The number of leading Australian universities has declined, a global analysis shows.
Australia has 10 universities in the top 200 in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, up from 11 last year and 12 in 2021.
The University of Melbourne was ranked number one in Australia and 39th globally.
This means it continued its streak of 15 consecutive years as Australia’s best university, but this is a drop from the previous year when it was 37th and also marked its position the lowest in the 21-year history of the world rankings.
Victoria’s Monash University was ranked second in Australia and 58th in the world, having fallen from 54th place in 2023.
The University of Sydney fell from 60th place in 2023 to 61st this year; The Australian National University from 67th to 73rd; and the University of Queensland from 70th to 77th.
Other changes at Australia’s top universities include:
- The University of New South Wales rose from 84th to 83rd in the world and remained the 6th ranked Australian university.
- The University of Adelaide rose from 111th in the world to 128th and remained the 7th ranked Australian university.
- The University of Western Australia rose from 143rd in the world to 149th and remained the 8th ranked Australian university.
- The University of Technology Sydney moved from 148th in the world to 154th and remained the 9th ranked university in Australia.
- Macquarie University rose from 180th in the world to 178th and remained the 10th ranked Australian university.
- Queensland University of Technology moved from 199th to 201 to 250th. In Australia, she moved from 11th to 12th university.
Alongside the University of New South Wales and Macquarie University, Deakin University and Federation University Australia also increased their positions in the latest list.
Overall, the rankings show 17 Australian universities at the bottom of the scale, with seven of them having their worst results.
Times Higher Education director of global affairs Phil Baty said there were serious warning signs in the sector in Australia.
“Australian universities are losing ground in terms of global academic reputation (and) funding levels,” he said.
“Perhaps most alarming is that they are losing ground in areas where they have traditionally been very strong: international research collaboration and attracting international talent.
It comes as the federal government seeks to introduce caps on the number of new international university students.
Under the proposal, 53,000 fewer students would be allowed to enroll at Australian universities under a cap of 270,000.
Further details on this limit are expected to be revealed in a Senate report released Wednesday.
Baty said the caps could lead to a reduction in Australia’s international standing in the university sector.
“Many in the sector are very concerned about the upcoming international student caps, which could further erode the revenues of some major institutions, as well as damage Australia’s reputation as a world leader as an open and focused sector internationally,” he said.
The report said Australia’s average score for international students fell for the second year in a row, following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Higher education rankings are measured across 18 metrics, such as teaching, research and international students.
The University of Oxford tops the global ranking, followed by MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Cambridge.
With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.
