Central Queensland University (CQU) is unique in lots of ways; firstly, it is the only university in Australia that has a campus in every mainland state, appealing to students across the country and beyond so as to tailor to every student’s needs. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that having 18 campuses would create a loose environment for higher education but that is far from the truth, as CQU holds many accolades such as being in the top 6 for postgraduate skills development (Good Universities Guide, 2021) and graduates from CQU command some of the highest starting salaries in the country. 

CQU offers courses under twelve departments:

• Allied Health
• Business and Accounting 
• Creative and Performing Arts
• Digital Media, Communications and Arts
• Education and Teaching
• Engineering, Built Environment and Aviation
• Information Systems and Technology
• Nursing, Paramedicine and Health
• Psychology
• Safety Sciences
• Science, Environment and Agriculture
• Service Industries

These courses can differ between the many campuses that CQU use as bases for learning so it is worth going to CQU’s website to investigate where you can study what. 

CQU has 18 campuses in total in Australia and abroad, but only 13 of them are available for international students. The main ones available to international students include:

• Rockhampton - the largest and main campus that has over 30 academic buildings with engineering, science and health laboratories. 
• Brisbane - in the heart of the city and a short walk from Central station. 
• Cairns - home to nursing, engineering and paramedic science labs, alongside creative arts studios. 
• Mackay - includes the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Trades Training Centre and it is not far from the Whitsunday Islands or Great Barrier Reef. 
• Perth - has high-tech multimedia labs and engineering labs in Australia’s sunniest city. 
• Melbourne - across the road from Southern Cross Station, the campus has six levels with advanced engineering labs and more. 
• Sydney - an eleven-level campus in the CBD with brand new lecture theatres and multimedia labs. 

The following campuses are also available to international students and more can be found out about them here:

• Adelaide
• Bundaberg
• Gladstone Marina
• Mackay City
• Rockhampton City
• Townsville

There are plenty of opportunities for starting up a business or developing your entrepreneurial skills through CQU’s support systems. 

One such hub is Split Spaces at CQU’s Mackay Campus who provide assistance to small businesses in the community, and also to businesses that are yet to get off the ground. Students are encouraged to use the facilities, such as workshop spaces and boardrooms, to meet with mentors and advisors. 

Programmes such as the Gladstone Region Social Innovation Incubator have proven the university’s dedication to playing their part in the regeneration of areas that need both funding and skilled graduates to help affect the positive social and industrial changes to neglected communities. 

One area that CQU is proud of is the research output from their various sites around the country. These interlinking campuses give ample opportunities to students to position themselves where the research they are most interested in is taking place. 

CQU has 9 research centres and institutes, as well as research academies and between 2010-2019 brought in over $70 million in competitive research funding. The university is also recognised as having 22 different research categories rated “world-class” (Excellence in Research for Australia, 2018-19) in subjects such as mathematics, horticultural production, mechanical engineering, cognitive sciences and more. 

Research degrees are on offer to students, including a research pathway, Graduate certificate in Research where students can hone their analytical skills prior to taking a research higher degree (RHD).

Ranked in top 2% of universities for graduate employability (QS, WUR, Graduate Employability Rankings, 2020), CQU can point to their internship programmes, volunteering opportunities, and academic placements as contributing factors to their strong employability rates among its graduates. 

The salaries of CQU graduates also show the strength of a degree from this university: 

• Undergraduate Median Salary:
• CQU: AU$66,000
• National Average: AU$61,000
• Postgraduate Median Salary:
• CQU: AU$97,300
• National Average: AU$83,500

Careers services are also on hand to help students with answering any queries about future employment through mentoring, workshops, and industry leader seminars. 

The university supports its students across its campuses through a variety of services; clubs and societies are fantastic ways to engage with like-minded students, ongoing sports teams and clubs provide students with the means to stay active and make friends, and nights out are put on in some of Australia’s finest cities. In most cities, public transport is also subsidised for international students making the costs of commuting less strenuous on a budget. 

Fundamentally, CQU can offer whatever student experience you could want by having its campuses split across the country. Beaches and sun? Why not study on the Gold Coast? Want the best coffee on the planet? Why not study in Melbourne? This is why students are satisfied with CQU; the experience is tailored to their preferences. 

Central Queensland University stands apart in the plethora of Australian universities that students should consider. For a fraction of the cost of most other institutions, students receive a high-quality education with ample opportunities to test themselves academically, professionally, and through research opportunities. 

It is hard to speak about CQU in broad terms since the experience on every campus is bespoke to the individual, so I would recommend taking a closer look at the finer details of each course and on which campuses they are taught on the prospectus but be assured that this university really offers a student a kind of custom experience that you’d struggle to find at any other Australian university.