catch a bus, and just driving in is great. Parking is good here. It can be hard to find a spot sometimes, but the option to be able to drive in is good. And if you can't find a park, you go to Arklow and you catch the bus up.

Flinders' three defining strengths

Here are three things that I think absolutely define Flinders University. First, health and medicine. This is really the backbone of the university. Flinders established its medical school back in the 1970s, and since then it's built one of the strongest health ecosystems of any Australian university outside of the Group of Eight. We're not just talking about medicine itself, although that is of course very strong. We're also talking about nursing, allied health, public health, psychology, and a long-standing commitment to training health professionals for rural and remote communities.

The Northern Territory Medical Program, which trains doctors across the Territory, has been running for many years and it fills a genuine workforce need in parts of Australia that really struggle to attract health professionals. So if you're thinking about working in health in basically any capacity, and that includes on the management side of things, managing health organisations, then Flinders should definitely be on your radar. And of course, if you're exploring medicine specifically, we've got a great session called "Getting into Medicine and Getting Ready for the UCAT Exam," run by Mission Med. You can find that in the session catalogue.

Secondly, there's a very strong applied, career-connected culture at Flinders University. Flinders isn't a university where the approach is heavy on theory and good luck. A lot of degrees at Flinders have work-integrated learning built right in. That's things like clinical placements, industry projects, and internships. The Tonsley Innovation District campus is an extraordinary example of this. It's a purpose-built innovation precinct where engineering, computer science, and advanced manufacturing students work alongside actual industry partners, sharing laboratories, workspaces, and the whole environment. So that's not just a promise in a brochure. It's literally a physical space where teaching and industry share the building.

For students who are interested in defence, Flinders has positioned itself directly in the path of the AUKUS submarine program, and it's been expanding its STEM capacity with Commonwealth-supported places specifically linked to that pipeline. It's an extraordinary opportunity if you're interested in engineering and defence.

The third advantage I think Flinders has is the Adelaide advantage. Some people might chuckle if they're from interstate, but Adelaide is kind of awesome, and I know it gets overlooked by international students and other students looking at the East Coast. But here's the reality. Adelaide is a proper capital city with a significantly lower cost of living than Sydney or Melbourne. Students should be budgeting around $350 to $700 a week for living costs, and that's definitely at the lower end of all the capital cities around Australia.

Flinders gives you options where you can study at the main Bedford Park campus, surrounded by bushland, or you can study at the brand-new city campus at Festival Plaza, right in the CBD, which opened for teaching in 2024. That flexibility is unusual. And if cost is a factor in your decision, and honestly it should be for most families, we do have sessions on Australian Government support for university studies where we explain HECS-HELP and how it works, as well as other funding and support payments. You'll find those in the description below.

Academic programmes and research investment

Let's now get specific about what Flinders offers academically. The university runs more than 500 programmes across six colleges. Those colleges include Business, Government and Law; Education, Psychology and Social Work; Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Medicine and Public Health; Nursing and Health Sciences; and Science and Engineering. So it's a comprehensive university. You're not limited to one discipline.

As we've said, Flinders truly stands out in its health and medical research. In 2023 the university pulled in roughly $135 million in research income, up from about $116 million the year before. That's serious growth, and Flinders has one of the highest levels of funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council among all South Australian universities for that particular year. So when it comes to research for a university of this size, that's a big deal, and Flinders is pretty much punching above its weight.

The centrepiece of all this research activity is the Health and Medical Research Building, a $280 million, ten-storey facility at Bedford Park designed to house over 600 researchers, clinicians, and professional staff. That building is creating a genuine health and medical precinct right next to the Flinders Medical Centre, where a lot of clinical training already happens.

Defence, technology, and the Tonsley campus

Health isn't the only story at Flinders, even if that's where I've been focusing. Flinders has carved out a distinctive niche in defence and maritime research. It has a cooperative research and development agreement with the United States Navy, specifically with the Naval Undersea Warfare Centre. And as I mentioned before, with the AUKUS submarine program bringing billions of dollars of defence investment to South Australia, Flinders is kind of the place to be. It's expanded its STEM places specifically to feed that pipeline. So if you're interested in engineering, advanced manufacturing, or undersea technology, this is one of the universities closest to where the actual work will happen.

The Tonsley campus is really central to this. It's a converted former car manufacturing site and it now has specialist laboratories, workshops, and collaborative spaces shared between the university and its industry partners. Engineering, computer science, and robotics are all strengths. This isn't just about classroom learning. These are being taught in a working space that's deliberately designed to blur the line between education and industry. So if you're keen to get hands-on, this is a great place to do it.

Beyond health and defence, Flinders also has a strong reputation in education, social work, and psychology. The College of Education, Psychology and Social Work feeds graduates into schools, community services, and mental health settings, and many of those programmes include extended placements in real workplaces. There's also a growing strength in environmental science and sustainability research, which contributes to that top-25 global impact ranking I mentioned right at the start.

Flexible delivery and pathways into Flinders

One of the things that's really worth knowing is that Flinders University has invested heavily in its flexible delivery options. There are fully online degrees, hybrid options that combine online learning with regional placements, and nested qualifications that mean you can start with a diploma and build up to a full degree without losing any credit. So if you're in a regional area and can't easily relocate, or if you need to work while you study, that flexibility really matters.

And if you're an international student, Flinders University Academy provides a pathway through foundation studies, diplomas, and English language programmes, which feed directly into degree programmes. So it's a structured pathway, not just a suggestion.

Why don't we take another pause now and hear from another student about their experience at Flinders?

I love studying at Flinders. There's real support for art students, which I find my friends at other universities just don't get. The lecturers are really helpful and they really want to work with you as an individual rather than just as a collective. And as it is a smaller university, you get to know people quite well, see them in your classes more, and gain friendships that way.

Student satisfaction, graduate employment, and salary data

In this next section, we're going to look at some of the stats and figures. Every university tends to take the stats and figures that show them in the best light and put those forward. So what I'm going to do is give you some of the numbers and explain what these mean for you. Flinders honestly has some genuinely incredible numbers that I think will surprise you. At least one is much better than you'd expect, and there's also one that raises a real question.

This data comes from the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching, which is an Australian Government survey. We've got a whole session on QILT and ComparED. You'll find it in the session description. This is independent data generated by the Australian Government. They literally survey hundreds of thousands of students and thousands of employers to come up with these figures.

The first stat: students have spoken on Flinders University, and it sits at 78.7% for overall student satisfaction. That's above the national average, and it's really solid for a university of this type. It's not the highest in the country, but it puts Flinders comfortably in the upper half of all universities. For context, the new Adelaide University, formed from the merger of the University of Adelaide and UniSA, sits at 77.8%. So Flinders actually edges it out on student experience. Teaching quality backs that up. Flinders has consistently performed well in student experience surveys, particularly in South Australia, where it's been at or near the top of overall student experience for many years.

This next number is one I want you to think about carefully. Graduate employment is at 76.6%. That's below the national average, and it's noticeably lower than some other universities. For example, Charles Sturt University is at 91.2% and James Cook at 89.5%. This matters, but graduate employment figures are heavily influenced by the mix of disciplines at a university. Flinders has a large health and medical cohort, and many of those graduates go into further study or training before entering the workforce, and that pulls the headline number down, even though the long-term outcomes for those students are pretty strong.

The median graduate starting salary is $70,000. That's right on the national average. It's not spectacular, but it's not concerning, and it reflects the mix of disciplines. You've got health professionals who start on structured salary scales, while business and arts graduates tend to start a little lower and work their way up.

Global rankings and what they actually mean for you

If we look at global rankings, Flinders ranks 387th in the world on the QS Rankings, and in the Times Higher Education Global Ranking it's in the 300 to 350 band, which is also around 21st in Australia. Those numbers place Flinders in a broad group of internationally recognised research universities. They're not headline-grabbing, but these big global rankings mainly measure, or heavily preference, institutions that crank out enormous volumes of research like the Group of Eight, or that have massive international reputations and widely cited research. So for Flinders to be ranked 300 to 350th in the world is already pretty good relative to many other institutions.

And that number I mentioned right at the top: the Impact Ranking at 21st in the world may be more meaningful to you if you're looking to study at an institution where creating positive impact in the world is a priority.

You can compare all of these numbers on the Tuning Unity platform. We have an AI-powered tool that is configured to help you figure out what to study and where, based on your interests, preferences, and goals, not just on which university has the biggest marketing budget. It's free to use, takes 30 seconds to get started, and will really help you work through what you want to do and compare all your different options.

Comparing Flinders to Adelaide University, Newcastle, and JCU

Let's finish up by talking about which institutions I would compare Flinders against, because obviously when we're choosing an institution we're not usually choosing in isolation. The obvious one is the new Adelaide University, formed by the merger of the University of Adelaide and UniSA. It's a Group of Eight university, one of the big prestigious ones. It's ranked higher in the world at 82nd and it's right in the heart of the Adelaide CBD, although its campuses are scattered across a few locations. Adelaide University offers subjects across every field of study and does have that prestige factor and a stronger brand. Flinders may offer a more personal experience, a stronger clinical placement network, and arguably better student satisfaction.

I would say about Adelaide University that it's still getting itself up on its feet. It launched at the beginning of this year and it is bringing together two incredible institutions with amazing academic areas. The challenge is going to be the administrative side of things. When you take two big systems and mash them together, things are going to be bumpy for a little while, and that's certainly something to be aware of.

Let me offer a bit of a curveball as an alternative option, because now we're looking outside of South Australia. In some ways, the University of Newcastle is a similar institution on paper. It's on the east coast of New South Wales, which is pretty far from Flinders geographically, but both are medium-sized, both are quite research active, both are outside the Group of Eight, and both have real strengths in health, medicine, and engineering. Both are serving a mix of metropolitan and regional communities and both have strong satisfaction scores of around 78%. And honestly, Newcastle is a beautiful beachside city, smaller, compact, and accessible to Sydney. It's got a lot going for it, so it's worth a look.

The next one's also a bit of a curveball, but I'd even look at an institution like James Cook University. James Cook has campuses in Townsville and Cairns, which is very different from Adelaide lifestyle-wise and the cost of living is much lower. But philosophically there's real alignment. Both universities are deeply connected to regional and remote health workforce needs, both have strong placement-based programmes, and both punch above their weight in graduate employment for regional communities. Both offer a study experience that's more personal and applied than what you get at a big-city research powerhouse. So if making a real difference in underserved communities is part of what appeals to you about Flinders, JCU is a pretty close philosophical match. And of course we've got sessions about JCU as well as part of this expo.

Audience questions: Tonsley, and how to choose a course

We've got time for a couple of questions. Once again, if you've got any questions, make sure you're dropping them in the chat if you're here live. If you're watching on the replay, the Choosing Your Uni Discord is the place to ask those questions, and for parents, our parent Facebook group is where you can get support.

We've got a pre-submitted question from a student in Adelaide, Liam: "Flinders is building that big new development at Tonsley. Does that actually affect students or is it more of a research thing?"

Tonsley genuinely is an exciting place for students, especially if you're in engineering, computer science, business, anything technology related, or entrepreneurship. There's a really great entrepreneurship setup there. It's a purpose-built innovation hub where you study alongside actual companies and startups, so the networking and placement opportunities are built into your daily experience. I visited there for the first time earlier this year and I think it's one of the more interesting campus innovations happening around Australia right now. It's a real and different advantage for Flinders University.

Next question: should you pick a uni based on course or based on the university overall?

Course, always, first and foremost. If a university doesn't have the exact course that you want, choosing an institution just because it's close probably won't lead you to the outcome you're looking for. Now, of course, if you don't know what you want to study, choosing an institution that's close to home or meets some other criteria can be completely acceptable, because the thing with university studies is that you can always change later. Whether that's starting in one particular programme at a university and then figuring out what you like and moving into something else, or literally transferring to another institution altogether, the Australian system is pretty flexible when it comes to that.

You can also do what's called cross-institutional study, so you can do most of your studies at one uni and sometimes take a couple of units from another institution as well. You don't have to have it all figured out right at the front. You do have the opportunity to work it out as you go along and to change as you go along too. So don't put yourself under heaps of pressure to have it all worked out right out of the gate.

I'm afraid we're out of time, so any questions that have come through, make sure you drop them up in the Discord. Thank you for joining me for this session on Flinders Uni, and I'll see you hopefully in another session throughout the National Virtual Expo. I'm Rob Malicki. Have yourself a great day.