The top 3 law schools in Australia for 2017 are
Uni Reviews ranked Australian universities by a formula using:
- law school size (student numbers)
- student and graduate satisfaction with law courses (% satisfied)
- indicative graduate salaries (based on pay, study and unemployment rates).
Law includes: Law and Legal Practice, Justice Administration, Legal Studies and Police Studies.
University of New South Wales
the Law School of UNSW tops the subject rankings for Law in 2017.
The Faculty achieves a high level of overall satisfaction with courses (87%) and a high average salary ($57,817).
Queensland University of Technology
The Law Faculty of QUT is ranked 2nd in Australia.
The undergraduate program is estimated to be the largest and achieves a high course satisfaction rate (86%).
University of New England
The Law School of UNE is in the top 3 for Australia.
The School has consistently good quality indicators, ranking in Australia’s top 10 course satisfaction and salaries.
Law School Rankings
Rank | Law School | Size* | Satisfaction | Grad salary | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of New South Wales | 677 | 87% | $57,817 | 218 |
2 | Queensland University of Technology | 1,688 | 86% | $46,775 | 217 |
3 | University of New England | 443 | 86% | $60,989 | 205 |
4 | Australian National University | 728 | 86% | $52,487 | 195 |
5 | Griffith University | 1,176 | 89% | $43,172 | 195 |
6 | Western Sydney University | 1,078 | 83% | $51,176 | 194 |
7 | Southern Cross University | 451 | 86% | $57,248 | 193 |
8 | Deakin University | 770 | 84% | $52,820 | 191 |
9 | University of Technology Sydney | 569 | 88% | $51,931 | 190 |
10 | Macquarie University | 958 | 82% | $51,453 | 186 |
11 | Charles Darwin University | 216 | 83% | $63,985 | 180 |
12 | Charles Sturt University | 1,062 | 67% | $63,892 | 176 |
13 | University of Notre Dame Australia | 280 | 91% | $50,990 | 172 |
14 | Monash University | 797 | 81% | $47,421 | 161 |
15 | Bond University | 412 | 90% | $43,484 | 157 |
16 | University of Sydney | 316 | 83% | $53,569 | 151 |
17 | Murdoch University | 449 | 83% | $48,431 | 147 |
18 | University of Adelaide | 652 | 82% | $44,787 | 147 |
19 | La Trobe University | 724 | 80% | $44,474 | 142 |
20 | University of Canberra | 222 | 82% | $51,134 | 130 |
21 | Flinders University | 470 | 87% | $38,724 | 129 |
22 | University of Newcastle | 348 | 78% | $49,196 | 119 |
23 | University of South Australia | 296 | 85% | $41,829 | 116 |
24 | University of Southern Queensland | 304 | 81% | $44,949 | 111 |
25 | University of Western Australia | 371 | 70% | $55,237 | 111 |
26 | Victoria University | 523 | 79% | $39,255 | 104 |
27 | Edith Cowan University | 149 | 82% | $45,767 | 96 |
28 | RMIT University | 436 | 80% | $36,995 | 93 |
29 | University of Queensland | 295 | 68% | $50,585 | 76 |
Updated: 4 September 2016
* Combined sample size for student course satisfaction surveys.
Universities with small sample sizes for satisfaction or salary components are omitted from overall ranking.
Student Course Satisfaction
Rank | Law School | Graduates | Students |
---|---|---|---|
1 | University of the Sunshine Coast | 89% | |
2 | University of Notre Dame Australia | 87% | 91% |
3 | University of Wollongong | 85% | 90% |
4 | Bond University | 94% | 86% |
5 | Griffith University | 90% | 86% |
6 | CQUniversity | 87% | |
7 | University of Technology Sydney | 90% | 85% |
8 | Federation University Australia | 86% | |
9 | University of New South Wales | 85% | 88% |
10 | Flinders University | 88% | 84% |
11 | Queensland University of Technology | 89% | 84% |
12 | Southern Cross University | 90% | 82% |
13 | Australian National University | 84% | 85% |
14 | University of New England | 85% | 85% |
15 | Australian Catholic University | 84% | |
16 | University of South Australia | 89% | 81% |
17 | Deakin University | 89% | 80% |
18 | Charles Darwin University | 84% | 81% |
19 | Murdoch University | 89% | 76% |
20 | Western Sydney University | 87% | 79% |
21 | University of Sydney | 76% | 83% |
22 | University of Canberra | 91% | 76% |
23 | University of Adelaide | 80% | 84% |
24 | Swinburne University of Technology | 81% | |
25 | Edith Cowan University | 88% | 77% |
26 | University of Tasmania | 83% | 80% |
27 | Macquarie University | 78% | 83% |
28 | Monash University | 85% | 78% |
29 | University of Southern Queensland | 82% | 79% |
30 | Curtin University | 77% | 82% |
31 | RMIT University | 87% | 75% |
32 | La Trobe University | 81% | 78% |
33 | Victoria University | 81% | 77% |
34 | University of Newcastle | 83% | 73% |
35 | University of Western Australia | 75% | 62% |
36 | University of Queensland | 65% | 71% |
37 | Charles Sturt University | 69% | 64% |
Sources: Course Experience Questionnaire (2014-2015), University Experience Survey (2014-2015)
Universities are ranked by course satisfaction ratings of current students and recent graduates.
Indicative Graduate Salaries
Rank | Law School | Employed | Studying | Other | Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Darwin University | 59% | 28% | 13% | $63,985 |
2 | Charles Sturt University | 95% | 3% | 2% | $63,892 |
3 | University of New England | 67% | 17% | 16% | $60,989 |
4 | University of New South Wales | 77% | 14% | 9% | $57,817 |
5 | Southern Cross University | 66% | 21% | 13% | $57,248 |
6 | University of Western Australia | 59% | 26% | 15% | $55,237 |
7 | University of Sydney | 64% | 21% | 15% | $53,569 |
8 | Deakin University | 61% | 26% | 13% | $52,820 |
9 | Australian National University | 60% | 26% | 14% | $52,487 |
10 | University of Technology Sydney | 71% | 13% | 17% | $51,931 |
11 | Macquarie University | 71% | 11% | 18% | $51,453 |
12 | Western Sydney University | 60% | 23% | 17% | $51,176 |
13 | University of Canberra | 57% | 22% | 21% | $51,134 |
14 | University of Notre Dame Australia | 66% | 16% | 18% | $50,990 |
15 | University of Queensland | 53% | 35% | 12% | $50,585 |
16 | University of Newcastle | 70% | 11% | 19% | $49,196 |
17 | Murdoch University | 56% | 15% | 29% | $48,431 |
18 | Monash University | 61% | 23% | 17% | $47,421 |
19 | Queensland University of Technology | 57% | 23% | 20% | $46,775 |
20 | Edith Cowan University | 53% | 17% | 30% | $45,767 |
21 | University of Southern Queensland | 56% | 28% | 16% | $44,949 |
22 | University of Adelaide | 47% | 31% | 22% | $44,787 |
23 | La Trobe University | 42% | 36% | 23% | $44,474 |
24 | Bond University | 47% | 38% | 15% | $43,484 |
25 | Griffith University | 48% | 24% | 27% | $43,172 |
26 | University of South Australia | 51% | 22% | 27% | $41,829 |
27 | Victoria University | 38% | 35% | 27% | $39,255 |
28 | Flinders University | 51% | 10% | 40% | $38,724 |
29 | RMIT University | 51% | 25% | 24% | $36,995 |
Source: Graduate Destinations Survey (2013-2015)
The indicative graduate salary accounts for low incomes of unemployed graduates and potential incomes of students doing postgraduate courses.
Graduate salaries generally appear higher for universities with high numbers of online and mature-age students.