[20][21][22] Deakin has had the highest undergraduate student satisfaction ratings out of all Victorian universities every year since 2010 and has consistently placed in the top two for highest postgraduate student satisfaction out of all Victorian universities every year since 2010.

As part of the Dawkins education reforms that were announced in 1988 by the Commonwealth government, a merger with Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education took place in 1990,[25] which was followed by a merger with most of Victoria College in 1991, with its campuses in Burwood, Rusden and Toorak.

A recent addition to the Burwood campus in 2021 was the law building, designed by Australian architecture firm Woods Bagot.

[32] The original campus of Deakin University (38°11′52″S 144°17′50″E / 38.1979°S 144.2973°E / -38.1979; 144.2973 (Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus)) is located in the regional city of Geelong in the suburb of Waurn Ponds, 72 kilometres south west of Melbourne.

The campus is home to the Geelong Technology Precinct, which provides research and development capabilities and opportunities for university–industry partnerships and new enterprises in the region.

[36] It is situated on the banks of the Hopkins River in the coastal city of Warrnambool, close to local surf beaches and popular tourist attractions in close proximity to the Great Ocean Road and The Twelve Apostles.

There is an on-campus student population of more than 520 (2020) pursuing courses in arts, business, education, environment, health sciences, law, management, marine biology, nursing and psychology.

More than 5,362 (2020) students are based at the Geelong Waterfront Campus, which hosts the schools of Architecture and Built Environment, Health and Social Development, Psychology, and Nursing and Midwifery, as well as the Faculty of Business and Law.

[citation needed] A $37 million redevelopment of the Dennys Lascelles Building has increased the capacity of this campus, allowing the university to provide an expanded range of courses.

[citation needed] This campus houses Costa Hall, a 1422-seat concert auditorium, which is used for the university's graduation ceremonies and is part of Geelong Arts Centre.

[38] The university is divided into four faculties, covering arts and education, business and law, health, and science, engineering and built environment.

[41] The Deakin University School of Law and the Deakin Business School both fall under the Faculty of Business and Law,[42] and the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment encompasses architecture, information technology, engineering, and life and environmental sciences.

[78] The Australian Government's QILT[b] conducts national surveys documenting the student life cycle from enrolment through to employment.

[79] These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction[79] than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts.

As well as representation, DUSA provides a range of services and benefits to members, and coordinates all other clubs and societies operating on campus.

[100] The 2017 Australian Human Rights Commission report on sexual assault and harassment surveyed 649 Deakin students,[101] and reported somewhat higher figures than this, finding that 2.8% of those surveyed claimed to have been assaulted on campus, and 21% had been sexually harassed.