Australia’s leading universities have experienced a significant decline in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, with some recording their worst results ever. The University of Melbourne, Australia’s top-ranked institution, fell to 39th place globally—its lowest position in the rankings’ 21-year history—despite retaining the top spot in the country for the 15th consecutive year.
Monash University, the second-highest ranked Australian university, dropped four places to 58th. The University of Sydney also fell, slipping from 60th to 61st, while the Australian National University (ANU) recorded a significant decline from 67th to 73rd. The University of Queensland completed the top five, dropping from 70th to 77th.
In total, 17 Australian universities experienced a fall in rankings, with seven reaching their worst positions. While Australia had 12 universities in the top 100 in 2021, the latest results see this number reduced to 10. Only four universities—University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, Deakin University, and Federation University Australia—improved their standing.
Phil Baty, Times Higher Education’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, highlighted serious warning signs for the sector, with Australian universities losing ground in global academic reputation and international research collaboration.
“Perhaps most alarmingly, they are losing ground in areas of great traditional strength: international research collaboration and the attraction of international talent.”
The downturn comes as the federal government considers introducing caps on the number of new international university students, with a proposal limiting enrolments to 270,000—a reduction of 53,000.
Australia ranks third globally for the number of international students, following only the UK and the US. The Group of Eight (Go8), representing Australia’s elite universities, warned that these caps put the nation’s universities and economy at risk. Vicki Thomson, Go8 Chief Executive, said,
“Of the 38 Australian universities ranked this year, 17 have declined in performance, and only four have improved. The rankings highlight international education policy as a key reason for the decline.”
Baty echoed these concerns, stating that international student caps may further weaken Australia’s position in the global university sector.
Globally, Oxford University retained its position as the world’s best university for the ninth consecutive year, followed by MIT and Harvard. Despite the overall decline, six Australian universities remained in the top 100, but experts warn that the introduction of international student enrolment caps could impact their standings in future rankings.
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