University of Newcastle
Uni of Newcastle has a high ranking, placing in the top 20 in Australia.
The University of Newcastle is ranked #307 in the world, based on a composite of QS, Times, ARWU, and Webometrics rankings. In Australia, UoN is ranked #18 out of 42 universities.
The University of Newcastle (Newcastle Uni) serves the people living in Newcastle – a city of more than half a million people on the NSW north coast. Newcastle Uni is a research-intensive university that features in world rankings. The main campus is in bushland, 12 km from the CBD.
Website: newcastle.edu.au | Campuses: Newcastle (Callaghan and City), Central Coast (Ourimbah), Port Macquarie, Sydney [NSW], Singapore
World Ranking
Global Ranking: 307
The University of Newcastle ranks #307 in the world. It comes in 179th in QS but performs lower in systems like ARWU, Times Higher Education and Webometrics.
QS ranking: 179
Times Higher Education: 275
ARWU: 450
Webometrics: 323
Australia Ranking
Australia Rank: 18
The University of Newcastle is the 18th-ranked university in Australia and 6th in New South Wales. UoN is behind Macquarie University and the University of Wollongong, but ahead of Western Sydney University.
Above: University of Wollongong (15), Griffith University (16), La Trobe University (17)
Below: UTAS (19), Western Sydney University (20), Flinders University (21)
Is University of Newcastle Good?
The University of Newcastle (UoN) is known for providing accessible higher education to students in the Newcastle and Central Coast region of New South Wales. UoN also has a strong reputation in health sciences, offering clinical training in areas like nursing and medical radiation science.
Serving Newcastle and Central Coast
Strong in health
Work placements
A key strength of UoN is a commitment to work placements, embedded across all undergraduate programs to build practical skills. This real-world focus ensures that graduates leave with job-ready experience, supporting strong employment outcomes.
Satisfaction: 78.0%
The University of Newcastle reviews show satisfaction levels of 72.7% for bachelor degrees and 83.3% for postgraduate students, just below and above national averages respectively. Uni Reviews provides individual ratings and comments.
Source: Australian Government Course Experience Questionnaire 2023–2024, compiled by Compared.edu.au.
How Many Students?
Students: 34,874
The University of Newcastle had a total of 34,874 students in 2024, making it the 18th largest university in Australia. Newcastle is the 8th biggest uni in New South Wales.
- International students: 5,798 (17%)
- Postgraduate students: 8,597 (25%)
- Gender ratio: 59% Female : 41% Male
- On-campus students: 28,014 (80%)
Biggest strength: Health (27% of enrolments here vs 18% nationally).
Source: Australian Government, Student Enrolments Pivot Table 2024. Calculations verified by Dr Andrew Lancaster (PhD, Economics).
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance Rate: 74%
The University of Newcastle acceptance rate is 74%. Among students with an ATAR that qualifies for university, 26% are unable to be admitted into their preferred degree.
Required ATAR: 63
It is not hard to get into the University of Newcastle, with a minimum ATAR of 63 on average. At the time of publishing, the ATAR threshold was 62 for Arts, 65 for Bachelor of Business, and 62 for Science degrees.
Is University of Newcastle Online?
The University of Newcastle offers limited online study options, mainly for postgraduate courses. Approximately 510 bachelor and 4,078 postgraduate students study online, making up about 16% of the student population. University of Newcastle Online has higher enrolments in Health, and Society and Culture, but most courses are campus-based.
University of Newcastle Review
Independent review by Australian Universities. Discover what it’s like to study at the University of Newcastle (UON) — an affordable coastal university with campuses in Callaghan and Newcastle city centre.