Welcome and session overview

G'day, and welcome to the Choosing Your Uni National Virtual Expo. My name is Rob Malicki. Welcome to this session on RMIT University. Quick acknowledgement of country: I live and work on Gadigal land of the Eora Nation here in Sydney, New South Wales. Our panel respects the traditional owners and traditional custodians of this incredible land.

Before I get started, I wanted to flag what's coming up in the next 20 minutes, and also to say hello to those of you joining me live today. If you've got questions or comments, you can drop them in the chat, whether that's here on the Expo Hub or if you're watching a livestream on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube. Drop your questions in and I'll try to get to them by the end of this session. And of course, if you're watching this on replay, you can also add your questions in the chat panel. You'll need Discord -- details are in the session notes below -- and then you can ask any questions you might have regarding studying at RMIT or any other university.

So what are we going to cover? We're going to be talking about what RMIT University is known for, who would be well-suited for studying there, and we're going to hear from some students about what they say about studying at RMIT. We're also going to look at its academic strengths. I'm going to take you through the data -- the numbers -- how does this institution go with student satisfaction, graduate employment rates, and how does it rank globally? I'll also explain how you can figure out whether those numbers are actually relevant to you, because there's quite a bit of marketing around different rankings. Finally, I'm going to help you build your shortlist by giving you a handful of institutions you might compare RMIT with. I really like the idea of helping people build their shortlist of institutions, particularly if they're living in Melbourne, but I've also got a couple of curveball suggestions from elsewhere.

Before we kick off, I'd like to acknowledge our major presenting partner, Southern Cross University, without whom this expo wouldn't have been possible.

Who RMIT is -- and isn't -- for

RMIT is ranked 125th in the world, and yet its students are amongst the least satisfied in the country. That's not a contradiction. That's a clue about what this university is really about.

Let's start by talking about who RMIT is not for. If you want a classic leafy campus with big lawns and everyone hanging out between lectures and chilling out on a single site, RMIT's city campus just isn't that. It's big buildings scattered around Melbourne's CBD. You walk between classes throughout the city, past laneways and tram stops. Some students will absolutely love that energy -- it really suits certain people. For others, it can make it harder to feel like they belong to a single place.

If you're looking for a university that holds your hand through first year, RMIT is big -- really big, with over 99,000 students globally. You're going to need to be comfortable finding your own way. That means joining clubs and societies, making the effort to build your network and friendships, and proactively seeking out support services. The support services are there; you just need to go looking for them.

Finally, RMIT might not be for you if what you're interested in is a more traditional, theoretical education. RMIT is really focused on creating industry-ready graduates. It's built around making things, building things, and working on real-time projects with companies. That is this institution's DNA. If that makes your ears prick up, that's a good sign, because this could be an institution for you.

Student voices: studying in the city

The virtual expo has sessions on every Australian university -- you can find them in the description below on the sessions catalogue page. But before I get further into this, let's hear from someone who's actually studied at RMIT.

Rob: Tell me about RMIT, studying down here in the city. What are you studying?

Guest: I'm studying business -- marketing. It's really convenient, the campus here in the city. Nice and easy on public transport, easy to get into the city, and it's just convenient being around nice places to grab something to eat. Heaps of places.

Rob: Absolutely. Totally an advantage of being in the middle of a city.

What RMIT is particularly well known for

There are three things I'd like to focus on for which RMIT is particularly well known, and interestingly they're all connected in some way.

The first is design and creative arts. To me, this is RMIT's crown jewel. In the QS World Subject Rankings, RMIT is consistently ranked among the best in Australia and in the world for art and design, architecture, and the built environment. If you're interested in fashion, visual communication, architecture, animation, games, or media production, RMIT honestly is one of the very first unis that should be on your list -- and I mean Australia-wide, not just in Melbourne. This isn't a recent thing, either. The university traces its roots all the way back to 1887 as the Working Men's College in Melbourne. It's had over 130 years of teaching people how to make things and do things. That history runs deep.

Secondly, industry connections and industry integration. RMIT's entire educational model is built around applied learning. That means industry placements, real industry briefs, studio-based projects, and work-integrated learning embedded into your degree. They have literally thousands of industry partners providing tens of thousands of student experiences per year through work-integrated learning. This isn't just some nice bolt-on added at the end of your degree. This is how RMIT teaches. If you're someone who learns by doing -- who'd rather build a prototype than write an essay -- this really counts for you.

Thirdly, the TAFE-style dual-sector structure. There are a number of institutions in Victoria that have this, but outside of Victoria it's not a very common model, and it's unusual on a national scale. RMIT offers both higher education degrees and vocational education -- that is, TAFE-style certificates and diplomas -- side by side. Under one roof, you can start with a diploma and pathway all the way through into a degree, or go further into a Masters and even a PhD. Or you can combine practical trade qualifications with university study. Not many universities Australia-wide actually offer that kind of flexibility.

RMIT's breadth: beyond engineering and IT

You might hear the phrase "University of Technology" -- RMIT was originally the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology before becoming RMIT University. If you're thinking that means this is all just about engineering or IT, it's much broader than that. The university has a full College of Business and Law, it's strong in health and biomedical sciences, and has a really big media and communications school. But once again, that thread running through all of it is the practical, industry-connected approach.

One more thing about location. RMIT's Melbourne campus is located right in the heart of the CBD -- the central business district. That's not just a lifestyle thing. It means you're literally surrounded by the companies, studios, agencies, and organisations you might end up working for. You can walk from a lecture to a job interview across town. For a university built around industry connections, that geographical proximity is a really compelling part of the offering.

RMIT does also have another campus at Bundoora, on the outskirts to the north of Melbourne. It offers some similar degrees to the city centre but also some unique programmes. Bundoora is a very different campus feel -- more open, much more relaxed than the city centre -- and for a certain type of student that might actually be the better option. Interestingly, RMIT Bundoora and La Trobe University are very closely located, so it's worth looking at those two institutions side by side in particular disciplines.

Academic strengths and research areas

Let's get into the specifics of what RMIT actually teaches and where it excels. The university is structured around four main colleges. There's the College of Design and Social Context, which covers architecture, art, design, fashion, textiles, media, and communications. There's the College of Business and Law, which covers business disciplines including logistics and supply chain management. There's the STEM College, covering science, engineering, health, biomedical sciences, and computing. And then there's the College of Vocational Education, which runs the TAFE-based programmes across both trade and applied fields.

Design, architecture, and the arts is definitely where this university absolutely punches above its weight in the QS Subject Rankings. RMIT has been ranked first in Australia for art and design, and sixth globally for architecture and the built environment. These are incredible results. If you're a creative person looking at university options, this reputation is genuinely hard to ignore -- and the facilities back it up. There are specialist studios, workshops, fabrication labs, 3D printing facilities, media production spaces, and the RMIT Design Hub, which is both a research centre and a public gallery. Amazing facilities for an area in which the university is genuinely world class.

Engineering and technology is another area in which RMIT is particularly strong. The institution offers a really wide range of programmes, including civil, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, and industrial engineering. Their Advanced Manufacturing Precinct is a serious research facility focused on things like additive manufacturing -- that is, industrial-scale 3D printing -- composites, and defence technologies.

IT, data science, and cybersecurity are also areas where RMIT is an excellent institution. These are growing fields, and the programmes are really designed around the demands of growing industry in these areas. Because it's such a practical university, you're working on real data and real security challenges, not just theory.

When it comes to business and law, the Graduate School of Business and Law has a really solid reputation, particularly in logistics and supply chain management, where the institution has real depth. An institution like RMIT with that strength in supply chain management is absolutely worth a look if you're interested in the business management space.

On research funding, RMIT brings in $110 million in research income. That's incredibly significant. Because of that applied research focus, a lot of that funding comes from industry partners and government agencies -- it's not just traditional academic grants. In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which measure universities' contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, RMIT was ranked 56th globally, with top-ten positions in areas like reducing inequality and decent work and economic growth. That tells you something about the kind of research this university prioritises. It's aiming at solving real-world problems.

What students say: campus life in the CBD

Rob: Tell me about what it's like to study at RMIT.

Guest: I love this central location. It's amazing, it's really awesome. I'm in my final year of my degree at the moment, so I'm excited to be on the home stretch.

Rob: What's it been like studying at RMIT central -- what do you call it, actually?

Guest: The CBD campus. City campus.

Rob: What's it been like here? It's obviously a pretty unique environment.

Guest: Being in the middle of the city, it's really unique. That's what drew me to RMIT. Every other uni felt like a typical uni, and I love the hustle and bustle of being in the city and being in the excitement of Melbourne.

Student satisfaction and graduate employment data

Let's jump into the numbers around how RMIT performs in terms of rankings and benchmarking. This data comes from the Australian Government's QILT data set, which draws on surveys from hundreds of thousands of students and employers, finding out what students think about their experience, graduate salaries, employment rates, and so on. It's an independent source you can really trust.

Starting with student satisfaction: that figure is 73.9%, so roughly 3 in 4 students being satisfied with their experience. It actually puts RMIT below the national average -- in fact, towards the bottom of the table. Does that mean this is a bad university? No. But it does mean that a significant number of students feel their experience could be better. Part of that is the sheer size of the university -- with over 99,000 students, personal attention is very hard to deliver. Part of it is that the fragmented city campus can lead to a loss of cohesion that a single university site might not have. Student experience really matters, and personally I think it should. That number deserves attention. Of course, satisfaction varies across different fields of study, so check the specific details on the QILT website.

When it comes to teaching quality, RMIT also isn't a standout in the stats, but the applied learning model does mean you get great industry exposure. It seems that many students want more support, particularly in their first year.

Moving on to graduate employment: the headline figure is 71.8% of RMIT students getting a job within four months of finishing their degree. That's once again below the national average, and it's kind of surprising for a university that talks so much about its industry connections. Some context might help. RMIT has a very large proportion of its graduates in creative fields -- art, design, media, fashion -- and those industries typically have longer pathways to full-time employment. The number doesn't mean the education isn't working. It's reflecting that these graduates don't always enter the job market on the same timeline as, say, accounting, nursing, or teaching graduates. It's also fairly common for large institutions and those with a diverse student mix to have slightly longer timeframes to employment.

Looking at graduate starting salaries, it's a similar story. At $66,800, it's on the lower side nationally. Discipline mix really matters here. Creative fields and early-career design roles often start with lower salaries that grow over time. Graduates from RMIT's engineering and health programmes will typically see much higher starting salaries than this median figure actually suggests.

Global rankings and what they really mean

RMIT performs extremely well in global rankings. In QS, one of the major ranking schemes, RMIT sits at 125th globally, which puts it comfortably inside the top 1% of institutions worldwide -- an exceptional result. It ranks 10th in Australia. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, RMIT sits between 250th and 300th in the world, which is respectable.

It's worth understanding what's driving these big rankings. They place a lot of emphasis on research output, employer reputation, and international profile -- all institutional averages. What matters more to you is how RMIT is performing in the specific field of study you're interested in. In design and architecture, it punches at a completely different level to its overall ranking. You can see all these numbers side by side on the QILT platform or on the university comparison websites.

Comparable institutions to consider

Let's now talk about comparable institutions. RMIT is an institution you don't just consider in isolation -- there are a number with a similar flavour that are worth having a look at.

The first, geographically, is the University of Melbourne, just a couple of kilometres away and a member of the Group of Eight research-intensive universities. It follows a completely different model. The Melbourne Model means you start with a broad undergraduate degree followed by a graduate-level specialisation -- essentially two degrees. The University of Melbourne has more prestige and a higher global ranking. But if you're looking for RMIT's applied, industry-integrated approach, that's something fundamentally different. If you want to learn by doing, RMIT might actually suit you better. Likewise, if you want to be in the heart of the city, RMIT might suit you there as well. If you're looking for a traditional uni campus experience, it's a different story.

Looking at institutions around Australia with a similar feel, you'd be looking at UTS in Sydney and QUT in Brisbane. Both have that technology university background and both are located in the hearts of their cities. Both really emphasise practical learning and employer connections. UTS, for example, sits slightly higher in world rankings at 96th in the world, which is almost comparable as far as I'm concerned. But student satisfaction and graduate employment numbers tell a similar story to RMIT's. So if you're weighing up Melbourne against Sydney, or considering Queensland, you've got good options in both cities.

The third institution worth throwing into the mix is Swinburne, also in Melbourne. Swinburne is also technology-focused and very strong in design and digital fields. But Swinburne is smaller, which makes it easier for students to build a sense of community, and student satisfaction is accordingly higher at around 78%, which puts it above RMIT. Like RMIT, though, its philosophy is still centred on work readiness and industry integration. I think Swinburne is absolutely worth a look. Both are excellent institutions that belong on your shortlist.

Listener questions: campus feel and TAFE pathways

We've got a minute or so for questions. Let me pull out one that's been asked in advance. The question is: RMIT's city campus is right in the Melbourne CBD -- is there actually a campus feel, or is it just buildings scattered throughout the city?

The honest answer is that it's a bit of both. Because of the city location, you are literally in the heart of the action -- coffee shops, laneways, shopping, supermarkets, businesses, the whole lot. However, once you're actually in your teaching environment, you're still there hanging out with other students, learning alongside others, and you still have that sort of university campus bubble to some extent. The way those two things blend together is really interesting. It definitely suits a certain type of student. If you want that 24/7 buzz, this could definitely be a good option for you.

Someone also wrote in asking: is a TAFE pathway a lesser option compared to going straight into university? I'm going to squash this idea straight away. Anyone who tells you that going to TAFE or taking a pathway into uni isn't a good option is a complete snob and simply wrong. Pathways are totally legitimate and, I've got to say, increasingly popular ways of getting into uni. For one thing, it's cheap -- free in many cases. You get to taste-test different fields of study without spending a huge amount of time or money. And TAFE graduates often actually perform really well at uni because they've already built practical skills and study habits that students coming straight out of school don't yet have. Don't let anyone tell you that starting at TAFE and going to uni isn't a legitimate option. I think it's an absolutely fantastic option.

Unfortunately, I'm out of time, but I'll see you in the Choosing Discord as part of this virtual expo. Thanks so much for joining me in this session. I hope you've got something out of it, and I'll see you later on in the virtual expo. Have yourself a great time.