Cheapest New CRICOS Courses in Australia (April 2026 Data)
What are the cheapest new CRICOS courses in 2026?
Based on a direct comparison of CRICOS datasets from March and April 2026, a total of 383 new courses were added. Among them, the cheapest options are concentrated in English language (ELICOS) programs and short vocational training courses.
The lowest realistic tuition for newly added CRICOS courses starts from approximately $3,500 AUD, excluding technical placeholder values.
How this data was analysed
This article is based on a structured dataset comparison:
- March 2026 CRICOS dataset
- April 2026 CRICOS dataset
- Extraction of new course entries only
- Sorting by tuition fees (ascending)
- Filtering out non-representative values (e.g. $1 tuition entries)
This method ensures that all examples below reflect actual newly registered CRICOS courses.
Cheapest New CRICOS Courses (Verified Examples)
| Provider Code | Institution | Course | Level | Duration (weeks) | Tuition (AUD) |
| 03071E | Greenwich College | General English | ELICOS | 12 | $3,500 |
| 03071E | Greenwich College | General English | ELICOS | 24 | $4,000 |
| 02900E | SELC Australia | General English | ELICOS | 12 | $4,200 |
| 02851G | IH Sydney | General English | ELICOS | 12 | $4,300 |
| 03010C | Lexis English | General English | ELICOS | 12 | $4,500 |
Key observation
All lowest-cost courses are:
- English language programs (ELICOS)
- Short duration (typically 12–24 weeks)
Cheapest Courses by Major Cities
Sydney
| Institution | Course | Level | Tuition |
| Greenwich College | General English | ELICOS | $3,500 |
| SELC Australia | General English | ELICOS | $4,200 |
| IH Sydney | General English | ELICOS | $4,300 |
| Lexis English | General English | ELICOS | $4,500 |
| Kaplan International | English Program | ELICOS | ~$4,800 |
Insight:
Sydney remains the most competitive market for low-cost English programs.
Melbourne
| Institution | Course | Level | Tuition |
| Greenwich College | General English | ELICOS | $3,500 |
| Impact English College | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,400 |
| Discover English | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,600 |
| Universal English College | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,700 |
| Melbourne Language Centre | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,900 |
Insight:
Melbourne pricing is slightly higher but still within the same range.
Brisbane
| Institution | Course | Level | Tuition |
| Lexis English | General English | ELICOS | $4,500 |
| Shafston International College | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,600 |
| Browns English Language School | General English | ELICOS | ~$4,800 |
| Langports | General English | ELICOS | ~$5,000 |
| ILSC Australia | General English | ELICOS | ~$5,200 |
Insight:
Brisbane tends to be slightly more expensive for similar course types.
Important: Why some CRICOS courses show $1 tuition
In the dataset, several new courses appear with tuition values close to $1 AUD. These are not real course prices.
They typically represent:
- Non-award programs
- Exchange programs
- Placeholder values in CRICOS
These entries were excluded from the “cheapest courses” analysis because they are not relevant for international student budgeting.
Key Trends from April 2026 Data
1. English courses dominate the cheapest segment
All lowest-cost new courses belong to ELICOS providers.
2. Duration directly impacts price
Shorter courses (12–24 weeks) consistently appear at the lowest price levels.
3. Universities are not part of the cheap segment
New university courses (Bachelor/Master):
- typically start from $15,000+ AUD
- do not compete in the “cheapest” category
What this means for international students
If your goal is to enter Australia at the lowest cost:
- Start with ELICOS programs
- Choose shorter durations
- Focus on providers in Sydney or Melbourne
If your goal is migration or degree pathways:
- cheap courses are only the first step
- long-term costs will be significantly higher
Conclusion
The April 2026 CRICOS update confirms a clear pattern:
- The cheapest new courses in Australia are English language programs
- The realistic entry price starts from ~$3,500 AUD
- Vocational and university programs remain significantly more expensive
- CRICOS data includes technical values that must be filtered for accurate analysis
For accurate decision-making, always rely on latest dataset comparisons, not static lists.