Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) publishes the QS World University Rankings every year. The QS ranking system is globally recognized and includes overall and subject rankings of higher education institutions by region: Asia, Canada, Europe, Global, Latin America, North America and Oceania.
What are the QS World University Rankings?
The QS World University Rankings (Quacquarelli Symonds) ranks the world’s best universities. It is the most recognized university ranking in the world.
Academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty member, proportion of international faculty, proportion of international students, employment outcomes and sustainability are all factors considered in the QS ranking system.
QS World University Rankings 2024: Australian University Rankings
The 2024 QS World University Rankings include 38 Australian universities, nine of which are in the top 100. The University of Melbourne is the top-ranked university in Australia, with the highest percentage of international students and an academic reputation.
Top 10 Australian Universities in QS Rankings 2024
| Ranking of Australia | Global Ranking | University |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | The University of Melbourne |
| 2 | 19 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) |
| 3 | 19 | The University of Sydney |
| 4 | 34 | Australian National University (ANU) |
| 5 | 42 | Monash University |
| 6 | 43 | The University of Queensland |
| 7 | 72 | The University of Western Australia |
| 8 | 89 | The University of Adelaide |
| 9 | 90 | University of Technology Sydney |
| 10 | 130 | Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) |
10. Macquarie University
Located in the centre of Sydney, Macquarie University is ranked 130th in the world and has more than 45,000 students.
The university is mainly known for its business, engineering, health, life sciences, and medicine expertise. It has achieved the best indicator score for the proportion of international faculty and excelled in sustainability, a new indicator this year.
9. University of Technology Sydney
Founded in 1988, the University of Technology Sydney is one of Australia’s youngest top universities. Its goal is to advance knowledge through research-inspired teaching and learning, utilizing partnerships with industry, professions, and communities.
Unsurprisingly, one of UTS’s priorities is citation rates for research papers. Only two of Australia’s top 10 universities exceed UTS in this metric.
8. University of Adelaide
Founded in 1874, the University of Adelaide is the third oldest university in Australia and is ranked 89th in the world this year.
The University of Adelaide is one of the six Australian universities in the top ten that scored a perfect score for international faculty ratio and extremely high for international student ratio.
7. The University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia is one of the best performers among the top 10 institutions in the research paper citation metric, which is a consistent area of strength for the university.
Located in Perth, the university has more than 25,000 students, about one-fifth of whom are from overseas.
6. The University of Queensland
Ranked sixth in Australia and 43rd in the world, The University of Queensland offers a high-quality learning experience with a highly diverse faculty and student body (both out of five).
Over the years, The University of Queensland has produced many notable alumni, including two Nobel Prize winners, Peter C. Dogerty and John Harsanyi, Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, and leaders in government, science and the arts.
5. Monash University
Monash University is primarily located in Melbourne and is ranked just one place above the University of Queensland in the global rankings. Still, it has five campuses in Victoria and two overseas campuses in Malaysia and South Africa.
It is another Australian university that scored full marks for the internationalization of its faculty and student body, followed by academic reputation and citations of research papers.
4. Australian National University (ANU)
Once ranked as the best university in Australia, the Australian National University had to settle for fourth place this year. Its main campus is in Acton, Canberra, but it also has New South Wales and the Northern Territory campuses.
This year, the three universities ranked above the Australian National University scored higher in sustainability and employer reputation.
3. University of Sydney
The following two universities are ranked among the top 20 in the world, tied for 19th place and the second best in Australia.
The first university, the University of Sydney, was founded in 1850 as Australia’s first university and is one of the eight most research-intensive universities in the country.
2. The University of New South Wales 
No Australian university has a higher International Research Network score than UNSW, and only the University of Western Australia surpasses UNSW in research citations.
Not only does UNSW emphasize research, but it also offers excellent career development opportunities for its students. UNSW graduates have the third highest full-time employment rates and salaries among Sydney and Go8 universities.
1. The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is ranked 14th globally and is Australia’s top university in 2024. It outperforms other Australian institutions regarding academic and employer reputation and is second only to the University of New South Wales regarding employment rates.
Like many Australian universities, students can expect a profoundly international campus environment. 8,000+ academic and professional staff support around 65,000 dynamic students, including 30,000 international students from more than 130 countries worldwide.
FAQ
Among the Australian universities listed in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings, notable institutions include the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland, and Monash University.
The University of Melbourne is a standout performer, consistently securing a prominent position in the top QS World University Rankings, reaffirming its status as a leading academic institution globally.
The QS World University Rankings acknowledge the strengths of Australian universities across a spectrum of subjects, encompassing areas such as statistics, law, and other disciplines where these institutions have excelled.
It’s valuable to understand the trajectory of these universities’ rankings over time to gauge their progress and adaptability to changing academic landscapes and global challenges.
By exploring these universities’ distinctive features, policies, and endeavours, one can dissect the factors that have propelled them to their esteemed positions in the rankings.
