‘Wake-up call' as Australian universities slip in world rankings

The Age

15 hours ago

Australian universities have slipped in global rankings after a 'turbulent year', with experts calling it a wake-up call as growing competition in the region and the politicisation of international students pose a threat to progress.
The University of Melbourne held its crown as Australia's top-ranked institution in the annual QS World University Rankings 2026 on Wednesday, but it has slipped six places from 13th to 19th.
Twenty-five Australian universities dropped in rank this year. The University of NSW dropped from 19 to 20, and The University of Sydney dropped to 25 and out of the top 20. Australia is one of five nations with at least two universities in the top 20.
Angela Calderon, RMIT University director of strategic insights and member of the QS Global Rankings advisory board, said the results were a wake-up call for Australia.
'We are experiencing an acceleration in the pace of change in higher education globally. Universities from emerging, middle-income economies and Asian countries are now global standouts,' she said.
She said Australian universities must adapt to remain competitive and relevant, and boost national productivity.
While several universities continued to improve on key measures, including citations per faculty and academic staff measures, income from international students bolstered Australian universities' research endeavours and global ranking.
The = sign denotes an equal ranking with another university.