The best science unis in Australia for 2017 are

  1. University of Queensland
  2. University of Wollongong
  3. University of Adelaide

Uni Reviews ranked Australian universities by a formula using:

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

Science definition

Science includes Natural and Physical Sciences, Mathematics, Biological Sciences, and Medical Sciences and Technology.

Detailed study areas: Physics, Astronomy, Chemistry and Earth Sciences (such as Geology and Oceanography), Mathematics and Statistics, Biochemistry, Botany, Ecology and Evolution, Marine Science, Genetics, Microbiology, Human Biology and Zoology, Medical Science, Forensic Science, Food Science and Biotechnology, Pharmacology and Laboratory Technology.

University of Queensland

The Faculty of Science at UQ is ranked as Australia’s top science faculty in 2017.

The large science program produces the highest indicative graduate salary ($51,676).

University of Wollongong

The Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health at UOW is 2nd for subject rankings in Science.

The mid-sized Faculty is highly rated by students (90% satisfaction) and produces excellent graduate outcomes.

University of Adelaide

The Faculty of Sciences in at Adelaide Uni is ranked 3rd in Australia.

The Faculty has similar stats to UOW and is on equal points.

Science Faculty Rankings

Rank University Students Satisfaction Grad salary Points
1 University of Queensland 8181 86% $51,676 253
2 University of Wollongong 2306 90% $49,756 226
3 University of Adelaide 3397 88% $51,149 226
4 University of Melbourne 11430 85% $47,253 223
5 Monash University 9418 88% $43,605 222
6 Australian National University 3172 89% $47,091 213
7 University of New South Wales 6724 84% $47,504 193
8 Griffith University 2702 89% $44,652 183
9 Queensland University of Technology 2662 87% $45,917 176
10 Curtin University 3798 82% $49,427 161
11 University of Western Australia 9084 80% $48,500 160
12 University of New England 1671 86% $47,008 156
13 Murdoch University 3566 86% $42,688 145
14 James Cook University 1834 86% $42,103 144
15 University of Sydney 6635 81% $44,189 140
16 Macquarie University 3454 86% $37,731 135
17 Federation University Australia 773 87% $43,999 131
18 University of Newcastle 1966 86% $41,640 129
19 University of the Sunshine Coast 994 90% $38,857 128
20 Flinders University 2106 86% $39,075 124
21 Deakin University 2620 89% $35,228 124
22 University of Tasmania 1944 86% $39,603 123
23 University of Canberra 1021 83% $47,347 118
24 University of South Australia 1161 86% $42,100 116
25 University of Technology Sydney 3977 86% $33,941 111
26 La Trobe University 2735 85% $36,756 106
27 Swinburne University of Technology 1374 83% $42,627 104
28 Charles Sturt University 1279 81% $45,662 103
29 Western Sydney University 3564 85% $34,219 94
30 RMIT University 3096 80% $35,766 67
Wordpress Table Plugin

Updated: 14 November 2016

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

1. Science Faculty Size

University Students Undergraduate Postgraduate International
University of Melbourne 11430 9421 2009 2954
Monash University 9418 7615 1803 1698
University of Western Australia 9084 8332 752 1704
University of Queensland 8181 5983 2198 1598
University of New South Wales 6724 5718 1006 857
University of Sydney 6635 5770 865 704
University of Technology Sydney 3977 3300 677 395
Curtin University 3798 2994 804 1032
Murdoch University 3566 3340 226 500
Western Sydney University 3564 3272 292 177
Macquarie University 3454 2599 855 445
University of Adelaide 3397 2776 621 501
Australian National University 3172 2136 1036 752
RMIT University 3096 2070 1026 733
La Trobe University 2735 2202 533 580
Griffith University 2702 2453 249 352
Queensland University of Technology 2662 2158 504 319
Deakin University 2620 2376 244 209
University of Wollongong 2306 1546 760 468
Flinders University 2106 1732 374 166
University of Newcastle 1966 1629 337 189
University of Tasmania 1944 1420 524 392
James Cook University 1834 1218 616 478
University of New England 1671 1487 184 52
University of Southern Queensland 1567 1221 346 51
Swinburne University of Technology 1374 829 545 389
Charles Sturt University 1279 919 360 24
University of South Australia 1161 1005 156 188
University of Canberra 1021 832 189 77
University of the Sunshine Coast 994 946 48 37
Edith Cowan University 928 820 108 99
Federation University Australia 773 625 148 29
Southern Cross University 567 526 41 33
CQUniversity 539 438 101 18
Victoria University 471 405 66 22
Charles Darwin University 247 199 48 23
University of Notre Dame Australia 233 206 27 0
Bond University 128 97 31 24
Australian Catholic University 111 108 3 4
Wordpress Table Plugin

Source: uCube Higher Education Statistics (Category: Natural and Physical Sciences)

2. Student Course Satisfaction

Rank University Graduates Students Overall
1 Bond University 93% 96% 95%
2 University of the Sunshine Coast 86% 92% 90%
3 University of Wollongong 92% 87% 90%
4 Griffith University 90% 88% 89%
5 Australian National University 91% 87% 89%
6 Deakin University 89% 87% 89%
7 University of Adelaide 91% 85% 88%
8 University of Notre Dame Australia 86% 89% 88%
9 Monash University 90% 85% 88%
10 Edith Cowan University 88% 86% 87%
11 Federation University Australia 83% 88% 87%
12 Queensland University of Technology 87% 86% 87%
13 James Cook University 89% 84% 86%
14 Flinders University 87% 85% 86%
15 University of New England 87% 85% 86%
16 University of Queensland 87% 85% 86%
17 Macquarie University 87% 84% 86%
18 Murdoch University 89% 84% 86%
19 University of South Australia 85% 85% 86%
20 University of Technology Sydney 85% 85% 86%
21 University of Tasmania 90% 82% 86%
22 University of Newcastle 87% 84% 86%
23 Western Sydney University 91% 81% 85%
24 University of Melbourne 87% 83% 85%
25 La Trobe University 87% 82% 85%
26 University of New South Wales 89% 81% 84%
27 CQUniversity 81% 84% 84%
28 University of Canberra 85% 81% 83%
29 Swinburne University of Technology 81% 82% 83%
30 Victoria University 83% 81% 82%
31 Curtin University 81% 81% 82%
32 Charles Sturt University 80% 81% 81%
33 University of Sydney 83% 79% 81%
34 University of Southern Queensland 75% 81% 81%
35 Southern Cross University 89% 77% 80%
36 RMIT University 81% 79% 80%
37 University of Western Australia 81% 78% 80%
38 Charles Darwin University 76% 73% 75%
39 Australian Catholic University 69% 70% 70%
Wordpress Table Plugin

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

Universities are ranked by student and graduate satisfaction. For further details, see Course Ratings by Students.

3. Indicative Graduate Salaries

Rank University Employed Studying Other Salary
1 University of Queensland 32% 47% 21% $51,676
2 University of Adelaide 22% 58% 20% $51,149
3 University of Wollongong 29% 51% 21% $49,756
4 Curtin University 41% 34% 25% $49,427
5 University of Western Australia 27% 50% 23% $48,500
6 University of New South Wales 42% 38% 21% $47,504
7 University of Canberra 40% 35% 25% $47,347
8 University of Melbourne 12% 75% 13% $47,253
9 Australian National University 35% 44% 21% $47,091
10 University of New England 42% 32% 27% $47,008
11 Queensland University of Technology 36% 41% 24% $45,917
12 Charles Sturt University 55% 22% 23% $45,662
13 Griffith University 17% 61% 22% $44,652
14 University of Sydney 21% 59% 21% $44,189
15 Federation University Australia 39% 34% 28% $43,999
16 Monash University 21% 53% 26% $43,605
17 Murdoch University 41% 31% 28% $42,688
18 Swinburne University of Technology 34% 37% 29% $42,627
19 James Cook University 30% 39% 31% $42,103
20 University of South Australia 42% 37% 20% $42,100
21 University of Newcastle 25% 43% 32% $41,640
22 University of Tasmania 22% 50% 28% $39,603
23 Flinders University 20% 43% 36% $39,075
24 University of the Sunshine Coast 35% 32% 33% $38,857
25 Macquarie University 35% 32% 33% $37,731
26 La Trobe University 23% 50% 27% $36,756
27 RMIT University 29% 38% 34% $35,766
28 Deakin University 25% 44% 31% $35,228
29 Western Sydney University 26% 39% 35% $34,219
30 University of Technology Sydney 23% 44% 34% $33,941
Wordpress Table Plugin

Source: Graduate Destinations Survey (2013-2015)

The indicative graduate salary accounts for:

  1. low incomes of unemployed graduates
  2. earnings potential of graduates doing advanced studies.

For further details, see Graduate Salaries by University.