The University of Queensland
One of Australia's Group of Eight research universities, on a riverside campus at St Lucia.
Our graduates there:
Where You'll Study
Study in
Brisbane, Queensland
Sunny, safe, and easier on the family budget than Sydney or Melbourne — with three major universities, and our campus 25 minutes from the centre of it all.
Start Here
A city on Australia's east coast
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and Australia's third-largest city. It sits on the east coast, wrapped around a wide bend in the Brisbane River, about an hour north of the Gold Coast beaches.
Queensland is called the Sunshine State, and the name is earned. The weather here is subtropical: warm for most of the year, and never cold enough for snow. Students spend far more of the year outdoors than they would in a southern Australian city.
- English-speaking
- Subtropical climate
- AEST, UTC + 10
- The clocks never change
- Australia's third-largest city
Calling Home
Home is only one to three hours away
One thing families notice quickly: calling home from Brisbane is easy. Queensland is close to most of Asia in time — and Queensland does not use daylight saving, so the difference with home never changes through the year. No confusing shift in winter. The same call time works all year.
Brisbane
——:——
Australian Eastern Standard Time · UTC + 10, all year
Tokyo · Seoul
——:——
1 hour behind Brisbane
Shanghai · Hong Kong · Taipei · Manila
——:——
2 hours behind Brisbane
Ho Chi Minh City · Bangkok · Jakarta
——:——
3 hours behind Brisbane
A student can finish afternoon sport and still call home before their parents go to bed.
The Sunshine State
Warm days, most of the year
Winter in Brisbane is mild. Daytime temperatures are usually around 20–23 °C — a light jacket, not a heavy coat. Summer days sit around 27–30 °C, cooled by afternoon storms and sea breezes.
For students this matters more than it sounds. Sport, swimming, outdoor learning and weekend trips run all year. Students who come from cooler places often tell us the hardest thing to get used to is that winter simply doesn't arrive.
Summer · December–February
27–30 °C
Warm and humid, with short afternoon storms that clear the air.
Winter · June–August
20–23 °C
Cool mornings, bright dry days, no snow. Sport continues outdoors.
Why Queensland
Four reasons families look north
Brisbane is not the biggest city in Australia, and that is rather the point. It is large enough to hold three major universities and an Olympic Games, and small enough that a student can settle in quickly.
Top 30
Brisbane's place among the world's student cities
2032
Host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
3
Major universities within reach of the campus
25 min
From our campus to the Brisbane city centre
Where This Leads
Three major universities, on your doorstep
Most of our graduates go on to university, and most stay in Queensland to do it. Students finish Year 12 with the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and an ATAR — the rank used for university entry in Australia. Applications go through one state-wide system, so families deal with one process, not many.
Queensland University of Technology
Strong in law, business, health, engineering and the creative industries, with a campus in the city centre.
Our graduates there:
Griffith University
The closest of the three to us — its Logan campus is about ten minutes from the school gate, with more campuses in the city and on the Gold Coast.
Our graduates there:
Brisbane 2032
The city is getting ready for 2032
Brisbane will host the Olympic Games from 23 July to 8 August 2032, and the Paralympic Games from 24 August to 5 September 2032. Events will be held across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Redlands.
For a student starting Year 8 today, that is not a distant headline. They will be at university or beginning a career in the year the Games arrive — in a city that has spent a decade building new transport, venues and sporting programs.
One of our graduates is already part of it. Joseph Vu (Class of 2015) is an engineer working on Cross River Rail and venues for the 2032 Games.
Read Joseph's story
Our Location
Close to everything, quiet where it counts
Our campus is in Daisy Hill, a quiet residential suburb south of Brisbane. This is deliberate, and it is the part families most often tell us they did not expect.
There is no city high-rise campus here, and no long commute. Instead: 33 hectares of natural bushland, with the city, the airport, the universities and the beaches all inside a short drive. Homestay families live in the surrounding suburbs, so the trip to school each morning is minutes, not hours.
- 1 Daisy Hill Conservation Park & Koala CentreBushland walking tracks next to the school, and a koala centre where you can see them close up. 5 min
- 2 Griffith University, Logan campusThe closest university campus to the College. 10 min
- 3 Brisbane city centre & South BankMuseums, galleries, the river walk and free public swimming. 25–30 min
- 4 Brisbane International AirportWhere we meet arriving students — airport transfers are arranged for you. 35–40 min
- 5 Gold Coast beachesSurf beaches, theme parks and the hinterland — an easy day trip. 45 min
Driving times are approximate and depend on traffic.
A campus in the trees, not the traffic
Green ovals, bushland edges and quiet residential streets. Students walk between classes under trees, and the nearest thing to rush hour is the bus at the front gate.
Beyond the Classroom
A place where the weekend is worth it
Brisbane rewards students who want to get outside. The river runs through the middle of the city, with free swimming at South Bank, walking and cycling paths, museums and galleries. An hour south are the Gold Coast beaches; an hour north, the Sunshine Coast. Further up the coast is the Great Barrier Reef.
Beaches both ways
The Gold Coast is about an hour south; the Sunshine Coast about an hour and a half north.
A city on the water
River ferries, kayaking, the riverwalk and a free public beach in the middle of the city.
Wildlife up close
Koalas in the conservation park beside the school, and the Great Barrier Reef further up the coast.
Sport, all year
Swimming, football, netball, rugby, athletics — the season never stops for the weather.
Peace of Mind
A safe city — and a school that watches closely
Australia is a safe country to study in, and Brisbane is an easy city to be young in: calm, walkable, and long used to welcoming students from overseas. Living costs are generally lower here than in Sydney or Melbourne, which is one more reason families look north.
But a safe city is only half the answer. What matters day to day is who is looking out for your child. That is where the College comes in: approved homestay families in nearby suburbs, the JPC CARE framework, specialist international welfare staff, and support available around the clock for students under 18.
John Paul College is registered to enrol international students under CRICOS provider code 00500B, and has done so for around 30 years.
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Brisbane, and where is John Paul College?
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third-largest city, on the east coast of Australia. John Paul College is in Daisy Hill, a quiet residential suburb south of the Brisbane city centre, about 25 to 30 minutes away by car. The campus covers 33 hectares of natural bushland.
Is Brisbane a safe city for international students?
Australia is a safe country to study in, and Brisbane is a calm, walkable city that is used to welcoming students from overseas. At John Paul College, safety is also managed day to day: students live with approved homestay families in nearby suburbs or in supervised boarding, and specialist international welfare staff support them, with help available around the clock for students under 18.
Is it cheaper to study in Brisbane than in Sydney or Melbourne?
Living costs in Brisbane are generally lower than in Sydney or Melbourne, which is one reason many international families choose Queensland. Accommodation, transport and everyday costs usually stretch further. For the full cost of study at John Paul College, including tuition, homestay and student welfare, please request the fee schedule for your child’s pathway.
What is the weather like in Brisbane?
Brisbane has a subtropical climate. Winter days are usually around 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, with cool mornings and no snow. Summer days are usually around 27 to 30 degrees Celsius, with afternoon storms and sea breezes. This means sport, swimming and outdoor activities continue all year.
What is the time difference between Brisbane and home?
Brisbane uses Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), which is 10 hours ahead of UTC. Queensland does not use daylight saving, so the time difference with home never changes during the year. Brisbane is 1 hour ahead of Tokyo and Seoul, 2 hours ahead of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei and Manila, and 3 hours ahead of Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Jakarta.
How far is John Paul College from the city, the airport and the beaches?
By car, the campus is about 25 to 30 minutes from the Brisbane city centre and South Bank, about 35 to 40 minutes from Brisbane International Airport, and about 45 minutes from the Gold Coast beaches. Griffith University’s Logan campus is about 10 minutes away, and Daisy Hill Conservation Park is a few minutes from the school gate. Travel times are approximate and depend on traffic.
Which universities are in Brisbane?
Brisbane is home to three major universities: The University of Queensland, which is one of Australia’s Group of Eight research universities; Queensland University of Technology; and Griffith University, whose Logan campus is the closest to John Paul College. Graduates of John Paul College study at all three. Students finish Year 12 with the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and an ATAR, the rank used for university entry in Australia.
What does hosting the 2032 Olympic Games mean for students?
Brisbane will host the Olympic Games from 23 July to 8 August 2032 and the Paralympic Games from 24 August to 5 September 2032, with events across Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and Redlands. For a student starting secondary school now, it means growing up in a city investing for a decade in transport, venues and sport — and being at university or early in a career when the Games arrive.
Come and See Queensland for Yourself
Book a conversation with our international team, or arrange a campus visit while you are in Brisbane. We will answer your questions about the city as honestly as we answer the ones about the school.