• Charles Sturt University welcomes more than 8,505 new students for the 2025 academic year
• This is more than a three-and-a-half per cent increase on new students in 2024
• The official welcome events for on-campus Orientation Week were held at five major campuses on Tuesday 25 February 2025
• The university continues to fill vital skills gaps with nursing, education and paramedicine among popular courses for commencing students in 2025

Australia’s leading regional university has increased new students by three-and-a-half per cent which was celebrated during its signature Orientation Week marking the commencement of the new academic year.

More than 8,505 new students will embark on their career journeys with Charles Sturt University in 2025, Australia’s leading public university for undergraduate employment. 

The University welcomed new students by hosting Orientation events on campus at five regional campuses on Tuesday 25 February 2025. The Official Welcome events marked the opening of Orientation Week at Charles Sturt in Bathurst, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga, and Port Macquarie. The Welcome event for Charles Sturt in Dubbo will be held on Monday 3 March.

Senior staff and student ambassadors welcomed students. Afterwards, students attended various specific information sessions, workshops, and social activities to support their transition into university life.

The first of almost 200 live online sessions also commenced for new online students on Monday 17 February to ensure all students are fully equipped for the academic year ahead.

Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Renée Leon said welcoming the new students as they embarked on their higher education journey was a highlight on the university calendar.

“We are here to help every student succeed on their career journey,” Professor Leon said.

“We are committed to our mission of educating the next generation of professionals vital to Australia.”

Professor Leon said it was the practical experience that set Charles Sturt apart from other educational institutions.

“The practical hands-on learning at Charles Sturt is one of the many things that give our students the edge when it’s time to step into the workforce,” Professor Leon said.

“Our paid placements and cadetships also allow students to focus on their studies, reducing cost-of-living pressures.”

Popular courses for new students (both on-campus and online) in 2025 at Charles Sturt University include:

• Master of Teaching (Primary) (increased by 79.4 per cent)
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy (increased by 23.8 per cent)
• Bachelor of Paramedicine (increased by 15.9 per cent)
• Bachelor of Nursing (increased by 5.1 per cent)

For commencing undergraduate students who will be studying on-campus, popular courses include:

• Bachelor of Nursing
• Bachelor of Paramedicine
• Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (with specialisations); and
• Bachelor of Physiotherapy

Some of the social activities offered to first-year students at Charles Sturt during Orientation include Speed-friending, an Amazing Race in Orange, a paint party in Bathurst, Neon Ten-Pin Bowling in Albury, surf lessons in Port Macquarie, a DJ night on the deck in Wagga Wagga, and bingo in Dubbo.

Professor Leon said the 2025 Orientation Week schedule was very creative and comprehensive, ensuring new students felt taken care of across all areas of university life.

“We have workshops aimed at supporting mature-aged students make the transition to studying later in life; workshops for international students to assist with settling into an Australian-based higher education system; specific support sessions for First Nations students; and a workshop called Consent Matters which covers the importance of consent and appropriate behaviours,” Professor Leon said.

“We also have a session covering the Project Zero campaign which helps to create a safer, more inclusive community at university, by offering advice, support, and information to ensure a safe and respectful environment for all.”

There is approximately 6,000 commencing undergraduate students (including on-campus and online) at Charles Sturt in 2025. Of this, there are 369 First Nations students and 211 international students university-wide.

The most popular undergraduate course for new on-campus students through the early admissions Charles Sturt Advantage Program (CSA) in 2025 is Bachelor of Nursing. For online students, the most popular undergraduate course through CSA is Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science.

ENDS