Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China publishes the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), including for many Australian universities.

Shanghai ARWU university rankings

The Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) ranks the world's top research universities. These include some of the leading Australian universities for academic research.

Shanghai ARWU measures elite research performance using 6 indicators:

  1. number of alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (10%)
  2. number of staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (20%)
  3. number of highly cited researchers selected by Thomson Scientific (20%)
  4. number of articles published in journals of Nature and Science (20%)
  5. number of articles indexed in Science Citation Indexes (20%)
  6. per capita performance considering the size of an institution (10%).

Shanghai ARWU 2022 Australian University Rankings

In 2022, Shanghai ARWU ranked 7 Australian universities in the world's top 100. A total of 29 Australian universities made the final cut into the world's top 500. In other words, most of Australia's universities are rated among the best in the world for research.

Aust rank University World rank
1 University of Melbourne 32
2 University of Queensland 47
3 University of Sydney 60
4 University of New South Wales 64
5 Monash University 75
6 Australian National University 79
7 University of Western Australia 99
8 La Trobe University 201
9 University of Tasmania 201
9 James Cook University 301
9 Murdoch University 401
9 University of South Australia 501
9 University of Southern Queensland 501
9 Edith Cowan University 601
9 University of New England 801
9 University of Canberra 801
9 Charles Darwin University 801
18 University of Adelaide 101
18 Curtin University 201
18 Deakin University 201
18 Griffith University 201
18 Macquarie University 201
23 Queensland University of Technology 201
23 Swinburne University of Technology 201
25 University of Technology Sydney 201
25 University of Wollongong 201
25 RMIT University 301
28 University of Newcastle 301
28 Western Sydney University 301
28 Flinders University 401
31 Australian Catholic University 501
32 University of the Sunshine Coast 601
33 Southern Cross University 801
WP Table Builder

Ranking Method and Value

The Shanghai ARWU rankings objectively measure the calibre of research staff and the quality and volume of publications. Unlike web rankings, the data relate to official academic journals.

For students, the main value of the rankings is to identify prestigious universities. A degree from a prestigious institution can be more valuable in the job market. Other prestige rankings are produced by QS and Times Higher Education.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University's ranking is exclusively based on research-related indicators. The ranking does not include data from the humanities, as this would favour universities in English-speaking countries.

More Australian university rankings

Australian unis compared

QS - Reputation

Webometrics - Publishing