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SAPublicEst. 1966

Flinders University

A research university in Adelaide's south with strengths in nursing, archaeology, defence and creative arts.

Sturt Road, Bedford Park SA 5042

  • QS World Top 400

What student life looks like

The Bedford Park campus sits 12 kilometres south of the Adelaide CBD on Kaurna Country, on a hill overlooking the Adelaide plain with Flinders Medical Centre and the new Flinders Health and Medical Research Building sharing the precinct. The Flinders Tonsley campus, in a re-purposed Mitsubishi car factory, houses engineering, IT, computer science and digital health. A city campus in Victoria Square houses business, law, the Flinders Investigator College for defence research and the Riverbank Tonsley extension. Regional teaching extends into the Riverland, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta and Darwin. Accommodation runs through Flinders Living at Bedford Park, plus partner accommodation in the city. The campus is served by the Tonsley line (Flinders station opened in 2020 with direct access to the campus). The Flinders University Student Association runs more than 60 clubs. The brand combines a 60-year history of strong nursing, allied health and archaeology with newer industry-aligned engineering and defence programmes through the Tonsley innovation precinct.

Known for

  • College of Nursing and Health Sciences with Flinders Medical Centre
  • College of Medicine and Public Health
  • College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences with strong archaeology
  • College of Science and Engineering with Tonsley innovation campus
  • Flinders Business School
  • Strong defence research through the Investigator College
  • Riverbank Tonsley innovation precinct

Research strengths

  • Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute
  • Centre for Cancer Biology with SA Pathology
  • Flinders Defence and Security Institute
  • Flinders Institute for NanoScale Science and Technology
  • College of Humanities Maritime Archaeology Programme
  • National Centre for Maritime Conservation and Archaeology
  • Centre for Crime Policy and Research

Cost of living (student estimate)

$21,000 - $29,000 per year

Adelaide is one of the more affordable Australian student cities. Includes shared rental in Bedford Park, Marion or Mitchell Park, groceries, transport and utilities. Excludes tuition.

Source: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-studies/living-costs. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.

Student support

  • Yunggorendi First Nations Centre
  • Health, Counselling and Disability Services
  • Wellbeing and Resilience Centre
  • Student Services Centre
  • Studiosity and academic skills support
  • Financial Assistance and emergency loans
  • Safer Community Office

Is this the right uni for you?

You probably thrive here if

  • You want a research university in a smaller more affordable city
  • You are aiming at nursing, medicine, archaeology or defence engineering
  • You want a single suburban campus with an Adelaide CBD extension
  • You enjoy a hillside campus with Adelaide Hills surroundings
  • You want strong industry placement through Tonsley innovation precinct

It is probably not for you if

  • You want a sandstone Go8 prestige brand
  • You depend on a CBD inner-city campus and lifestyle
  • You want a multi-state university footprint
  • You need a direct flight network to interstate placements

The year at a glance

Semester 1 runs late February to early June with a mid-semester break in mid-April and exams in early to mid-June. Semester 2 runs late July to early November with a mid-semester break in late September and exams in early to mid-November. Results release follows in early July and mid-December. Flinders also runs a summer term in November to February and short non- semester study periods for selected units. Orientation week sits in the week before each main semester.

Faculties and courses

16 undergraduate courses across 9 faculties.

Sources

TEQSA registered Australian University.