Now in its 21st year, the QS World University Rankings are a trusty source for comparing more than 1,500 educational institutions from 106 locations worldwide. The rankings are compiled by gathering intel from almost 250,000 academic faculty and employers and skimming through 17.5 million academic papers. For the first time this year, they also took notes on each university’s sustainability efforts, employer reputation and international research network.
Sydney had the highest number of Australian universities to crack the top 100. After tying in 19th place last year, The University of Sydney edged out The University of New South Wales (UNSW) to clinch 18th spot, narrowly surpassing UNSW’s 19th place. It’s also worth shouting out that The University of Sydney ranked as Australia’s most sustainable university, maintaining its impressive seventh-place global ranking out of more than 1,500 universities worldwide.
So, which Australian university graduated top of the class? The University of Melbourne shone on the global stage, claiming the title of Australia’s highest-ranked university for 2025. It climbed one spot since last year – and an impressive 20 spots since 2023 – securing a commendable 13th place overall. This ranking marks a historic high for the oldest university in Melbourne, adding to its growing list of accolades in 2024. Notably, all 53 of its subjects featured in the QS World University Rankings by Subject top 100, with 20 subjects ranking in the top 25.
For many years, Canberra’s Australian National University reigned as Australia’s top university. However, they were overtaken in the QS World University Rankings, now ranking as 30th globally.
Out of the 38 Australian universities reviewed, five others secured spots in the top 100. This includes Melbourne’s Monash University (37th), The University of Queensland (40th), The University of Western Australia (77th), The University of Adelaide (82nd) and the University of Technology Sydney (88th).
Here’s a full list of the top 10 Australian universities:
13. The University of Melbourne
18. The University of Sydney
19. The University of New South Wales
30. The Australian National University, Canberra
37. Monash University, Melbourne
40. The University of Queensland
77. The University of Western Australia
82. The University of Adelaide
88. University of Technology Sydney
123. RMIT University, Melbourne
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