University of Adelaide slumps out of top 100 in world rankings

Almost all of Australia’s top 10 universities have slumped in the world rankings, with the University of Adelaide suffering the biggest drop, having fallen out of the top 100.

The University of Adelaide has fallen out of the top 100 world rankings, falling 23 places from last year.

Almost all of Australia’s top 10 universities have slumped in the world rankings, with the University of Adelaide suffering the biggest drop.

The university fell from 88th spot last year to joint 111th in the 2024 rankings.

Embarrassingly, on the University of Adelaide’s homepage under ‘Why Adelaide?’, it boasts its position in the top 100 universities worldwide.

It comes as those behind the respected Times Higher Education (THE) list say Australia’s performance indicates “serious warning signs”.

The University of Adelaide. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

The University of Adelaide blamed changes to the way the rankings are calculated for this year’s disappointing results.

“This year’s results are set in the context of changes in the way that the THE ranking is calculated,” a spokeswoman for the University of Adelaide said.

“This has been reflected in the rankings of many Australian universities.

“The change in the University of Adelaide’s ranking is driven by the change in methodology.

“A combination of the reduction in value of Australian reputation votes and lowering the weighting applied to citations are the main contributors.”

THE says Australian universities have been punished for a drop in international students – down from 30 per cent to 26 per cent on last year – and for a reduction in investment in research.

The University of Melbourne is highest ranked in Australia and New Zealand, coming 37th, down three places from last year’s 34th place, in the largest ever edition of THE’s World University Rankings.

The University of Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett

Monash University is the second highest ranked across the two countries, coming 54th, down 10 places from 44th last year, and the University of Sydney is the third highest ranked institution in the region coming 60th, falling six places from joint 54th last year.

There is one Australian university in the top 50, six in the top 100 and 11 in the top 200.

Monash University. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

THE’s chief global affairs officer Phil Baty, commenting on Australia’s performance, said “the data from this year’s World University Rankings provide serious warning signs”.

“First of all, while Australia is one of the world’s leading university sectors for attracting international talent and collaboration, the relative isolation of the country during the pandemic is showing up in the data, to detrimental effect on universities’ ranking positions,” Mr Baty said.

“Real attention is needed to ensure Australia continues to be open to international talent, which includes the right policy incentives as competition for international talent heats up with possible shifts in the market.

“In addition, while the rankings show Australia has historically very high levels of research quality, current figures show a relative under-investment in research, which sends a clear red-light warning.

“What our biggest, most rigorous and authoritative rankings show is that you have to run very fast even just to stand still in an increasingly dynamic, competitive global higher education sector.”

Times Higher Education chief global affairs officer Phil Baty.

National Tertiary Education Union president Dr Alison Barnes. Picture: James Croucher/The Australian

National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes said the problems are clearly with the way universities are being run, as staff are working harder than ever, sometimes at dangerous levels.

“Rampant wage theft, insecure work, job cuts, soaring workloads and broken governance,” Dr Barnes said. “The crisis points of Australian higher education are coming home to roost.”

Meanwhile, the more competitive Asian university market is flourishing, with China now boasting 13 universities in the top 200, overtaking Australia’s 11.

While Australia’s rankings dropped, Asia’s universities are improving more than any other in teaching and research quality.