The 8 best universities in Australia

The University of Melbourne ranks as the best uni in all of Aus, and even beats out American Ivy Leagues like Cornell, Princeton and Yale on the global stage. It’s situated just outside Melbourne’s CBD in Carlton with incredible historic structures and also offers a whole handful of regional campuses in places like Shepparton. With such a phenomenal location and 10 residential colleges, students aren’t just exposed to Melbourne University’s degrees that have been modelled off world leaders, but they become immersed in Melbourne as a UNESCO City of Literature and cultural capital. 

USYD, as it’s casually referred to by its students, is easily mistaken for Hogwarts – the Great Hall features lantern-like chandeliers from the staggering ceiling, stained glass windows and gargoyles. In addition to the uni’s spectacular sites is the Chau Chak Wing Museum, featuring three real-life mummies. The university’s prestigious reputation is owed to its almost 200-year-old history of being Australia’s first university. Rest assured, though, that tradition doesn't come at the sacrifice of student life, as USYD prides itself on a network of more than 240 student-run clubs and societies.

Not as old as some of its QS 100 counterparts, UNSW has directed its attention to being on the cutting edge of entrepreneurship and employability. It’s not an old heritage-listed-esque campus, but you'll find futuristic structures, including the Law Building with no right angles (get it?). The Michael Crouch Innovation Centre heads the UNSW Founders Program. It’s invested more than $3 million into startups for students and alumni alike, and the space is always open for prototypes to be dreamt up. Even in the classroom, real-world critical thinking and practice (over theory) are at the forefront of education. 

ANU in Australia’s capital is somewhat of an arts and political hub – any surprises there given its close proximity to Parliament House? It’s produced Australia’s highest number of Nobel laureates. In addition to being part of Australia’s Group of Eight, the Australian National University also finds itself part of an elite group of ten institutes forming the International Alliance of Research Universities, alongside Oxford and Cambridge. While arts degrees tend to take a backseat to priorities like STEM in Australia, ANU is prized for its humanities offerings, including unique diplomatic degrees in Asia-Pacific affairs and international security.  

Monash claims the title of Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students, and almost half of them coming from overseas to study in Australia. Let’s just say it’s got the facilities to keep up with such a large cohort – there are four campuses in Melbourne alone and five more in countries around the world, including Italy and Indonesia. It’s the only uni in Australia’s Group of Eight to have a dedicated business school and it’s the only university in Australia to be a part of the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centres and Medical Universities.

UQ is home to not just seven research institutes, but every one of them is globally recognised. It’s a leader in the research field that extends well beyond Australian borders. With alumni in 190 different countries and more than 130 partner institutions for exchange, learning isn’t just limited to Brisbane. With such close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the university has spared no expenses in expanding its science department to Heron Island right amongst the action. The sustainability theme carries right on through to the University of Queensland’s 200,000 solar panels bringing it one step closer to its goal of having 100 per cent renewable energy. 

The University of Western Australia is no stranger to some successful alumni. Nobel Prize winner Barry Marshall, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Mecca Cosmetica founder Jo Horgan are just some of the big names to come out of the uni. It’s just ten minutes out from Perth’s CBD on the Swan River and is internationally acclaimed for its research and researchers. There’s also a campus out in Albany so students can soak up all that beautiful Western Australia has to offer, especially in application to environmental research and wave energy. 

Following closely behind USYD with a similarly impressive history, the University of Adelaide has been dishing out degrees for around 150 years. Such a long journey of tertiary education hasn’t come without its trailblazing. It was the first university in Australia with female students and also the first to have science and business degrees, plus a music conservatorium. In addition to being ranked in the top 100 worldwide unis, they’re in the global top 50 for subjects like computer science and dentistry.