Curtin University's Bachelor of Information Technology, run through the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences on Curtin's Bentley campus near Perth, is one of the university's most-enrolled international undergraduate programs. Curtin sits outside Australia's Group of Eight but is the highest-ranked of the moderate-entry universities commonly chosen by international students (QS World University Rankings 2026: 183rd), giving the IT degree a genuine research-backed reputation without the extreme selectivity of a Go8 computer science program. For international applicants, the practical draw is moderate entry requirements, tuition below most Go8 rates, and a degree in a field that maps directly onto Australia's skilled-occupation lists relevant to the subclass 485 post-study work visa.
This guide covers what applying to Curtin's Bachelor of Information Technology actually involves: how admission works, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and post-study work visa eligibility.
Acceptance Rate: How Curtin Admissions Actually Works
Curtin does not publish an official acceptance rate, for Information Technology or any other program, at either the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Curtin's own materials describe the university generally, outside a small number of competitive or accredited programs (Medicine, Law, Nursing), as a moderate-entry, high-volume international university rather than a highly selective one:
- Curtin assesses international applicants against their own overseas secondary qualification (Indian Standard XII boards, Nepal's NEB, Bangladesh's HSC, A-Levels, IB, and others), converted to a course-specific minimum published per degree, rather than one university-wide cutoff.
- Third-party estimates of a Curtin acceptance rate are considered unreliable and are not used in Curtin's own official materials.
- Information Technology is not among Curtin's higher-bar accredited programs (Medicine, Law, Nursing), so it follows Curtin's standard, comparatively accessible entry process.
Bottom line: there is no acceptance rate to target for Curtin IT. Meeting the published academic and English requirements, and applying through StudyLink or a registered Curtin education agent, is the practical path to an offer.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Curtin prices tuition per course rather than publishing one flat rate. Approximate annual figures for the Bachelor of Information Technology:
| Cost Item | Amount (AUD/year) |
|---|---|
| International tuition | $36,500 |
| Living expenses (Department of Home Affairs benchmark) | $29,710 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $66,210 |
Curtin does not charge an application fee for direct international applications. Over the program's three years, total tuition alone runs to roughly AUD $109,500 before living costs. Merit-based scholarships, including the Curtin International Excellence Scholarship (typically a 25% tuition reduction for the first year for high-achieving applicants), can meaningfully reduce this for competitive candidates.
Admission Requirements
Curtin's Bachelor of Information Technology admission runs through Curtin's StudyLink applicant portal or a registered Curtin education agent:
- Direct online application via StudyLink, or through a registered Curtin education agent
- Certified academic transcripts/results from the applicant's secondary (and, where relevant, prior tertiary) qualification
- Evidence of English language proficiency unless exempt
- Certified passport copy
- Intakes: Semester 1 (late February start) and Semester 2 (mid-July start), both rolling, with applications recommended at least 6-8 weeks before the semester start
Curtin does not publish a single GPA cutoff; international applicants are assessed against their own secondary qualification, converted to a course-specific minimum for Information Technology rather than one university-wide figure. Note that a Genuine Student (GS) statement and financial capacity evidence are required at the subsequent subclass 500 visa stage, not as part of the academic offer itself.
How to Get Into Curtin's Bachelor of Information Technology Program
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Confirm your specific secondary qualification's conversion against Curtin's Information Technology entry requirement, since Curtin assesses course-by-course against your home qualification system rather than one global cutoff, and the exact requirement can differ from other Curtin courses.
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Clear the IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) standard undergraduate threshold, with particular attention to Writing. Curtin notes that applicants who clear the overall average comfortably on Reading and Listening frequently sit just below 6.0 on Writing or Speaking individually, and a strong overall average does not guarantee admission if one section falls short of the 6.0 band minimum.
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Consider Curtin College if your academic results or English score fall just short of direct entry. Curtin College, operated in partnership with Navitas on Curtin's Bentley campus, offers a Diploma pathway in IT (among other fields) with guaranteed entry and advanced standing into the matching Curtin University Bachelor's program on successful completion.
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Apply at least 6-8 weeks before your target semester start, since although Curtin's admissions process is rolling, this buffer allows time for document verification and the subsequent Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and visa process.
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Prepare your Genuine Student (GS) statement and financial capacity evidence in parallel with your academic application, since these become relevant once you accept your offer and move to the subclass 500 visa stage, and most applicants do not attend an in-person visa interview.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
For a general overview of Curtin and its programs, see the Curtin University guide. Curtin's standard undergraduate English-proficiency requirement, which applies to Information Technology, is:
- IELTS Academic: minimum 6.5 overall, with no band below 6.0 in Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking (recommended: 6.5)
- TOEFL iBT: minimum 79 overall (broadly equivalent to Curtin's 6.5 IELTS tier)
- Also accepted: PTE Academic (minimum 58), Cambridge English (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency)
- Waiver: applicants who have completed at least one year of full-time study taught and assessed entirely in English (including many Australian, Indian, Nigerian, and other English-medium secondary curricula) may be assessed as meeting the requirement without a separate test
- Conditional admission: Curtin College's Diploma programs, including an IT-specific pathway, integrate English support and provide guaranteed entry into the matching Curtin University Bachelor's program on successful completion
Unlike Curtin's Nursing, Law, and Medicine programs, which set a considerably higher bar (commonly 7.0 overall with Medicine requiring no band below 7.0), Information Technology follows Curtin's standard 6.5 undergraduate requirement.
Career Outcomes
Curtin does not publish outcomes data (employment rate, average salary, or named recruiters) broken out for Information Technology specifically. What Curtin's profile does support as general context:
- Top recruiters (undergraduate, general proxy): Big Four and mid-tier accounting/consulting firms, Western Australian Government departments and agencies, major Western Australian mining and resources companies (BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue), given Perth's broader employer base
- IT graduates specifically benefit from strong representation on Australia's skilled-occupation lists, giving Curtin IT graduates a clear pathway toward the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa and, from there, skilled migration
The most consequential outcome for most international applicants is subclass 485 eligibility rather than a specific salary figure: Curtin's strong enrolment in IT, alongside engineering, business, and nursing, maps closely onto fields with strong post-study work and skilled-migration relevance in Australia.
FAQ
Does Curtin University publish an acceptance rate for Information Technology? No. Curtin does not publish an official acceptance rate at any level, so treat any specific percentage cited online with caution unless it names an official Curtin source. Outside a small number of competitive accredited programs (Medicine, Law, Nursing), Curtin is a moderate-entry, high-volume international university.
What IELTS score do I need for Curtin's Information Technology program? The standard undergraduate requirement is an overall IELTS Academic band of 6.5 with no individual band below 6.0. This is Curtin's general degree standard; it does not carry the higher 7.0 bar Curtin sets for Nursing, Law, and Medicine.
What is Curtin College and how does the pathway work for IT applicants? Curtin College, operated in partnership with Navitas on Curtin's Bentley campus, offers a Diploma in IT (among other fields) with an integrated English pathway. Students who successfully complete the Diploma and meet the minimum academic entry requirements are guaranteed entry and advanced standing into the matching Curtin University Bachelor of Information Technology program.
How much does Curtin's Bachelor of Information Technology cost? International tuition is approximately AUD $36,500/year. Adding the Department of Home Affairs' living-cost benchmark of AUD $29,710/year gives a total estimated cost of attendance of roughly AUD $66,210/year.
Is Curtin IT a good choice for the subclass 485 post-study work visa? Yes. Information Technology maps closely onto fields with strong post-study work and skilled-migration relevance in Australia, alongside Curtin's other strong enrolment areas (engineering, business, nursing). Confirm current subclass 485 eligibility periods directly with the Department of Home Affairs, since these rules are reviewed periodically.
Does Curtin require the SAT, ACT, or a specific GPA for Information Technology? No. Curtin assesses international applicants against their own overseas secondary qualification (Indian Standard XII boards, IB, A-Levels, and others), converted to a course-specific minimum for Information Technology, rather than requiring the SAT, ACT, or a single university-wide GPA cutoff.