Fresh off being named one of the world’s most liveable cities, Sydney is now holding steady in global university rankings. The 2026 QS World University Rankings have dropped — and one Sydney uni has cracked the top 20. The University of Melbourne placed 19th as Australia’s highest-ranked institution, followed by UNSW at 20th, ahead of Ivy League heavyweights like Yale and Princeton. Sydney University also held onto a top-25 spot, landing at 25th. UNSW ranked highest among all 36 Australian universities accessed on the list for employment outcomes and international research collaboration.
Nationally, though, the picture is less rosy. Australia’s overall performance has taken a hit, with 25 out of 36 universities dropping down the list, including Melbourne Uni, which slipped six places to 19th, and Sydney Uni, which fell from 20th to 25th. The Australian National University and the University of Queensland also lost ground, slipping two spots to 32nd and 42nd, respectively.
Monash was the only Aussie uni to make upward progress this year, nudging slightly higher from 37th to 36th. Meanwhile, Adelaide University, which is set to open its doors in 2026, made a strong first impression, landing in the top 100 at 82nd place.
Even with the overall decline, Australia still held its ground globally, ranking fifth in the world for the number of universities in the top 100, with nine institutions making the cut.
Taking out the top three spots globally were MIT, Imperial College London, and Stanford, with Oxford and Harvard rounding out the top five.
Here are the 10 best universities in Australia:
- University of Melbourne
- University of New South Wales
- University of Sydney
- Australian National University
- Monash University
- University of Queensland
- University of Western Australia
- Adelaide University
- University of Technology Sydney
- RMIT University
Check out the full university rankings here.