Top universities in Australia by subject

38 universities in Australia are included in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, covering 52 different subjects. The subject rankings are the best way to see which top Australian universities have ranked the highest in your specific subject area, ensuring that you get the most out of your studies. 

Each of the universities in each of the subject rankings are scored based on four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per paper and H-index which is a way of measuring the productivity or published work of a scientist or scholar. Click here to find out more about our ranking methodology. 

Need inspiration to help you choose where in Australia to study? Here’s a breakdown of which universities rank the highest for each subject. 

Accounting and finance 

Of 18 Australian universities offering degrees in accounting and finance, five of these rank within the top 50. The highest scoring university this year is The University of New South Wales (21st). 

Agriculture and forestry 

The top ranked university for agriculture and forestry this year is The University of Queensland (19th) which ranks highest for the H-index indicator which is a way of measuring the productivity and published work of a scientist or scholar. 

Anatomy and physiology 

For the anatomy and physiology subject rankings, The University of Sydney is ranked the highest at 13th, immediately followed by the University of Melbourne at 14th. 

Anthropology 

There are nine universities in the anthropology subject rankings this year; however the institution that is ranked the highest is Australian National University (eighth) which ranks within the top 10 worldwide. 

Archaeology 

11 universities feature in this year’s archaeology subject rankings, including two in the top 50. The highest-ranked of these is Australian National University which ranked eighth overall. 

Architecture and built environment 

Out of 17 universities in this subject ranking, The University of Melbourne scored highest: 23rd globally. It is closely followed by RMIT University which ranked 25th globally. 

Art and design 

There are 11 universities in the art & design subject rankings this year. The highest-ranked of these is RMIT University (19th) which received its highest score in employer reputation. University of Technology Sydney (35th) also ranks within the top 50 in this subject. 

Biological sciences 

Of 24 Australian university entries, The University of Melbourne (38th) is the only institution to rank within the global top 50 for biological sciences this year. 

Business and management studies 

The University of Melbourne ranked the highest for business and management studies this year at 37th. It received its highest score for H-index citations which is a way of measuring the productivity or published work of a scientist or scholar. 

Chemical engineering 

This year, Monash University (38th) ranked the highest for chemical engineering. It received its highest score for the citations per paper indicator. 

Chemistry 

There are 22 universities in the chemistry subject rankings this year with two in the top 50. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Melbourne (35th), followed by Monash University (39th). 

Civil and structural engineering

There are 14 universities in the civil and structural engineering subject rankings this year. The highest-ranked of these is The University of New South Wales (16th). 

Classics and ancient history 

The University of Sydney (39th) ranked the highest this year for classics and ancient history. It is followed by Macquarie University in Sydney (49th) which also ranks within the top 50. 

Communication and media studies 

Of 17 universities offering degrees in communications and media studies this year, four rank within the global top 50. The highest-ranked of these is Queensland University of Technology (19th). 

Computer science and information systems 

There are 22 universities in this year’s computer science and information systems subject rankings. Of these, The University of Melbourne received the highest score and is ranked 41st globally. 

Dentistry 

Two universities of the five Australian entries to the dentistry rankings place within the top 50 this year. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Adelaide (33rd). 

Development studies 

There are eight universities in the development studies subject rankings this year, four of which rank within the global top 50. The highest ranking of these is Australian National University (14th). 

Earth and marine sciences 

Australian National University (11th) ranked the highest for Earth and marine sciences this year. It receives its highest score in the citations per paper indicator. 

Economics and econometrics 

Four universities out of 20 in Australia rank within the top 50 for economics and econometrics courses. The top-ranked institution in Australia is Monash University which is ranked 34th overall. 

Education and training 

Out of 28 universities in this year’s education and training subject rankings, The University of Melbourne (12th) ranked the highest followed by Monash University (19th) and The University of Sydney (26th). 

Electrical and electronic engineering 

The University of New South Wales (41st) ranked highest this year for electrical and electronic engineering. It received its highest score in the citations per paper indicator. 

English language and literature 

Out of 15 universities in this year’s English language and literature subject rankings, The University of Sydney (18th) ranked the highest for English language and literature courses. 

Environmental sciences

Four out of 28 Australian universities rank within the top 50 for the environmental science subject ranking. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Queensland (20th). 

Geography 

For the geography subject ranking, Australian National University (ninth) ranks within the top 10 this year, followed by The University of Melbourne (17th) and The University of Sydney (21st) which are also in the top 50. 

Geology 

There are 13 universities in the geology subject rankings this year, six of which rank within the global top 50. The highest-ranked of these is Australian National University (11th). 

Geophysics 

Australian National University ranked highest this year of six universities in the subject rankings for geophysics. Its global rank for this subject is 11th. 

History 

Three universities out of 11 in Australia rank within the top 50 for history courses. The top-ranked one is Australian National University which ranked 13th overall. 

Hospitality and leisure management 

Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (22nd) ranked the highest in the hospitality and leisure management subject rankings this year. It scored particularly highly in academic reputation. 

Law and legal studies 

The University of Melbourne ranked 11th in the world for law and legal studies. It received the highest score of 19 Australian universities featured in the rankings. 

Library and information management

There are four universities in the library and information management subject rankings this year but University of Technology Sydney (23rd) is the only institution which ranks within the global top 25. 

Linguistics 

This year, 13 universities in Australia offer ranked courses in linguistics. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Melbourne which ranked 26th globally for the subject. It received its highest score for employer reputation. 

Marketing 

There is only one university this year that features on the marketing subject rankings. The University of Melbourne ranked 17th globally and receives its highest score for employer reputation. 

Materials sciences 

Two out of 16 Australian universities rank within the top 50 for the materials sciences subject ranking. The highest-ranked of these is Monash University (32nd). 

Mathematics 

18 top universities offer degrees in mathematics this year. The highest ranked of these is The University of Melbourne (43rd) which received its highest score in the citations per paper indicator. 

Mechanical engineering 

Of the 19 Australian entries to the mechanical engineering subject ranking this year, only The University of New South Wales (49th) ranks within the top 50 worldwide. 

Medicine 

There are 26 Australian universities offering a course in medicine this year including three in the global top 50. The top-ranked of these is The University of Melbourne (24th) which received its highest score for citations per paper. 

Mineral and mining engineering

There are 11 universities in the mineral and mining engineering subject rankings this year, four of which rank within the global top 10. The highest ranking of these is Curtin University (2nd). 

Modern languages 

The University of Melbourne scored highest in the modern languages rankings this year, at 35th. It was closely followed by The University of Sydney (41st) and Australian National University (46th) which are also in the top 50. 

Nursing 

There are 20 Australian universities offering courses in nursing this year. The University of Sydney is the highest-ranked of these, placing 13th globally. 

Performing arts 

Of the six Australian universities in this year’s performing arts subject rankings, five ranked 51-100. These are Edith Cowan University, Griffith University, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, and The University of Sydney. 

Petroleum engineering 

For the Petroleum engineering subject ranking, The University of Adelaide (seventh) ranks within the top 10 this year, followed by The University of New South Wales (13th) and The University of Queensland (20th) which are also in the top 20. 

Pharmacy and pharmacology 

There are 17 universities in the Pharmacy and pharmacology subject rankings this year, four of which rank within the global top 50. The top ranked of these is Monash University which is placed second worldwide. 

Philosophy 

For philosophy this year, four out of 10 Australian universities rank within the top 50 worldwide. The highest-ranked of these is Australian National University (8th). 

Physics and astrology 

There are 18 universities in the physics and astrology subject rankings this year, three of which rank within the global top 100. The top-ranked of these is Australian National University, ranked 42nd worldwide. 

Politics 

Australian National University scored highest in the politics rankings this year, ranked 10th. It received its highest score for academic reputation and was the only Australian university to feature in the global top 10. 

Psychology 

There are five Australian entries to the top 50 in the psychology subject rankings this year. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Melbourne which ranks 19th overall. 

Social policy and administration 

Out of six Australian universities in the subject rankings this year, The University of Melbourne (23rd) was the only institution to rank within the global top 25. 

Sociology 

There are 19 Australian universities in the sociology subject rankings this year. The highest-ranked of these is Australian National University which places 17th globally. 

Sports-related subjects 

For the sports-related subject ranking, The University of Queensland (second) ranks within the top 10 this year, alongside The University of Sydney (fourth) and Deakin University (seventh). 

Statistics and operational research 

Of the 12 Australian universities in this year’s subject rankings, six are ranked 51-100. These are Monash University, Australian National University, The University of Melbourne, The University of New South Wales, The University of Queensland, and The University of Sydney. 

Theology, divinity and religious studies 

Australian Catholic University ranked highest this year of six universities in the subject rankings for theology, divinity and religious studies. Its global rank for this subject is 34th. 

Veterinary science

Five top universities offer degrees in veterinary science this year. The highest-ranked of these is The University of Sydney (23rd) which received its highest score in the employer reputation indicator. 

Frequently asked questions 

How many universities are there in Australia? 

There are a total of 38 universities in Australia ranked by QS within the QS World University Rankings by Subject. There may be other universities within Australia which are not ranked by QS. 

What GPA do you need to go to university in Australia? 

Each Australian university will have different entry requirements. Generally, the top-ranked universities such as The University of Melbourne, The University of New South Wales or the University of Sydney will require a GPA of around 3.0-3.5 but it is important to check the entry requirements on the university’s official website for accurate information. 

How do you apply for university in Australia? 

In many cases applications for an Australian university is available on the official website. If not, the website should be able to inform you on how to submit an application. If the website is unclear, the university will always provide contact details which you can use to ask for more information. 

How long is a semester in an Australian university? 

A semester is around five months long. The academic year in Australia is made up of three semesters. The first one is from February to June. The second takes place from July to November. The third is shorter and takes place from December to February.  

Most universities will only require students to work during the first two semesters and break for the third. Some courses and universities will require students to study during all three semesters.