When students make the complex decision about what they are going to study and where, a whirlwind of factors come into play: reputation, location, rankings, word of mouth feedback, relevance of the course on offer, the ambitions and hopes of family and friends and, of course, interests and ambitions.

To be published on Wednesday, November 22, the inaugural Best Australian Universities ranking from The Australian Financial Review could become an indispensable part of the decision-making process.