Three Australian universities have made the world’s top 20 list for the first time ever after the introduction of new metrics placing greater weight on international research and sustainability.
This year’s rankings, produced by global higher education specialist QS Quacquarelli Symonds, looked at millions of academic papers and expert responses from over 240 thousand academics and employers to rank the world’s top 1422 universities.
Of the 38 Australian universities ranked, three (15 per cent) are in the global top 20 and a total of six feature in the top 50 – an extraordinary achievement for our local industry.
In the results, The University of Melbourne climbed from 33rd in 2022 to 14th on the list. It’s a historic high for any Australian university, while the University of New South Wales and its crosstown counterpart, the University of Sydney, sit tied for 19th.
The Australian National University, Monash University and the University of Queensland also ranked in the top 50 at 34, 42 and 43, respectively.
The new indicators in the ranking system
The 20th edition of the QS Rankings saw the introduction of three new indicators that are reflective of wider societal and education trends, and changing priorities of students, academics and employers globally.
Many of the leaps taken by ranking universities are due to a strong showing in these brand-new categories, which measured employment outcomes, international research, and sustainable practices that tackle environmental and social impacts.
The QS team states that putting these new metrics in place is a vital step towards supporting universities on their journey to create a more sustainable future for their students.
The universities topping the charts for Aussie education
The University of Melbourne now sits as the highest-ranking Australian university across the three major global university rankings – QS (14), Times Higher Education (34) and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (32).
Vice Chancellor Duncan Maskell said it was satisfying to see that the University had performed very well in the new categories.
“These new categories represent things that are important to students when they make decisions about where to study, so I’m very pleased that QS has rated the University of Melbourne so highly,” Professor Maskell said.
Professor Maskell also praised the other Australian universities that have performed well in the latest QS Rankings.
“The QS Rankings have reaffirmed that Australian universities are among the very best in the world,” Professor Maskell said. “It is an unprecedented level of recognition that underlines the significant contribution that universities make to the nation’s global reputation.”
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO said it was a remarkable achievement for Australian universities to be recognised on the world stage, reaching their highest rankings to date.
“These outstanding results are a win for the higher education sector in Australia and particularly universities in Sydney. It affirms Sydney’s reputation as being a great global city for higher education.”
With the University of Sydney advancing 22 places in the last year and scoring an outstanding 99.7 points for sustainability, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Emma Johnston said she looks forward to building on their success.
“Our ambitious 2032 Strategy has deepened our commitment to embedding sustainability and caring for Country in all we do, working with First Nations knowledge and history for a future that is better, and more just,” Professor Johnston said.
The university ranked 31st for academic reputation and 13th for international students worldwide, maintaining its excellent record of being ranked in the top 50 universities globally every year since the QS rankings were established in 2004.
“The QS World University Rankings serve as a useful benchmark for us to measure ourselves against the best universities worldwide and a view of what others think of our work,” she said.
