WA’s sandstone university records worst global ranking in a decade

Western Australia’s only sandstone university has recorded its worst global ranking in nearly a decade, following a national trend experts say is directly related to international student numbers.

Seventeen Australian universities tumbled in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2025 – seven of which experienced their worst performances since 2016, including the University of Western Australia.

Curtin University also recorded a decline, from a ranking of 201-250 down to 251-300 – back in its 2022 spot.

Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University recorded no changes, remaining at 351-400 and 401-500, respectively.

Times Higher Education’s chief global affairs officer Phil Baty  said while Australia continued to boast many of the world’s very best universities, the data from this year’s rankings provided serious warning signs.

“Australian universities are losing ground in terms of their global academic reputation, funding levels, and perhaps most alarmingly – they are losing ground in areas of great traditional strength: international research collaboration and the attraction of international talent,” he said.

“I understand that many in the sector are very worried about forthcoming new international student caps, which may further erode income for some top institutions, as well as diminish Australia’s world-leading reputation as an open and internationally facing sector.”

The Group of Eight universities are expected to take a bigger hit than others when it comes to the international student caps, alongside others which had banked on international education to fund their post-COVID recovery.

UWA will only be able to take nearly half its 2024 international student enrolment number next year – a decrease of more than 2000 students.

Curtin University will also lose nearly 600 from its 2024 international student intake.

UWA Business School dean Peter Robertson – speaking to his area of expertise and not on behalf the university – said the lack of international student growth over the last decade had been a blow to the sector in WA.

After numerous obstacles, the state finally caught up with the national trends in 2023 to 2024, Robertson said, which became an important source of revenue to WA universities against a background of declining federal funding.

But he said the use of data back to 2019 to determine the international student caps would keep enrolments near the long-term low points in WA, erasing the recent progress.

“Over the last decade … many east coast universities enjoyed lucrative revenue streams from massive growth, allowing more generous scholarships, more research funding that boosts rankings, and newer campus facilities,” Robertson said.

“The new caps will entrench disadvantage and limit the financial bottom line of WA universities.

“Ensuring international student fees are used in a way that helps domestic students would be better approach than simply cutting them off.”

Robertson said going forward, WA universities would have lower ratios of international to domestic students than many large universities in other cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, limiting investment opportunities and chances at climbing the global rankings.

A UWA spokeswoman said the rankings were just one measure of university success.

“UWA is pleased to have maintained its top ranking in Western Australia ... noting our improved rankings in teaching and industry income scores,” she said.

The Times Higher Education report into the 2025 rankings also stated that overall, Australian universities’ finances were struggling due to inflation and flat domestic demand, leaving them more vulnerable than before the pandemic.

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