University QS Rankings Shanghai Ranking Webometrics
University of Melbourne 42 44 71
University of Queensland 46 77 58
Australian National University 19 77 93
University of New South Wales 46 125 77
University of Sydney 45 125 208
University of Western Australia 98 87 222
University of Adelaide 113 175 225
Monash University 67 125 360
Macquarie University 229 250 412
University of Wollongong 243 250 414
Curtin University 284 250 402
University of Technology Sydney 218 350 387
Queensland University of Technology 263 450 363
Deakin University 324 350 421
University of Newcastle 256 350 504
Griffith University 329 350 445
University of Tasmania 379 350 472
James Cook University 387 350 560
Flinders University 525 350 561
Swinburne University of Technology 525 350 738
RMIT University 273 999 446
University of South Australia 288 999 573
La Trobe University 394 999 554
Murdoch University 575 999 671
Western Sydney University 675 999 629
University of New England 675 999 757
Victoria University 625 999 854
University of Canberra 575 999 1098
Charles Sturt University 999 999 827
Charles Darwin University 575 999 1274
Edith Cowan University 999 999 873
University of Southern Queensland 999 999 917
Bond University 525 999 1498
Southern Cross University 999 999 1111
Australian Catholic University 999 999 1248
CQUniversity 999 999 1295
Federation University Australia 999 999 2144
University of the Sunshine Coast 999 999 2401
University of Notre Dame Australia 999 999 3747
University of Divinity 999 999 13619
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Updated: 6 October 2015

Note: “999” figure assigned where no ranking supplied by agency

World Rankings of Australian Universities

On top of the world.

Based on world university rankings, Australia’s top universities are the University of Melbourne (UniMelb), University of Queensland (UQ), the Australian National University (ANU), University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the University of Sydney (Sydney).

World university rankings indicate research reputation and performance.

QS World University Rankings

QS rankings are based largely on surveys of academics. University researchers from around the world are asked their opinions on different universities, including Australia’s.

QS puts ANU on top, with 4 universities further back but close together (UniMelb, Sydney, UNSW and UQ).

Shangai Academic Ranking of World Universities

The Shangai ranking is more objective, relying on facts rather than opinion surveys. It measures the high-prestige research performance of universities. Components include numbers of: Nobel prize winners and field medalists, highly-cited articles, articles published in science and nature journals, and articles making citation indexes. There is also a uni size adjustment.

The top Australian universities in the Shanghai rankings are UniMelb, UQ, ANU and the University of Western Australia (UWA).

Webometrics Web Rankings

The Webometrics rankings are also fact-based. Universities are evaluated based on how much material they post on the net, and the extent to which others cite that material.

According to Webometrics, the top Australian unis are UQ, UniMelb and UNSW.