CQUniversity's Bachelor of Nursing (course code CL91) is a three-year degree that leads directly to eligibility for Registered Nurse (Division 1) general registration with Australia's Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, offered at CQU's Rockhampton and Brisbane campuses (with online delivery for parts of the program). For international students, it's a genuinely in-demand qualification path in a country with persistent nursing workforce shortages, but it carries a notably higher English proficiency bar than most of CQU's other undergraduate courses, a detail worth planning around well ahead of your application.
Acceptance Rate
CQU does not publish a specific acceptance rate for the Bachelor of Nursing, in line with standard Australian practice of not reporting US-style admit-rate percentages. The published entry threshold is a minimum ATAR or Selection Rank (SR, the equivalent measure for international and non-standard applicants) of 70.
This sits close to the national median entry rank, making Nursing a realistic target for students with a solid, consistent secondary school academic record. Because CQU's admission model runs on meeting published thresholds rather than comparative ranking, the academic bar is usually the easier half of the equation for well-prepared applicants; the harder half, in practice, is the English proficiency requirement (see below), which is materially higher for Nursing than for most other CQU undergraduate courses.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Based on CQU's official course page and its 2027 international student tuition fee schedule:
| Cost item | Amount (AUD) |
|---|---|
| International annual fee (2026) | ~$38,400/year (approx. $19,560 for the first term) |
| Per-credit-point rate (2027 schedule) | $625 (~$3,750 per standard 6-credit-point unit) |
| Program length | 3 years full-time (144 total credit points), 6 years part-time |
CQU reviews tuition annually, and your confirmed cost is only finalized once you're enrolled and your Fee Notice is issued through MyCQU; treat the above as a planning estimate rather than a locked-in price. There is also a distinct pathway option, the Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurse Pathway, course code CM77), for applicants who already hold current registration as an Enrolled Nurse (Division 2), which may carry different fees and credit transfer arrangements; confirm directly with CQU if this applies to you.
Living costs are not separately published by CQU for this course; the Australian Government's own financial-capacity requirement for the student visa (subclass 500) for 2026 is AUD $29,710 per year for a single applicant, a useful regulatory floor for budgeting purposes. Rockhampton generally carries meaningfully lower living costs than CQU's Brisbane campus option, without any difference in the underlying CRICOS-registered qualification.
Admission Requirements
- Completed Year 12 (or equivalent) with an ATAR/Selection Rank of at least 70
- Certified academic transcripts (with certified English translations if not originally in English)
- Evidence of English proficiency at CQU's Nursing-specific threshold (see below), which is set to align with Australia's national nursing registration standards, not CQU's general undergraduate minimum
- Completed international application with supporting documents (passport copy, financial documentation to support the Confirmation of Enrolment and visa process)
- For the Enrolled Nurse Pathway (CM77) specifically: current registration as an Enrolled Nurse (Division 2)
CQU does not publish a university-wide application deadline for international undergraduate courses; intakes run on a rolling basis tied to term start dates, so applying early relative to your intended term start gives you the most runway for both English test retakes (if needed) and visa processing.
How to Get Into CQU's Nursing Program
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Treat the English proficiency requirement as your primary planning constraint, not your academic record. With a 70 ATAR/SR requirement, most well-prepared applicants clear the academic bar; the IELTS 7.0-range requirement (well above CQU's general 6.0 undergraduate minimum) is where applications more commonly stall.
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Start English test preparation early and budget for at least one retake. Because Nursing's English bar is tied to national registration standards rather than university policy, CQU cannot waive or lower it, so build in enough runway to retake IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE if your first attempt falls short of a component score.
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Confirm your Selection Rank meets or exceeds 70, and gather certified transcripts early, since document verification for international academic records can take longer than expected.
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Decide between Rockhampton and Brisbane based on cost and clinical placement logistics, since both campuses lead to the same CRICOS-registered qualification but carry different living costs and placement environments.
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If you're already an Enrolled Nurse (Division 2), investigate the CM77 pathway course rather than applying to CL91 directly, since credit transfer arrangements may shorten your path to Division 1 registration.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
This is the single most important detail for prospective Nursing applicants: CQU's Bachelor of Nursing requires English proficiency evidence at approximately IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, with defined minimum component scores, reflecting requirements set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia for professional registration, not CQU's general undergraduate policy (which sits at IELTS 6.0 for most other courses). Because this standard is set externally and can be updated by the regulator, always confirm the exact current component breakdown directly on the Bachelor of Nursing (CL91) course page before you sit your test. For CQU's full IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo breakdown across all study levels, see CQUniversity's complete requirements guide.
Career Outcomes
CQU's Bachelor of Nursing graduates become eligible to apply for Registered Nurse (Division 1) general registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia on successful completion, opening roles across acute hospital services, community health, mental health, residential and aged care, Indigenous health, and remote health services, sectors with persistent and well-documented workforce shortages across both regional and metropolitan Australia.
According to the Australian Government's QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey (a third-party government data source, not a CQU-published figure), CQU's undergraduate full-time employment rate sits in the low-to-mid 80s percent range across recent survey years; nursing specifically tends to track above general university averages given consistent national demand for registered nurses.
Because the Bachelor of Nursing is a CRICOS-registered qualification, graduates are eligible to apply for Australia's subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa (Post-Higher Education work stream) after finishing their degree, currently granting 2 years of post-study work rights for bachelor's-level graduates under the rules in place since the 1 July 2024 reform (age limit generally 35 or under at time of application). Nursing's status as a persistently in-demand occupation in Australia is a genuine advantage for longer-term skilled migration planning, though specific occupation-list and visa settings change periodically, so confirm current details directly on homeaffairs.gov.au before relying on them for your own plans.
FAQ
What ATAR or Selection Rank do I need for CQU's Bachelor of Nursing? A minimum ATAR/Selection Rank of 70.
Why is the IELTS requirement for Nursing higher than for other CQU courses? Because CQU's Bachelor of Nursing leads to Registered Nurse (Division 1) registration eligibility, its English proficiency requirement (approximately IELTS 7.0 overall with defined component minimums) is set to align with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia's national registration standards, not CQU's general 6.0 undergraduate policy.
How much does CQU's Bachelor of Nursing cost for international students? The 2026 indicative annual international fee is approximately AUD $38,400/year (around $19,560 for the first term), based on a per-credit-point rate of $625 under CQU's 2027 tuition fee schedule.
Which campuses offer the Bachelor of Nursing? Rockhampton and Brisbane, with parts of the program available online; domestic students also have a fully online option, though this may differ for international applicants depending on visa and placement requirements.
Does CQU's Bachelor of Nursing qualify for Australia's post-study work visa? Yes. It's a CRICOS-registered qualification, which is the core eligibility requirement for the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa's Post-Higher Education work stream, currently granting 2 years of post-study work rights for bachelor's-level graduates under the rules effective since 1 July 2024.
Is there a pathway for students who are already Enrolled Nurses? Yes, CQU offers a separate Bachelor of Nursing (Enrolled Nurse Pathway, course code CM77) for applicants with current Enrolled Nurse (Division 2) registration, which may offer credit transfer and a shorter path to Division 1 registration.