The top universities in Australia have been released for 2017 by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Australian Universities continue to perform well on the global stage, with 6 of our institutions making it into the top 100.
According the World University Rankings, the University of Melbourne is Australia’s best institution, followed closely by Australian National University, University of Queensland and University of Sydney.
| University Name | Australia Rank 2017 | World Rank 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | 1 | 33 |
| Australian National University | 2 | 47 |
| University of Queensland | 3 | 60 |
| University of Sydney | 3 | 60 |
| Monash University | 5 | 74 |
| University of New South Wales | 6 | 78 |
| University of Western Australia | 7 | 125 |
| University of Adelaide | 8 | 142 |
| University of Newcastle | 9 | 201-250 |
| Queensland University of Technology | 9 | 201-250 |
There are several global university ranking systems, such as the QS World University Rankings and the CWUR World University Rankings, but the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings is generally considered as the authoritative source on university rankings. The methodology behind THE’s ranking system changes slightly each year, but has been relatively consistent since the 2011-12 publication. It breaks down university performance into 5 areas:
THE World University Rankings have received criticism for the emphasis it places on research (Research and Citations make up 60% of the score) as opposed to teaching performance (which makes up only 30%). Most students don’t go onto become researchers, so the quantity and quality of a university’s publications are relatively unimportant.
For students wishing to compare universities based on other metrics, the Australian Government publishes data on through the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) website. Universities can be compared based on:
| University Name | Australia Rank 2017 | World Rank 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | 1 | 33 |
| Australian National University | 2 | 47 |
| University of Queensland | 3 | 60 |
| University of Sydney | 3 | 60 |
| Monash University | 5 | 74 |
| University of New South Wales | 6 | 78 |
| University of Western Australia | 7 | 125 |
| University of Adelaide | 8 | 142 |
| University of Newcastle | 9 | 201-250 |
| Queensland University of Technology | 9 | 201-250 |
| Charles Darwin University | 11 | 251-300 |
| Deakin University | 11 | 251-300 |
| Griffith University | 11 | 251-300 |
| James Cook University | 11 | 251-300 |
| Macquarie University | 11 | 251-300 |
| University of South Australia | 11 | 251-300 |
| University of Technology, Sydney | 11 | 251-300 |
| University of Wollongong | 11 | 251-300 |
| University of Tasmania | 19 | 201-350 |
| Flinders University | 20 | 201-350 |
| La Trobe University | 20 | 201-350 |
| Swinburne University of Technology | 20 | 201-350 |
| Victoria University | 20 | 201-350 |
| University of Canberra | 24 | 401-500 |
| Central Queensland University | 24 | 401-500 |
| Curtin University | 24 | 401-500 |
| Murdoch University | 24 | 401-500 |
| RMIT University | 24 | 401-500 |
| Western Sydney University | 24 | 401-500 |
| Bond University | 24 | 501-600 |
| Edith Cowan University | 30 | 501-600 |
| Southern Cross University | 30 | 501-600 |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | 30 | 501-600 |
| Australian Catholic University | 34 | 501-600 |
| University of Southern Queensland | 34 | 501-600 |