The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) results for Australia.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) from Shanghai Jiao Tong University covers the world's top research universities. Included are some of the leading Australian universities for academic research.
ARWU Ranking for Australia: 2026
| Aust rank | World rank | University | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | University of Melbourne | VIC |
| 2 | 65 | University of Queensland | QLD |
| 3 | 72 | University of Sydney | NSW |
| 4 | 76 | Monash University | VIC |
| 5 | 80 | University of New South Wales | NSW |
| 6 | 125 | Australian National University | ACT |
| 6 | 125 | University of Western Australia | WA |
| 8 | 175 | University of Adelaide | SA |
| 9 | 250 | Curtin University | WA |
| 9 | 250 | Deakin University | VIC |
| 9 | 250 | Macquarie University | NSW |
| 9 | 250 | Swinburne | VIC |
| 9 | 250 | UTS Sydney | NSW |
| 14 | 350 | Griffith University | QLD |
| 14 | 350 | QUT | QLD |
| 14 | 350 | La Trobe University | VIC |
| 14 | 350 | RMIT University | VIC |
| 14 | 350 | University of Tasmania | TAS |
| 14 | 350 | University of Wollongong | NSW |
| 14 | 350 | Western Sydney University | NSW |
| 21 | 450 | James Cook University | QLD |
| 21 | 450 | Flinders University | SA |
| 21 | 450 | University of Newcastle | NSW |
| 21 | 450 | University of South Australia | SA |
| 25 | 550 | Murdoch University | WA |
| 26 | 650 | Australian Catholic University | NSW |
| 26 | 650 | UniSQ | QLD |
| 28 | 850 | Edith Cowan University | WA |
| 28 | 850 | University of the Sunshine Coast | QLD |
Results for Australian Universities
As we head into 2026, the ARWU rankings have five Australian universities placed inside the world’s top 100, and 24 institutions ranked within the global top 500. This indicates that Australia continues to perform strongly on international research measures.
The University of Melbourne leads nationally and is the only Australian university inside the world’s top 50, ranked 38th globally. It is followed by the University of Queensland, University of Sydney, Monash University, and UNSW Sydnet, all ranked within the global top 100.
Scoring System
The ARWU ranking measures elite research performance using 6 indicators:
- number of alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (10%)
- number of staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals (20%)
- number of highly cited researchers selected by Thomson Scientific (20%)
- number of articles published in journals of Nature and Science (20%)
- number of articles indexed in Science Citation Indexes (20%)
- per capita performance considering the size of an institution (10%).
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.
About the Author
Dr Andrew Lancaster, PhD (Economics) is an Australian higher-education analyst and economist. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University (ANU).
Since 2013, he has researched and written about Australian universities and global ranking systems. His work covers Times Higher Education (THE), QS, ARWU (Shanghai), and Webometrics.
His analysis focuses on ranking methodology, weighting systems, reputation bias, and signalling effects. A core theme is separating genuine institutional brand value from misleading assumptions about teaching quality and student experience.
Dr Lancaster has advised thousands of university students on how to interpret rankings realistically when choosing a degree. He is the founder and editor of AustralianUniversities.click, which publishes independent, data-driven analysis of Australian higher education.
