Criminology is the one field where Griffith University's reputation genuinely exceeds its overall global ranking. The Griffith Criminology Institute, which delivers the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, is consistently rated among the best in the world for the subject — a rare case of a program at a moderate-entry, high-volume Australian university punching well above the institution's general QS/THE band (230th and 251-300 respectively). For applicants specifically interested in criminology, criminal justice, policing, or corrections work, Griffith isn't a fallback choice relative to a bigger-name university; it's arguably the strongest specialist option in the country for this field.
This guide covers exactly what it takes to get into Griffith's Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice — acceptance realities, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and where graduates go on to work.
Acceptance Rate
Griffith does not publish an official acceptance rate at any level, and Criminology and Criminal Justice is no exception — so treat any specific percentage figure you encounter online with real skepticism unless it cites an official Griffith source.
What can be said with confidence:
- Griffith assesses international applicants against their own overseas secondary qualification (Standard XII boards, NEB, HSC, A-Levels, IB, etc.), converted course-by-course, rather than a single punishing cutoff — Criminology follows Griffith's general undergraduate assessment approach rather than a separately competitive process.
- Criminology is not among the programs Griffith itself flags as needing a higher English-proficiency bar (that's Education and Nursing) or additional selection documents (that's the Queensland Conservatorium, Queensland College of Art, and Bachelor of Aviation) — so on paper it sits closer to Griffith's general, moderate-entry admissions standard than to its more tightly gated programs.
- Demand for the program is real given the Griffith Criminology Institute's global reputation, but Griffith has not published enrolment or admit-rate data that would let you quantify how competitive the applicant pool actually is.
Bottom line: treat Griffith Criminology as a realistic, moderate-entry target relative to Griffith's general undergraduate standard, while recognising that the program's genuine academic strength likely draws a stronger-than-average applicant pool even without a formally higher bar.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Griffith prices tuition per course rather than publishing one flat university-wide rate. The figure below is Griffith's own published per-course figure for the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
| Cost Item | Amount (AUD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice) | $33,500 |
| Living expenses (Department of Home Affairs benchmark) | $29,710 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | ~$63,210 |
Over the 3-year degree, total tuition runs to roughly $100,500 before any scholarships. Griffith does not charge a fee for direct international applications. Griffith's flagship Griffith Remarkable Scholarship (typically a 25% tuition reduction for high academic achievers) and the smaller Griffith International Academic Excellence Scholarship are both open to eligible undergraduate applicants, though exact award values aren't fixed publicly — confirm current terms directly with Griffith before applying.
Admission Requirements
Griffith assesses international applicants against their own secondary qualification rather than a single global cutoff — there's no SAT/ACT requirement and no US-style GPA scale to hit.
- Direct online application via Griffith's international application portal or a registered Griffith education agent
- Certified academic transcripts/results from the applicant's secondary qualification
- Evidence of English language proficiency, at Griffith's general undergraduate standard, unless exempt
- Certified passport copy
- Genuine Student (GS) statement and financial capacity evidence, required later for the subclass 500 visa application rather than as part of the academic offer itself
Intakes: Griffith runs three trimesters a year — Trimester 1 (starting early March), Trimester 2 (starting mid-July), and a smaller Trimester 3 intake (starting November, available for a subset of programs) — giving applicants meaningfully more scheduling flexibility than the single-intake norm at many UK and US universities.
How to Get Into Griffith's Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
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Build your application narrative around the Griffith Criminology Institute's specific reputation, not just Griffith's general brand. Because this is one of the few fields where Griffith is unambiguously world-class, naming the Institute, its research strength, or specific faculty interests in your application materials signals genuine, informed interest.
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Use Griffith College if your secondary results or English score are borderline. Griffith's own wholly-owned pathway institution offers guaranteed, credit-bearing entry into the second year of a matching Griffith degree, including Criminology, for applicants who complete a relevant diploma and fall just short of direct entry.
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Think concretely about which career track interests you — policing, corrections, policy, or research — before you apply. Criminology and Criminal Justice is a broad field, and admissions committees (and later, your own coursework choices) respond well to applicants who can articulate a specific direction rather than a general interest in "crime."
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Clear the general 6.5 IELTS bar (no band below 6.0) with a reasonable margin. Criminology doesn't carry Griffith's higher Education/Nursing English requirement, but the degree does involve substantial report- and essay-style assessment from first trimester, so Writing in particular is worth over-preparing for.
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Use the trimester system to your advantage if you need extra runway. With three intakes a year, an applicant who needs to retake an English test or complete a Griffith College bridging term has more flexibility than at single-intake universities.
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Give yourself 10 weeks to prepare for IELTS/TOEFL/PTE, particularly if you're aiming for a score above the minimum — Writing and Speaking are consistently the weakest sections for applicants coming from exam-heavy secondary systems.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Griffith's Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice follows Griffith's general undergraduate English standard — it is not one of the programs (Education, Nursing) that requires a higher bar:
- IELTS Academic: minimum 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: minimum 79 (0-120 scale)
- PTE Academic: minimum 58
- Duolingo English Test: minimum ~110
- Waiver: applicants who completed at least one year of full-time study taught and assessed entirely in English (including many Indian, Nigerian, and other English-medium secondary curricula) may be assessed as meeting the requirement without a separate test, subject to course-specific confirmation
- Pathway: Griffith College's Direct Entry Program (DEP) English pathway is available for applicants who fall short of the direct-entry score
Score validity is 2 years from the test date. Because Criminology sits at Griffith's general English standard rather than a higher accredited-program bar, applicants can treat the 6.5 figure as the real target rather than a floor to just clear. For a full breakdown of Griffith's testing policy and the Griffith College pathway, see the Griffith University guide.
Career Outcomes
Griffith does not publish a graduate-level employment rate or average starting salary specific to Criminology and Criminal Justice, or to its undergraduate cohort more broadly. In the absence of official figures, the qualitative picture is genuinely strong for this specific field:
- Top recruiters: Queensland Police Service and other justice-sector employers, alongside Queensland and Australian Government departments and agencies more broadly — a direct product of the Griffith Criminology Institute's standing and its close ties to Queensland's justice sector
Justice and corrections-sector roles feature on Australia's skilled-occupation and public-sector employment landscape, making Criminology a reasonable choice for applicants weighing the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa alongside their career plans, though eligibility should always be confirmed directly with the Department of Home Affairs.
FAQ
Does Griffith publish an acceptance rate for Criminology and Criminal Justice? No. Griffith does not publish an acceptance rate for any program. Criminology follows Griffith's general undergraduate admissions standard rather than a separately gated process.
What IELTS score do I need for Griffith's Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice? 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 — Griffith's general undergraduate standard. Criminology does not carry the higher 7.0 bar that Griffith sets for Education and Nursing.
How much does Griffith's Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice cost? Tuition is AUD 33,500/year based on Griffith's own published fee, plus the Department of Home Affairs' living-cost benchmark of AUD 29,710/year — a total estimated cost of attendance around AUD 63,210/year, or roughly AUD 100,500 in tuition across the 3-year degree.
Is Griffith actually a strong university for criminology, or just a moderate-entry option? Genuinely strong. The Griffith Criminology Institute is consistently rated among the best in the world for criminology, making this one of the clearest cases of a specific Griffith program exceeding the university's general ranking band.
What careers does a Griffith criminology degree lead to? Graduates are recruited by the Queensland Police Service and other justice-sector employers, as well as Queensland and Australian Government departments and agencies. The degree also serves as a foundation for further study or research through the Griffith Criminology Institute.
Can I use Griffith College to get into Criminology if my results are borderline? Yes — Griffith College, Griffith's own wholly-owned pathway institution, offers diploma routes with guaranteed, credit-bearing entry into the second year of matching Griffith degrees, including Criminology, for applicants who fall just short of direct-entry academic or English requirements.