Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is a round-shaped bacterium belonging to the Firmicutes phylum of bacteria. The escalation in the prevalence and gravity of staphylococcal contagions necessitates assessing the burden of asymptomatic carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in the community setting. The aim of this study was to establish the nasal carriage rates of S. aureus in microbiology students at RMIT. Nasal swabs were collected from 766 microbiology students at RMIT between 2013 and 2018. The swabs were inoculated on mannitol salt agar (MSA) and identified by their morphological characteristics. Tube coagulase tests were done to ascertain the identity of the pathogens. About 26.11% (200) samples tested positive for S. aureus . This value was comparable to those found in previous studies conducted in the community, hospital and food industry settings. The experimental nasal carriage rates varied from year to year, which could be attributed to inconsistencies in the streaking methods and biochemical tests. It was concluded that S. aureus was a prevalent normal flora in humans. As a result, it is important to observe high standards of hygiene to lower the risk of contracting infections attributed to the pathogen. Aim and Significance The purpose of this study was to conduct a survey of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in microbiology students at RMIT from 2013 to 2018. Nasal swabs from the subjects were collected and subjected to bacteriological analysis. Carriage of S. aureus plays a vital role in the epidemiology and development of infection. Eradication of carriage is a viable pre-emptive measure in at-risk individuals. Therefore, it is important to determine the carriage of S. aureus as part of developing appropriate measures to reduce the risk of S. aureus infection. Introduction S. aureus is an important pathogen as it has been connected to a wide range of infections. This bacterium is commonly found on the skin as well as in the respiratory tract and nose (Kobayashi, Malachowa & DeLeo, 2015). Numerous S. aureus infections happen because of its far-reaching virulence factors. The importance of this bacterium also rests on its high rates of resistance to antimicrobial agents as well as prevalence as a nosocomial disease-causing agent. S. aureus possesses surface proteins such as laminin and fibronectin, constituents of the extracellular matrix that enhance its attachment to the host. Blood clots as well as epithelial and endothelial surfaces also contain fibronectin, which promotes the attachment of S. aureus to injured tissues via a fibrin-binding protein. Some virulence factors employed by S. aureus include antigens, enzymes and toxins. Capsules and adhesins are examples of antigens, while coagulase, hyaluronidase, nuclease and staphylokinase are examples of enzymes that promote the virulence of S. aureus . Virulent toxins include enterotoxins, P-V leukocidin and alpha, beta and delta toxins (Tong, Davis, Eichenberger, Holland & Fowler, 2015). S. aureus exhibits multifactorial virulence because of the collective action of numerous virulence factors and extracellular and cell wall constituents. S. aureus causes many human diseases, particularly skin and soft tissue illnesses. Examples of minor skin infections include impetigo, pimples, boils, folliculitis, cellulitis, scalded skin syndrome and carbuncles. In addition, life-threatening disorders caused by S. aureus encompass meningitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, ba