Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 12 Australian unis have risen up the 2026 global power list
A dozen Australian universities have defied international trends and risen in the latest global rankings. See which unis are providing a truly world-class education.
Australia’s universities have charged up the global leaderboard in a year where many of their international peers lost ground, according to a world-renowned tertiary rankings list.
The University of Melbourne jumped two places to 37th in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, marking its first upward move in four years.
The university was Australia’s only representative in the global top 50, placing 16 places ahead of its nearest national competitor.
While major institutions in the US and UK saw their scores stagnate or fall, Australian universities moved against the tide.
Improvements across 15 of the 18 ranking metrics helped 12 local universities climb the ladder, with the national average score also rising.
Three Australian universities achieved their highest-ever rankings, with Macquarie University jumping 12 points to joint 166th, Charles Sturt University entering the top 800, and the newly merged Adelaide University making its debut at joint 176th.
Here’s how each state fared in the 2026 rankings.
Victorian uni rankings
Victoria led the national charge, with the University of Melbourne once again crowned the country’s highest-ranked institution at 37th globally.
Monash University held firm in joint 58th place, staying comfortably within the global top 60.
Deakin University has held its spot in the top 250 while La Trobe, RMIT and Swinburne all came in the top 300, and Australian Catholic University stayed in the top 500.
Federation University and Victoria University both dropped from the top 500 to the top 600.
NSW uni rankings
Sydney-based universities had a particularly strong year, recording some of the biggest leaps in the country.
The University of Sydney rose eight places to joint 53rd, UNSW Sydney climbed from 83rd to 79th, and the University of Technology Sydney jumped nine spots to joint 145th.
Macquarie University reached a new high at 166th (up from 178th), and the University of Notre Dame made its debut in the 801–1000 band.
Charles Sturt University also had its best year, entering the top 800 for the first time.
The University of Wollongong held steady in the top 250, and the University of Newcastle remained in the top 300.
Queensland uni rankings
Queensland’s results were more mixed.
The University of Queensland is one of the few Aussie institutions that dipped in the rankings, dropping from 77th to joint 80th.
Griffith University contributed to the upward trend by jumping into the top 300, while QUT held its spot in the top 250.
James Cook University climbed up to join the University of Southern Queensland in the top 400, while the University of the Sunshine Coast jumped from the top 800 to the top 600.
South Australian uni rankings
A major structural change saw the creation of Adelaide University, formed through the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.
Australia’s newest university debuted at joint 176th – last year the University of Adelaide was ranked at 128 and UniSA within the 301-350 band.
Flinders University held its spot in the top 350.
Australian Capital Territory uni rankings
Australian National University held its place at joint 73rd, cementing its status as a top-tier research institution.
The University of Canberra also maintained its position within the top 500.
West Australian uni rankings
The University of Western Australia slipped in the rankings dropping four points to 153rd.
The rest have held their rankings with Edith Cowan University staying in the top 400, Curtin University in the top 300, and Murdoch University in the top 500.
Tasmanian/Northern Territory uni rankings
The University of Tasmania didn’t record any major movement, holding its rank in the 251–300 band.
Charles Darwin University also retained its place in the 401–500 bracket.
The top-ranked universities in the world are Oxford (first place), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (second place), with Princeton and Cambridge in equal third place.
According to those behind the list, the strongest drivers of Australia’s success were gains in publication success, teaching reputation, and a rebound in international student numbers after Covid.
“Australia is in a unique position, emerging strongly from stymied internationalisation during Covid to buck the western trend and see solid improvements in the ranking this year,” Times Higher Education’s chief global affairs officer Phil Baty said.
“The US and much of Western Europe have suffered significant lost ground in the world rankings while East Asian nations led by China continue to thrive and surge up the table.”
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Originally published as Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 12 Australian unis have risen up the 2026 global power list
