Best Suburbs in Perth for Students: Near UWA and Curtin Campuses
UWA and Curtin sit on opposite sides of Perth with genuinely different suburb options around them – one riverside and leafy, the other more affordable with its own free student bus network. Here is what actually surrounds each campus.
Quick facts: UWA sits in Crawley on the Swan River, with Nedlands and Subiaco the main nearby suburbs – reached by bus along Mounts Bay Road or the river ferry, with no train station directly at the campus. Curtin sits in Bentley, with East Victoria Park, Victoria Park, Waterford and Cannington the main options – Curtin runs its own free shuttle bus for students living in several of these suburbs, connecting to the Armadale train line at Cannington or Victoria Park station. For full accommodation prices by type, see our Perth student accommodation guide; for the full transport picture, see our Perth public transport guide.
Near UWA: Crawley, Nedlands and Subiaco
| Suburb | Character | Getting to campus |
|---|---|---|
| Crawley | The campus suburb itself, right on the Swan River | Walkable if you live there; otherwise bus or bike |
| Nedlands | Leafy, favoured by academics and medical staff given the nearby hospitals | Short bus ride or a walkable/rideable distance |
| Subiaco | More retail and cafe life, a bit further out | Bus routes into Crawley, or via the CBD |
None of these sit directly on a train line – the practical options are bus routes along Mounts Bay Road, cycling along the riverside paths, or the ferry across the Swan River from South Perth. Budget for this area to run higher than most of Perth: Nedlands and Crawley have historically sat around $450 a week for a typical rental (2021 Census data, so treat it as a floor rather than a current figure), and Subiaco often prices noticeably higher again.
Near Curtin: Bentley, East Victoria Park, Victoria Park, Waterford and Cannington
| Suburb | Character | Getting to campus |
|---|---|---|
| Bentley | The campus suburb itself | Walkable if you live there |
| East Victoria Park | A popular, well-connected student suburb | Short bus ride or Curtin’s free student shuttle |
| Victoria Park / Waterford | Close, more residential | Curtin’s free student shuttle covers both |
| Cannington | Slightly further, generally more affordable | Train station on the Armadale/Thornlie-Cockburn line, reopened June 2025 after rebuilding |
The genuinely useful detail here: Curtin runs its own complimentary bus service for students living in Bentley, Waterford, South Perth and Victoria Park, plus a weeknight hail-and-ride service around campus during semester – on top of the Curtin Central Bus Station’s regular routes to Cannington, Canning Bridge and the city. As a rule, this whole area runs more affordable than the UWA suburbs, which is a large part of why East Victoria Park and Cannington show up so often in student accommodation searches.
Choosing between the two
If your course is at UWA, you are choosing between paying more to be riverside and leafy (Nedlands, Crawley) or accepting a slightly longer bus trip for more affordable Subiaco. If your course is at Curtin, the free student shuttle genuinely changes the calculation – East Victoria Park and Victoria Park give you both affordability and a direct free connection to campus, which is hard to beat without a car.
Checking a share house before you commit
Whichever cluster you choose, a share house arrangement changes the calculation as much as the suburb does – a cheap Bentley room in a poorly run house can end up costing more in stress than a pricier Nedlands room with reliable flatmates. Our share house vs studio vs homestay guide and moving house checklist both cover what to check before signing anything.
Bottom line
UWA students cluster around Crawley, Nedlands and Subiaco – riverside, leafy, but pricier, with bus and ferry rather than train access. Curtin students cluster around Bentley, East Victoria Park, Victoria Park, Waterford and Cannington – generally cheaper, and helped considerably by Curtin’s own free student shuttle bus. Pick based on your campus first, then your budget within that area.
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