JCU has an average tuition rate of 30,000 AUD. Aside from that, students must be prepared to pay a living cost of $5,304 AUD in Australia.

JCU University provides on-campus housing in Townsville and Cairns for domestic and international students studying in Australia. The campuses offer international students a safe and secure environment as well as a variety of living options. Accommodation is offered at JCU Townsville in George Roberts Hall, Rotary International House, University Hall, Saint Catholic College, and The John Flynn College. John Grey Hall and Cairns Student Lodge are the residence halls at JCU Cairns (just across the street from Smithfield Campus). The average cost of on-campus living is $8,640 AUD. The typical monthly rent for off-campus living is 600 to 800 AUD.

The total number of students enrolled at the university are 25906, out of which 6,639 are international students. The JCU has an acceptance rate of 79%.

In Australia, James Cook University has campuses in Cairns, Townsville, and Brisbane. It also has a fourth campus in Singapore, an international city. JCU Townsville's Bebegu Yumba campus is located in the Townsville Tropical Intelligence and Health Precinct (TropiQ), in the Douglas area. It is placed in a 386-hectare natural bush and parkland setting 13 kilometres from Townsville's CBD. The campus has about 1400 students living in colleges and residence halls, as well as teaching and research facilities, a library, cafes, restaurants, a gym, and sporting facilities. Townsville Campus also boasts great sporting facilities, including a cricket pitch, gym, hockey, football, tennis courts, swimming pool, squash courts, rowing, and so on. Cairns Campuses provide teaching and research facilities, a library, sporting facilities, a gym, cafes, bars, clubs, and societies. The JCU Cairns City Campus also has study areas.

JCU is authorised under the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) Act 2011 to self-accredit each course of study that leads to a higher education qualification that it offers or confers.

Students can use CareerHub to look for full-time and part-time jobs, as well as internships. It also informs visitors about future professional events, workshops, and employers. Through volunteer programmes, students can gain work experience and improve their employability. Volunteering can improve a student's chances of being hired during on-campus recruitment. They can serve as volunteers on or off campus, including worldwide. In Australia, the average annual income for James Cook University (JCU) staff is AU$71733.