What Are the Best Universities in Australia? The QS World Rankings Are In!
Every year, the Top Universities’ QS World University Rankings are released, one of the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis of universities worldwide. Not only does it show how Australia is competing on the world stage, but it’s also a fantastic way to determine where a University’s strength lies.
The QS World Rankings are determined on a number of different categories, including academic and employer reputation, citations per faculty, student to staff ratio, international reputation and international faculty and student numbers.
There were several surprises in this year’s recent rankings, including The University of Sydney upstaging Cambridge University and Oxford to join four other Australian Universities in the top 50 in the world.
The Australian National University proudly entered the top 20 in the world, moving up two spots from the year before to be seen with the likes of MIT, Stanford and Harvard University who take out the overall top three.
In all, Australian University rankings are on the rise across the board, with a few exceptions. Deakin University for example, moved up 62 places to make the top 300. There were a few to decline in rank, including Charles Sturt University and Curtin University, who still continue to perform well in areas like mining and distance education.
Top 3 Australian Universities
The Australian National University
QS World University Ranking: 20th
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking: 41st
The University of New South Wales
QS World University Ranking: 45th
Top Ranking for Graduate Employability
The University of Sydney
QS World University Ranking for Graduate Employability: 4th
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Graduate Employability: 11th
The Australian National University
QS World University Ranking for Graduate Employability: 32nd
Melbourne also took out the fifth position in the ‘Top Student Cities’ ranking worldwide, which is highly promising for future international student numbers to the Universities that call Melbourne home, including the University of Melbourne which was ranked 41st in the world, the second highest in the country.
Employability of a University’s graduates is also a big factor of the quality education that can be expected at a Uni, and on that front, Australia performed rather well on the global stage. The University of Sydney was ranked 4th in the world for this category, with the University of Melbourne 11th, narrowly missing the top ten by Princeton University. Four Australian Universities were ranked in the top 50 for employability, including The Australian National University (ANU) and Monash.
Other interesting changes include Monash rising into 60th position in the world, as well as becoming the second best school for Pharmacy and 29th in Medicine. Swinburne University of Technology also improved it’s overall ranking, now situated in the top 450 in the world. It’s also improved in another QS ranking area, the Top 50 Under 50, which focuses on the performance of younger Universities, those under 50 years old. Southern Cross, Griffith and Murdoch University are all in this category as well.
QS Star Rating System
The QS World Rankings also provide a great way for students to see the overall rankings for Universities in Australia, as opposed to just their strengths in a certain subject or faculty. The introduction of the QS Star Ratings provides a simple overview of a University across the board. Only 18 Universities in the World have a ‘QS 5 Star Plus’ Rating, the highest to achieve.
The 2018 results show five Universities in Australia with this ranking, which is the highest of any other country. Not all Universities have or will be ranked this way, such as the University of Melbourne which ranks exceptionally well across a number of fronts, but choose not to be assessed by the Star Rating System. The rating is determined in areas including:
- Research
- Teaching
- Employability
- Internationalization
- Facilities
- Online/ Distance Learning
- Social Responsibility
- Social Responsibility
- Arts & Culture
- Inclusiveness
- Specialist Criteria
Australian Universities
The Australian National University
The University of Adelaide
The University of New South Wales
University of Queensland
University of Sydney
Australian Universities
Bond University
Curtin University
Deakin University
Griffith University
Macquarie University
RMIT
University of Technology Sydney
University of Wollongong
Want to know which Universities specialise in certain subjects or fields? Here’s the top 3 in Australia, as well as their overall World ranking for the subject.
Arts & Humanities
The Australian National University
QS World University Ranking for Arts & Humanities: 10th
The University of Sydney
QS World University Ranking for Arts & Humanities: 15th
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Arts & Humanities: 17th
Engineering & Technology
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Engineering and Technology: 28th
The University of New South Wales
QS World University Ranking for Engineering and Technology: 31st
The University of Sydney
QS World University Ranking for Engineering and Technology: 41st
Life Sciences & Medicine
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Life Sciences & Medicine: 13th
The University of Sydney
QS World University Ranking for Life Sciences & Medicine: 17th
Monash University
QS World University Ranking for Life Sciences & Medicine: 28th
Natural Sciences
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Natural Sciences: 29th
The University of Sydney
QS World University Ranking for Natural Sciences: 36th
The Australian National University
QS World University Ranking for Natural Sciences: 38th
Social Sciences & Management
The University of Melbourne
QS World University Ranking for Social Sciences & Management: 14th
The Australian National University
QS World University Ranking for Social Sciences & Management: 20th
The University of New South Wales
QS World University Ranking for Social Sciences & Management: 22th
Want to read more?
Here's some more articles similar to this one.
How to Make Your Dream of Being a Nutritionist a Reality
As far as careers with a future go, being a nutritionist is definitely up there. The need for professionals passionate about good food and nutrition are needed now more than ever, to…
The Ultimate Guide to Making the Most of Your University Experience
University may seem full of assignments, lectures and study groups; and while that is often the case, the social side of Uni is where all the fun is. If you want to…
7 Tips to Settle into Australia: A Newcomer’s Perspective
Moving the Australia to study can be as daunting as it is exciting – it’s an amazing opportunity to gain an excellent education in a country famed for its hospitality, good weather…
Latest Articles
7 Tips to Settle into Australia: A Newcomer’s Perspective
Moving the Australia to study can be as daunting as it is exciting – it’s an amazing opportunity to gain an excellent education in a country famed for its hospitality, good weather…
The 6 Top Qualities of the World’s Greatest Leaders
Want to join the ranks of the world’s best leaders? If so, start acting like one, because the secret to successful leadership often comes down to a few simple habits. Regardless of…
What Are the Best Universities in Australia? The QS World Rankings Are In!
Every year, the Top Universities’ QS World University Rankings are released, one of the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis of universities worldwide. Not only does it show how Australia is competing on…