Deakin University vs RMIT University (Which One’s Best For You in 2026?)
Deakin University vs RMIT University (Which One’s Best For You in 2026?)
Deakin University and RMIT University are two of Victoria’s best-known universities, and they are often compared by students who want a practical degree with clear career outcomes.
On paper, there is overlap: both are large public institutions, both have strong links to industry, and both give you plenty of course choice. The big differences show up in how you learn, where you spend your time, and the kind of student life you want.
Deakin is a multi-campus university across Melbourne and regional Victoria, with a strong online study offering that can suit students who want flexibility.
RMIT is closely tied to Melbourne’s CBD and is known for applied learning, industry briefs, and a dual-sector model that includes vocational and higher education pathways.
This guide compares what matters day to day, including teaching style, campus culture, support, employability, and lifestyle, so you can choose the university that fits you.
1. Overview and Reputation
In broad terms, both universities appear in major global rankings, and both have strong reputations in Victoria.
Where reputation differences matter most is usually at the discipline level, and in the kind of student experience each university creates.
Deakin University is a public university established in the 1970s, with campuses in Melbourne (Burwood), Geelong (Waurn Ponds and Waterfront), and Warrnambool.
Its identity is often linked to flexible study options, applied learning, and a broad mix of disciplines delivered across metro, regional, and online settings.
RMIT University has a longer institutional history, originating as the Working Men’s College in the late 1800s, and it has built a strong brand around technology, design, and enterprise.
RMIT is also a dual-sector university, which means it delivers both vocational education and higher education, and that structure can influence the feel of some study pathways.
QS World University Rankings: 207th (14th in Australia)
Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 201 to 250 band (equal 11th in Australia)
Student Satisfaction: 81.1% reported a positive overall educational experience
Graduate Full-Time Employment: 80.1%
Graduate Median Salary: $69,300 for undergraduates in full-time work
Sources: QS World Rankings; Times Higher Education World University Rankings; QILT SES 2023; QILT GOS 2023.
QS World University Rankings: 125th (10th in Australia)
Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 251 to 300 band (equal 14th in Australia)
Student Satisfaction: 73.9% reported a positive overall educational experience
Graduate Full-Time Employment: 71.8%
Graduate Median Salary: $66,800 for undergraduates in full-time work
Sources: QS World Rankings; Times Higher Education World University Rankings; QILT SES 2023; QILT GOS 2023.
2. Academic Focus and Teaching Style
If you learn best by making, building, prototyping, or solving real problems through projects, RMIT can feel more directly connected to how work happens outside uni.
Deakin is organised across broad faculties spanning areas such as arts and education, business and law, health, and science and engineering.
A key feature is flexibility, with many courses offered in blended formats and strong support for online study alongside on-campus options.
If you are balancing part-time work, caring responsibilities, long commutes, or sport, Deakin’s delivery model can make it easier to build a routine that actually sticks.
RMIT’s teaching style is often highly applied.
In many programs, particularly in design, built environment, engineering, computing, and media, learning is shaped by studios, labs, project work, and industry-style briefs.
3. Research and Global Impact
Deakin is research-active across areas including health, sport, advanced materials, technology, education, and social impact.
For students, this can translate into research-informed teaching, honours projects, and opportunities to work with academics on applied research, depending on your discipline and level.
RMIT also has a substantial research profile, with a strong emphasis on applied outcomes and industry translation, particularly in technology, design, and the built environment.
If your goal is to work on real briefs with external partners, RMIT’s project culture can make those connections feel more visible earlier in your degree.
4. Campus Life and Student Experience
A day in the life at...
Deakin University
RMIT University
Deakin’s campus experience depends on where you study.
Burwood is its main Melbourne campus with a traditional campus layout, while Geelong and Warrnambool offer more regional settings with a different pace and community feel.
If you like the idea of a more contained campus environment, and you want the option of metro or regional living without leaving Victoria, Deakin’s footprint is a genuine advantage.
RMIT’s City campus is integrated into Melbourne’s CBD, spread across multiple buildings rather than a single enclosed campus.
That creates a distinct vibe, with easy access to transport, part-time work, events, and the city’s cultural life.
RMIT also has Bundoora and Brunswick campuses, which can feel more spacious and specialist, depending on your course.
5. Student Support and Wellbeing
Both universities provide the core support most students look for: academic skills help, library support, accessibility and inclusion services, and wellbeing support such as counselling and referrals.
Deakin’s support model can be especially relevant if you plan to study partly or fully online, because many services are designed to be accessible beyond a single campus.
RMIT’s support services suit a city-based student cohort, including students commuting into the CBD, students relocating to Melbourne, and international students adjusting to a new environment.
6. Employability and Industry Connections
Employability is a strength for both universities, but the pathway can feel different.
Deakin often appeals to students who want work-integrated learning and career support while keeping flexibility in how they study and where they live.
RMIT’s employability profile is closely tied to industry-facing teaching, project-based work, and proximity to employers in Melbourne.
Watch our unbiased, independent reviews for Deakin University and RMIT University
7. Cost, Entry and Lifestyle
For domestic students, course costs are mostly driven by what you study, because student contributions for Commonwealth supported places vary by discipline under national settings.
For international students, tuition fees vary by program at both universities, so the only reliable figure is the one published for your specific course and intake year.
Lifestyle is often the bigger divider.
RMIT is strongly CBD-centred, which can be convenient for transport and part-time work, but can also mean higher living costs and a faster pace.
Deakin gives you more location choice, including regional campuses and online study, which can reduce relocation pressure for some students.
8. Which One’s Right for You?
If you want flexibility in how you study, you are considering blended or online learning, or you like the idea of choosing between Melbourne and regional campus settings, you might feel at home at Deakin University.
If you want a city-based university experience, you enjoy learning through applied projects, studios, labs or industry briefs, or you are aiming for fields where design, technology and professional practice are central, RMIT University could be a better match.
Both can lead to excellent outcomes. The best choice is the one that fits how you learn, where you want to live, and what kind of environment will keep you motivated long enough to finish strong.
Here to help you choose the right uni
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