About 90 of their students are currently trapped in China by quarantine measures, UNE said today.

When the university term begins next week, most students affected by the travel ban will be able to continue their studies online.

UNE said they would be able to shift to learning online "seamlessly".

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But UNE's Vice Chancellor and CEO Professor Brigid Heywood said most students hope to be able to get back to Armidale in time for final semester exams in April.

"The vast majority of students are satisfied to start their degrees online and have expressed a desire to be with us in Armidale on campus in time to complete their exams," she said.

"It's impossible to say how long students will be impacted by this ban, and it has put the spotlight on the importance of providing solutions to ensure our students' studies are not interrupted."

If the travel ban runs into April, the university has the technology to allow students to do the entire trimester online, including assessments, she said.

Most students of the University of New England do not live in Armidale. The university has more than 23,000 students. In 2018, 19,223 UNE students did their studies online.

Over 86 per cent of affected students have elected to take their classes online, including 80 per cent of new students. Most of them are doing business or law degrees.

The Australian government announced a travel ban on travel by students and tourists from China on February 1.

Education Minister Dan Tehan last week announced that some secondary school students would be made exempt from the ban.

But up to 100,000 students at Australian universities remain stuck outside the country.