Best Suburbs for TAFE Students in Melbourne
TAFE students get the short end of the housing advice stick. Every suburb guide is written for uni students — where to live near Melbourne Uni, Monash, RMIT. But TAFE campuses are scattered across different suburbs, often in areas that don’t get much attention in the usual “best student suburbs” lists.
This guide covers the major TAFE campuses in Melbourne and the suburbs that make sense for each. We’re assuming you’re working with a tighter budget than the average uni student (because most TAFE students are juggling part-time work with study), so affordability matters more here.
Melbourne Polytechnic — Prahran Campus
Campus location: 142 High Street, Prahran
Melbourne Poly’s Prahran campus (formerly NMIT) sits on High Street, between Chapel Street and the residential streets of Prahran. It’s a mid-sized campus focused on creative arts, music, screen, and design courses.
Where to Live
Prahran / Windsor ($200-250/pw share house) Living in Prahran itself puts you within walking distance of campus. High Street, Grattan Street, and the streets south toward Windsor are the best areas for share houses. The housing stock is a mix of Victorian terraces and 1960s apartment blocks. Windsor, one suburb south, is slightly cheaper and still walkable to campus (15 minutes).
Chapel Street is your main commercial strip — restaurants, bars, retail, and nightlife. The Prahran Market on Commercial Road is a good (if not the cheapest) grocery option. There’s a Woolworths on Chapel Street for everyday shopping.
Balaclava / St Kilda East ($190-230/pw share house) One tram stop south on Route 78 (or a 15-minute walk), Balaclava offers lower rents and a different vibe. Carlisle Street has excellent bakeries, Jewish delis, and cheap eats. St Kilda East is slightly further but has bigger, cheaper share houses in the art deco apartment blocks along Alma Road and Inkerman Street.
Transit to campus: Tram Route 72 runs along Commercial Road and connects to the CBD. Route 78 runs along Chapel Street. Prahran Station is on the Sandringham line — CBD in 10 minutes. Train service from Windsor and Balaclava stations is equally convenient.
Budget Reality
Prahran is an expensive suburb. If you’re on a tight budget, push further south to Balaclava or east to Caulfield (Sandringham or Frankston line, one extra stop). A share house room in Caulfield runs $170-200/pw and you’re 10 minutes from campus by train.
Melbourne Polytechnic — Collingwood Campus
Campus location: 20 Otter Street, Collingwood
The Collingwood campus is a smaller site near Victoria Parade, focused on hospitality, bakery, and food trades courses.
Where to Live
Collingwood / Fitzroy ($220-260/pw share house) You’re in one of Melbourne’s most in-demand rental markets. Share houses on the streets between Smith Street and Wellington Street are the closest options. Expect competition for rooms — Collingwood share houses get snapped up fast because everyone wants to live here.
Richmond ($200-240/pw share house) Just south across Victoria Parade, Richmond is slightly cheaper than Collingwood and equally walkable to the campus. Bridge Road and the streets between it and Victoria Parade have decent share house stock. Swan Street’s restaurant and bar scene gives you social options.
Clifton Hill ($200-240/pw share house) North of Collingwood, Clifton Hill is quieter and a touch cheaper. It’s a 15-minute walk to the Collingwood campus. Queens Parade has a few cafes and a Woolworths. Clifton Hill Station (South Morang/Mernda line) gets you to the CBD in 15 minutes.
Transit to campus: Tram Route 86 runs along Smith Street, passing near the campus. Route 12 along Victoria Parade stops right outside. Multiple bus routes connect from Richmond and Clifton Hill.
CBD TAFE Campuses — Multiple Providers
Campuses: RMIT TAFE (various CBD buildings), Melbourne Polytechnic (CBD campus on Lonsdale Street), Kangan Institute (Docklands), Box Hill Institute (CBD campus)
The CBD is dense with TAFE campuses because several providers have established city locations alongside their suburban ones.
Where to Live
CBD ($200-260/pw share house / $320-380/pw studio) Living in the CBD means walking to campus. The downside is apartment quality — most affordable CBD apartments are in high-rise towers built in the 2010s with thin walls, small rooms, and average ventilation. Share a 2BR apartment with one other person and you’re looking at $200-260/pw each.
Carlton ($200-230/pw share house) A 10-15 minute walk north of most CBD campuses. Better housing quality than CBD apartments — you get actual houses with actual windows. Lygon Street’s food and cafe scene makes up for the slightly longer commute.
North Melbourne ($180-210/pw share house) West of Carlton, slightly cheaper, and still walkable to the CBD (20 minutes). The Errol Street strip has basics covered. Tram Route 57 along Flemington Road gets you to the CBD in 10 minutes.
Footscray ($150-180/pw share house) A 10-minute train ride to the CBD. If your TAFE campus is near Southern Cross Station (Kangan Institute, some RMIT buildings), Footscray is the best-value option. The train is frequent and fast on the Werribee/Sunbury lines.
Melbourne Polytechnic — Epping Campus
Campus location: Dalton Road, Epping
The Epping campus is Melbourne Poly’s largest, with courses in trades, nursing, IT, and business.
Where to Live
Epping ($140-170/pw share house) Epping itself is affordable but suburban. The Pacific Epping shopping centre on High Street has a Coles, Kmart, and food court. The residential streets around the campus are quiet, car-dependent, and very much outer suburbia.
Reservoir ($130-160/pw share house) Two train stops south of Epping on the South Morang/Mernda line, Reservoir offers similar rent with better train frequency. Bus Route 357 connects Reservoir Station to the Epping campus.
South Morang ($140-170/pw share house) On the South Morang/Mernda train line, this suburb has newer housing stock (lots of estates built in the 2010s) and the Westfield Plenty Valley shopping centre. It’s further from the CBD than Reservoir but closer to the campus.
Kangan Institute — Broadmeadows Campus
Campus location: Pearcedale Parade, Broadmeadows
Kangan’s Broadmeadows campus offers automotive, engineering, and health courses. Broadmeadows is one of Melbourne’s most affordable suburbs.
Where to Live
Broadmeadows ($120-150/pw share house) Some of the cheapest rent in metropolitan Melbourne. The Broadmeadows Shopping Centre has a Coles and basic retail. The housing is mostly 1960s-70s brick veneer — not pretty but functional. The suburb has a higher crime rate than the Melbourne average, which is reflected in the lower rent.
Glenroy ($130-160/pw share house) One train stop south, Glenroy feels slightly more established than Broadmeadows. The Glenroy shopping strip on Wheatsheaf Road has a few more options. Still very affordable.
Coburg ($160-190/pw share house) Two stations south, Coburg is the compromise between affordability and amenity. Sydney Road runs through Coburg with its mix of restaurants, cafes, and shops. It’s a 20-minute train to the CBD and a 15-minute train north to Broadmeadows.
Transit: Broadmeadows Station is on the Craigieburn line — CBD in about 30 minutes by express train. Bus Route 533 and others connect the campus to the station.
Victoria University TAFE — Footscray
Campus location: Ballarat Road, Footscray
VU’s TAFE and university courses share the Footscray campus. The area is covered in detail in our international students guide, but the key points for TAFE students:
Footscray ($150-180/pw) is the obvious choice. Walk to campus. Cheap food. Good train connections. Seddon ($170-200/pw) and Yarraville ($180-210/pw) are one and two stations west respectively on the Werribee line, slightly quieter and more gentrified.
Practical Tips for TAFE Students
Your timetable matters for housing. Many TAFE courses have block scheduling — three full days per week instead of spread-out lectures. If you’re only on campus three days, a slightly longer commute from a cheaper suburb makes more sense than paying premium rent to be close.
Check for campus-specific transport. Some TAFE campuses have shuttle buses that connect to train stations. Melbourne Polytechnic runs a shuttle between some of its campuses. Check your specific campus.
TAFE concession Myki. Full-time TAFE students are eligible for concession fares on public transport. This cuts your daily cap from about $10.60 to $5.30. Make sure you get the concession card from your institution on enrolment day.
Consider the apprenticeship commute. If you’re doing an apprenticeship, you’re splitting time between campus and a workplace. Pick your suburb based on which location you attend more frequently. If you’re at your workplace four days and TAFE one day, live near the workplace.
FAQ
Do TAFE students get the same rental support as uni students?
Yes. Centrelink payments (Youth Allowance, Austudy) are available to eligible full-time TAFE students on the same basis as university students. The TAFE institution needs to be registered with the government for your course to qualify.
Is it worth living near a TAFE campus that’s in an expensive suburb?
Not always. If you’re studying at the Prahran campus but can only afford $160/pw, living in Caulfield or Carnegie and training in is better than stretching your budget to live in Prahran. A 15-minute train ride is fine.
Can I transfer between TAFE campuses?
Depends on the provider and your course. Melbourne Polytechnic has multiple campuses (Prahran, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield), and some courses allow you to attend classes at different locations. Check with your course coordinator before choosing housing based on one campus.
Are outer-suburb TAFE campuses worth the cheaper rent?
If the course is only available at that campus, yes. Broadmeadows and Epping are affordable and functional. If the same course is offered at a CBD campus, compare the total cost — higher rent in Carlton versus transport costs and time commuting from Broadmeadows. Often the CBD option is cheaper in total when you factor in transport and the time cost.