University of New South Wales (UNSW) Admission Requirements

This guide is for Nepali students applying to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney. It covers the acceptance rate, the grades and English scores you need, the documents to prepare in Nepal and each step from application to student visa. For campuses, fees and scholarships, see our University of New South Wales profile, and for courses and intakes, our UNSW courses guide. The wider picture is in our guide to studying in Australia from Nepal.

What is the University of New South Wales’s acceptance rate?

UNSW doesn’t publish an acceptance rate. Percentages quoted on other websites are outside estimates, not official numbers.

What decides an offer is meeting your course’s academic and English requirements. UNSW says on its international admissions page that applications are prioritised by academic merit and subject to places in the program. Some courses reach capacity, so a good result is not the only thing that counts.

Applying with everything ready helps, because UNSW says a request for more documents delays your outcome. You can list up to three programs in one application, and UNSW recommends listing more than one, because changing program later needs a new application. If you have studied at another university, you can ask for credit transfer when you apply. That can shorten your program, so raise it early.

What grades do you need from Nepal?

UNSW doesn’t accept Nepal’s secondary results for direct bachelor’s entry, so most +2 students start at UNSW College. Master’s courses usually ask for about 65%.

UNSW’s accepted qualifications list says UNSW does not accept secondary qualifications from Nepal. It adds that UNSW may accept the first year of a 4-year bachelor’s at a recognised university, and asks you to contact it for advice. Its bachelor’s entry table has no Nepal column.

UNSW College’s entry table does have a Nepal option. These are its figures:

• Foundation Studies Standard: GPA 3.2 in Year 12 over 4 relevant subjects, or GPA 4.0 in Year 11.
• Foundation Studies Standard Plus: GPA 3.0 in Year 12 over 4 relevant subjects, or GPA 3.6 in Year 11.
• Diploma of Business: GPA 3.6 over your best 5 academic subjects.
• Diploma of Computer Science or Engineering: GPA 3.6 with 3.8 in Mathematics.
• Diploma of Architecture or Media and Communications: GPA 3.4.

UNSW College calls the diploma qualification the “School Leaving Certificate”, so confirm with its admissions team which of your Nepali results it will use. Examples for master’s, from UNSW’s own degree pages:

• Master of Information Technology: a related bachelor’s with 65%, or a 3-year bachelor’s in any field with 65% through the graduate certificate route.
• Master of Commerce: a recognised bachelor’s with 65%, or 60 to 64% with a GMAT score the course page sets out.
• Master of Data Science and Decisions: an average of 70 or higher, as listed on the course page.
• AGSM MBA: a bachelor’s and at least 2 years of full-time work, as listed on the MBA page.

UNSW’s postgraduate entry score calculator converts overseas bachelor’s marks into its 100-point scale. To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator. If your marks are lower or you have a gap, read about the GPA required to study in Australia and the study gap accepted in Australia.

What English scores does UNSW accept?

Most UNSW courses ask for IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band under 6.0, and business courses ask for 7.0 with no band under 6.0.

These figures are on UNSW’s English requirements page, which also lists Cambridge tests. Your test must usually be no more than two years old when you start. The online IELTS isn’t accepted, and for TOEFL you must choose the TOEFL for Australia option. The student visa has its own minimum: IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 47 or TOEFL iBT 67.

If your score falls short, UNSW College runs Academic English courses, and the University English Entry Course can meet the requirement if you hold a conditional offer. To compare scores, see our guide to the minimum IELTS and PTE for Australia and our IELTS in Nepal page.

Which documents do you need from Nepal?

You upload your academic records, English result and other requested documents to the UNSW Applicant Portal, where you can also see anything still missing.

• Your SEE and +2 mark sheets and certificates. Our guide explains how to get transcripts in Nepal from NEB, TU and other boards.
• Your bachelor’s transcript and degree certificate for master’s courses.
• Your IELTS, PTE or TOEFL score report.
• A valid passport. If you don’t have one yet, see getting a Nepali passport for study abroad.
• Your personal statement of up to 500 words if you are applying for the International Student Award.

Keep your scans clear and your names the same on every document, as it saves time when UNSW checks them. Nepali certificates and bank documents often carry Bikram Sambat dates; our Nepali date converter helps you match them to the A.D. dates on your forms.

How do you apply to the University of New South Wales, step by step?

From Nepal you apply directly on the UNSW Applicant Portal or through an authorised UNSW agent, then accept your offer, get your CoE and apply for your visa.

1. Choose your course on UNSW’s degree finder and read its entry requirements. After +2, also look at UNSW’s pathway options.
2. Apply. UNSW’s international apply page explains the online form, and the application fee is AUD 150, roughly Rs 14,000. You can also use an authorised UNSW agent; UNSW accepts applications only from students or its own agents.
3. Get your offer. You get a full or conditional offer by email, and most offer holders have 8 weeks to accept. UNSW’s visa page says it has extra steps for the Genuine Student requirement, and our Genuine Student guide explains what you need to show.
4. Accept and pay. You accept in the portal and pay your deposit. To send tuition from a Nepali bank you need a No Objection Certificate (NOC); see how to apply for an NOC in Nepal.
5. Get your CoE and OSHC. UNSW sends your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) once the deposit clears, and you need OSHC health cover for your whole stay.
6. Apply for your student visa (subclass 500) with your CoE, OSHC, funds and English result. The fee starts from AUD 2,500. UNSW suggests applying as soon as you have your CoE. See the Home Affairs student visa page, our SOP guide for an Australia student visa and the financial documents guide.

Home Affairs doesn’t publish evidence levels for providers or countries; our page on level 1, 2 and 3 universities explains what to check instead. Our how to apply for an Australia student visa page gives the full timeline, and our branches in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara can check your file.