World rankings show Australian universities have fallen behind

A Queensland university has dropped 17 places in the world rankings with experts saying the result “provides serious warning signs”.

Almost all of Australia’s top 10 universities have slumped in the world rankings.

The University of Adelaide, which saw the biggest drop, falling 23 places and out of the top 100, blamed changes to the way the rankings are calculated for this year’s disappointing result.

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

It says Australian universities have been punished by THE for a drop in international students and for a reduction in investment in research.

In comparison, the more competitive Asian market is flourishing, with China now boasting 13 universities in the top 200, overtaking Australia which has 11.

Domestically, it’s good news for Melbourne, which took out the top two places in Australia’s list.

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

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

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

Monash University. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

The University of Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Damian Shaw

The University of Queensland ranked fifth in Australia, but dropped from 53rd to 70th in the global rankings.

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

The University of Adelaide is the seventh best uni in Australia, but has fallen to joint 111th place in the world rankings.

The University of Queensland. Picture: David Clark

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

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

“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.”

This year there are 18 calibrated performance indicators (up from 13 last year), which are grouped into five pillars: teaching, research quality, research environment, international outlook and industry. Four of the five new metrics include three that look at research quality and one that examines patents in the industry pillar.

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”.

Times Higher Education chief global affairs officer Phil Baty.

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

“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.”

National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes blamed the drop in rankings on “rampant wage theft, insecure work, job cuts, soaring workloads and broken governance”.

Despite the stark warning from THE, Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said Australia boasts some of the best universities in the world, but said the Australian Universities Accord must deliver the funding and policy settings for universities to thrive.

Originally published as World rankings show Australian universities have fallen behind