‘Likely to land a job’: Best Aussie uni revealed

The best university in Australia has been named – and the result probably isn’t what you’d expect.

A Sydney university with less than 1500 students has been ranked number one in the nation for the highest employment rates.

News.com.au can reveal the results of the Good Universities Guide ratings for 2025, which ranks each campus based on employment and experience.

Avondale Uni had less than 1500 students enrolled according to its 2023 figures. Picture: Avondale

MORE: Australia’s highest-paying jobs

This year, Avondale University in Wahroonga in Sydney’s upper north shore was found to have the highest rates of graduate employment in the nation. It marks the most full-time graduates four months after completing their courses.

The guide rated Avondale as the best employment uni for 2025. Picture: Avondale Uni

MORE: The highest paying jobs in Australia without a degree

The Christian university offers nursing, teaching, business, ministry, theology, arts and counselling courses and had 1495 students enrolled in 2023.

Each year, the Good Universities Guide compares all 42 Australian universities across 11 categories related to teaching, opportunities and employment.

The results are posted to youth engagement platform Year13 every year.

Year13 Co-Founder Saxon Phipps said the guide demonstrates how large metro universities are not always best.

“We can see how this year regional universities are consistently appearing as top performers in teaching quality, student satisfaction and social equity, showing how they can provide highly personalised education and student support which rivals larger metropolitan universities,” he said.

The guide results are below:

Full-time employment

1. Avondale University

2. Charles Sturt University

3. University of New England

4. Central Queensland University

5. University of Notre Dame

6. University of Southern Queensland

7. Charles Darwin University

8. University of Newcastle

Teaching quality

1. University of Divinity

2. Bond University

3. Avondale University

4. Edith Cowan University

5. Australian National University

6. Torrens University

7. Deakin University

8. University of the Sunshine Coast

UTS was named as one of the top institutions for learner engagement. Picture: News Corp Australia

Educational experience

The unis have the highest proportion of students who rate their educational experience positively.

1. University of Divinity

2. Avondale University

3. Bond University

4. Edith Cowan University

5. Deakin University

6. University of New England

7. University of the Sunshine Coast

8. Griffith University

Staff qualifications

These institutions have the highest percentage of doctoral-qualified teaching staff.

1. University of Sydney

2. Australian National University

3. University of New South Wales

4. University of Queensland

5. Monash University

6. University of Divinity

7. Griffith University

8. RMIT University

The University of Sydney had the highest-ranked staff.

Lowest student-to-staff ratio

1. Australian National University

2. Bond University

3. Flinders University

4. James Cook University

5. Murdoch University

6. University of Tasmania

7. University of Southern Queensland

8. Federation University

Learning resources

These institutions have the highest proportion of undergraduates who give a positive assessment of their learning resources.

1. University of Divinity

2. Bond University

3. Deakin University

4. University of the Sunshine Coast

5. Edith Cowan University

6. University of Queensland

7. University of Wollongong

8. Macquarie University

The University of Queensland was named in a number of categories. Picture: News Corp Australia

Learner engagement

These universities have the highest amount of students who feel engaged with their learning at their institution.

1. Bond University

2. Avondale University

3. Victoria University

4. University of Technology Sydney

5. University of Notre Dame

6. Monash University

7. University of Wollongong

8. University of Divinity

Skills development

These universities have the highest percentage of students who positively rated their skills development.

1. Bond University

2. University of Divinity

3. University of Notre Dame

4. Edith Cowan University

5. Avondale University

6. Australian Catholic University

7. Victoria University

8. University of the Sunshine Coast

First generation student access

These institutions enrol the highest proportion of students whose parents have not attended university.

1. Federation University

2. Victoria University

3. Central Queensland University

4. University of Southern Queensland

5. Charles Darwin University

6. Southern Cross University

7. University of South Australia

8. Charles Sturt University

Australian National University has the lowest staff to student ratio. Picture: Supplied

Social equity

The highest proportion of students that come from a low socio-economic or disadvantaged background.

1. Central Queensland University

2. University of Southern Queensland

3. Federation University

4. James Cook University

5. Murdoch University

6. University of the Sunshine Coast

7. University of New England

8. University of South Australia

Student support

The highest proportion of undergraduates who positively rated student support at their university.

1. University of Divinity

2. Bond University

3. Avondale University

4. Edith Cowan University

5. Deakin University

6. University of the Sunshine Coast

7. Central Queensland University

8. Swinburne University

Originally published as ‘Likely to land a job’: Best Aussie uni revealed