The top nursing schools in Australia for 2017 are

  1. University of Notre Dame Australia
  2. Australian Catholic University
  3. Edith Cowan University

Uni Reviews ranked Australian universities by a formula using:

  • nursing school size (student numbers)
  • student and graduate satisfaction with nursing courses (% satisfied)
  • indicative graduate salaries (based on pay, study and unemployment rates).

Nursing includes: Nursing and Midwifery.

Related: Best Nursing Degree Based on Your Goals

University of Notre Dame Australia

The University of Notre Dame's nursing schools (in Fremantle, Broome and Sydney) top the subject rankings for Nursing in 2017.

ND nursing students and recent graduates rate their courses highly (89% satisfied) and have a high indicative salary ($51,040).

Australian Catholic University

The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine at ACU is ranked 2nd in Australia.

With campuses in Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and North Sydney, the School is the largest in Australia. It also above average in terms of satisfaction ratings and salaries.

Edith Cowan University

The Nursing and Midwifery program at ECU (in Perth) is in the top 3 for Australia.

The School is not large but performs well in quality indicators, including graduate satisfaction (86%) and salaries ($48,671).

Nursing School Rankings for Australia

Rank Nursing School Students Satisfaction Grad salary Points
1 University of Notre Dame Australia 1890 89% $51,040 223
2 Australian Catholic University 6581 80% $45,044 209
3 Edith Cowan University 2340 86% $48,671 203
4 University of Adelaide 544 92% $50,373 195
5 University of Technology Sydney 2076 82% $49,164 183
6 Charles Darwin University 2275 83% $47,479 180
7 Deakin University 2299 84% $45,135 170
8 University of South Australia 2461 77% $48,774 167
9 Curtin University 1460 79% $49,686 164
10 James Cook University 1599 82% $47,121 159
11 University of Newcastle 1928 75% $49,352 154
12 Monash University 1583 84% $45,345 154
13 Western Sydney University 3824 78% $42,930 151
14 CQUniversity 2129 78% $46,280 150
15 Murdoch University 781 82% $48,264 148
16 University of Tasmania 1482 82% $45,709 147
17 Griffith University 2653 83% $41,800 145
18 Charles Sturt University 1534 71% $50,960 142
19 Queensland University of Technology 2717 82% $41,199 140
20 University of the Sunshine Coast 1216 90% $40,641 140
21 University of Wollongong 1261 75% $49,151 138
22 University of Canberra 881 74% $49,358 124
23 University of Queensland 557 77% $48,176 118
24 Federation University Australia 868 82% $43,350 116
25 University of Southern Queensland 1731 80% $41,520 115
26 La Trobe University 1789 73% $44,260 108
27 RMIT University 634 85% $40,830 101
28 University of New England 550 79% $44,108 99
29 Flinders University 1894 72% $43,240 98
30 Southern Cross University 1033 68% $46,654 84
31 Victoria University 1123 72% $36,875 35
WordPress Table Plugin

Updated: 20 September 2016

Universities with small sample sizes for satisfaction or salary components are omitted from overall ranking.

1. Nursing School Size

Rank Nursing School Students
1 Australian Catholic University 6581
2 Western Sydney University 3824
3 Queensland University of Technology 2717
4 Griffith University 2653
5 University of South Australia 2461
6 Edith Cowan University 2340
7 Deakin University 2299
8 Charles Darwin University 2275
9 CQUniversity 2129
10 University of Technology Sydney 2076
11 University of Newcastle 1928
12 Flinders University 1894
13 University of Notre Dame Australia 1890
14 La Trobe University 1789
15 University of Southern Queensland 1731
16 James Cook University 1599
17 Monash University 1583
18 Charles Sturt University 1534
19 University of Tasmania 1482
20 Curtin University 1460
21 University of Wollongong 1261
22 University of Sydney 1219
23 University of the Sunshine Coast 1216
24 Victoria University 1123
25 Southern Cross University 1033
26 University of Canberra 881
27 Federation University Australia 868
28 Murdoch University 781
29 RMIT University 634
30 University of Queensland 557
31 University of New England 550
32 University of Adelaide 544
33 University of Melbourne 224
34 University of Western Australia 61
WordPress Table Plugin

Source: Department of Education and Training, 2015 Special Courses (Category: Nursing)

Count of students enrolled in courses for initial registration as nurses.

2. Student Course Satisfaction

Rank Nursing School Graduates Students Overall
1 University of Adelaide 96% 89% 92%
2 University of the Sunshine Coast 90% 90% 90%
3 University of Notre Dame Australia 86% 90% 89%
4 University of Sydney 87% 86% 87%
5 Edith Cowan University 85% 87% 86%
6 RMIT University 87% 82% 85%
7 Deakin University 88% 81% 84%
8 Monash University 89% 80% 84%
9 Charles Darwin University 83% 82% 83%
10 Griffith University 85% 80% 83%
11 Federation University Australia 77% 85% 82%
12 Queensland University of Technology 85% 79% 82%
13 Murdoch University 74% 88% 82%
14 University of Tasmania 81% 81% 82%
15 James Cook University 84% 80% 82%
16 University of Technology Sydney 83% 80% 82%
17 Australian Catholic University 79% 80% 80%
18 University of Southern Queensland 74% 82% 80%
19 Curtin University 79% 79% 79%
20 University of New England 86% 76% 79%
21 CQUniversity 77% 78% 78%
22 Western Sydney University 85% 73% 78%
23 University of South Australia 81% 72% 77%
24 University of Queensland 80% 74% 77%
25 University of Newcastle 70% 77% 75%
26 University of Wollongong 80% 71% 75%
27 University of Canberra 72% 74% 74%
28 La Trobe University 78% 69% 73%
29 Flinders University 80% 66% 72%
30 Victoria University 71% 72% 72%
31 Charles Sturt University 74% 69% 71%
32 Southern Cross University 58% 71% 68%
WordPress Table Plugin

Sources: Course Experience Questionnaire (2014-2015), University Experience Survey (2014-2015)

Universities are ranked by overall course satisfaction rates for current students and recent graduates.

3. Indicative Graduate Salaries

Rank Nursing School Employed Studying Other Salary
1 University of Notre Dame Australia 84% 7% 9% $51,040
2 Charles Sturt University 89% 1% 10% $50,960
3 University of Adelaide 90% 1% 9% $50,373
4 Curtin University 81% 4% 15% $49,686
5 University of Canberra 79% 6% 15% $49,358
6 University of Newcastle 85% 6% 9% $49,352
7 University of Technology Sydney 84% 5% 12% $49,164
8 University of Wollongong 87% 5% 7% $49,151
9 University of South Australia 82% 5% 13% $48,774
10 Edith Cowan University 76% 4% 20% $48,671
11 Murdoch University 73% 8% 19% $48,264
12 University of Queensland 72% 4% 24% $48,176
13 Charles Darwin University 78% 5% 18% $47,479
14 James Cook University 75% 3% 22% $47,121
15 Southern Cross University 81% 3% 16% $46,654
16 CQUniversity 75% 4% 21% $46,280
17 University of Tasmania 71% 5% 24% $45,709
18 Monash University 78% 10% 12% $45,345
19 Deakin University 83% 3% 13% $45,135
20 Australian Catholic University 79% 3% 18% $45,044
21 La Trobe University 81% 3% 16% $44,260
22 University of New England 75% 2% 23% $44,108
23 Federation University Australia 79% 3% 18% $43,350
24 Flinders University 67% 5% 28% $43,240
25 Western Sydney University 70% 5% 25% $42,930
26 Griffith University 64% 4% 32% $41,800
27 University of Southern Queensland 64% 4% 32% $41,520
28 Queensland University of Technology 61% 5% 34% $41,199
29 RMIT University 72% 3% 25% $40,830
30 University of the Sunshine Coast 66% 4% 29% $40,641
31 Victoria University 59% 6% 35% $36,875
WordPress Table Plugin

Source: Graduate Destinations Survey (2013-2015)

The indicative graduate salary accounts for low incomes of unemployed graduates.