How many universities are there in Australia?
There are 42 universities in Australia. Of these, 37 are public universities that receive substantial government funding for undergraduate students. Additionally, Australia has four private universities – Avondale University, Bond University, University of Divinity, and University of Notre Dame Australia – and one international private university, Torrens University.
Adelaide University
The number of universities in Australia will drop to 41 in early 2026 with the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia to form Adelaide University.
Avondale University
Australia's newest university is Avondale University. Avondale began operating as a university in 2021, after achieving full university status. Originally established in 1897 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it offers programs across disciplines that include arts, business, education, health, ministry, and theology.
Carnegie Mellon University
While it has previously been reported that Australia has 43 universities, that figure is out of date. Carnegie Mellon University, which is American and had a small satellite campus in Adelaide, ceased operations in Australia. The private research university is based in in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The University announced on 29 June 2022 that it will wind down operations at its Adelaide campus due to the impact of COVID-19 and changes in the international education market. CMU continues to operate in other global locations.
What are the 8 top Australian universities?
The Group of Eight (Go8) is a coalition of leading research-intensive universities in Australia. It was founded in 1999 and its members are the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of Queensland, the University of Western Australia, the University of Adelaide, Monash University, and UNSW Sydney.
The universities are among the oldest in the country and rank highly in international university rankings, which are normally based on research reputation. At any given time, several of the unis may be ranked in the world's top 100.
The top 10 universities in Australia are the Group of 8 plus UTS and Macquarie University. These two Sydney universities currently follow the G8 unis in world university rankings.
Just because a university is a member of the Go8 does not mean you will receive a better education there than at other Australian universities. The quality of teaching varies within and across universities. Do your own research about programs to find the ideal course for you.
