# List of universities in Australia

There are 44 universities in Australia out of which 39 are public universities and 5 private universities. The Commonwealth Higher Education Support Act 2003 sets out three groups of Australian higher education providers: universities, other self-accrediting higher education institutions and state and territory accredited higher education institutions.
For admissions to universities, those students who have completed Australian state curricula are granted a state-specific Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. All Australian universities use the ATAR based "selection rank" as one of their methods of admission; universities also use past study, work experience and other considerations in granting admission. The ATAR provides an indication of the overall position of the student in relation to the student body for that year across the state. The ATAR is used by state-specific centralised admission centres for admission into university. The following bodies allocate ATAR based selection ranks and admission for the tertiary institutions in their respective states:
* Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, with a separate website for Tasmania
* South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) in South Australia and the Northern Territory
* Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) in Victoria
* Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) in Western Australia
* Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) in Queensland
For International Baccalaureate (IB) Australian students (Australian citizens) as well as the international students in Australia, the "Australasian Conference of Tertiary Admission Centres" (ACTAC) calculates an Australia-wide ATAR-like national rank called "Combined rank which combines results from across all states, thus enabling IB students to "apply in any Australian state or territory with confidence about how their results compare to their peers who have completed state curricula and received an ATAR", also "when completing your final year of schooling, ensure that you provide permission via your school for your IB results to be released to Australian tertiary admissions centres. As long as you identify yourself as an IB student and provide your IB candidate number when applying for courses, your IB scores and subject results will be received electronically and automatically converted for the purposes of selection and meeting prerequisites."

## Universities in Australia

In addition to the following universities, the Australian campus of Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz III College operated in the city of Adelaide in South Australia between 2006 and 2022. University College London also operated an Australian campus in Adelaide between 2009 and 2017. The newest Australian institution to receive university status is the Australian University of Theology in 2025.
| University | Type | Campus | State/ Territory | Estab. | University status | Times rank | ARWU rank | QS rank | US News rank | CWTS rank |
| Adelaide University | Planned | Adelaide, Roseworthy, Mount Gambier, Whyalla | SA | 2024 | 2024 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Australian Catholic University | Public | Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, North Sydney, Blacktown, Ballarat, Strathfield, Italy | National | 1991 | 1991 | 401–500 | 501–600 | 901–950 | 416 | 1374 |
| Australian National University | Public | Canberra | ACT | 1946 | 1946 | 67 | 84 | 30 | 62 | 259 |
| Australian University of Theology | Private collegiate (Australian) | Sydney | NSW | 1891 | 2025 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Avondale University | Non-profit private (Australian) | Lake Macquarie, Wahroonga | NSW | 1897 | 2021 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Bond University | Non-profit private (Australian) | Gold Coast | QLD | 1987 | 1987 | 401–500 | 901–1000 | 587= | 1455 | N/A |
| Central Queensland University | Public | Rockhampton, Mackay, Brisbane, Sydney, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Jakarta | QLD | 1967 | 1992 | 501–600 | N/A | 495= | 1095 | 1329 |
| Charles Darwin University | Public | Darwin | NT | 1989 | 2003 | 401–500 | 601–700 | 621–630 | 959 | N/A |
| Charles Sturt University | Public | Albury, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Port Macquarie, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne | NSW | 1948 | 1989 | 801–1000 | N/A | 851–900 | 764 | 1229 |
| Curtin University | Public | Perth, Kalgoorlie, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Mauritius | WA | 1966 | 1986 | 201–250 | 201–300 | 174 | 160 | 310 |
| Deakin University | Public | Melbourne, Geelong, Warrnambool | VIC | 1974 | 1974 | 251–300 | 201–300 | 197 | 217 | 297 |
| Edith Cowan University | Public | Perth, Bunbury | WA | 1902 | 1991 | 351–400 | 601–700 | 516= | 495 | 1003 |
| Federation University Australia | Public | Ballarat, Melbourne, Churchill, Horsham | VIC | 1870 | 1994 | 601–800 | N/A | N/A | 1288 | N/A |
| Flinders University | Public | Adelaide | SA | 1966 | 1966 | 301–350 | 301–400 | 336= | 426 | 564 |
| Griffith University | Public | Gold Coast, Logan, Brisbane | QLD | 1971 | 1971 | 251–300 | 301–400 | 255 | 203 | 316 |
| James Cook University | Public | Cairns, Singapore, Townsville | QLD | 1970 | 1970 | 351–400 | 301–400 | 445= | 324 | 698 |
| La Trobe University | Public | Melbourne, Bendigo, Shepparton, Wodonga, Sydney | VIC | 1964 | 1964 | 251–300 | 301–400 | 217 | 304 | 524 |
| Macquarie University | Public | Sydney | NSW | 1964 | 1964 | 180 | 201–300 | 133= | 192 | 360 |
| Monash University | Public | Melbourne, Malaysia | VIC | 1958 | 1958 | 54 | 77 | 37 | 37= | 49 |
| Murdoch University | Public | Perth | WA | 1973 | 1973 | 351–400 | 401–500 | 436= | 673 | 927 |
| Queensland University of Technology | Public | Brisbane | QLD | 1965 | 1989 | 199= | 301–400 | 213 | 171 | 335 |
| RMIT University | Public | Melbourne, Vietnam | VIC | 1887 | 1992 | 251–300 | 301–400 | 123= | 209 | 378 |
| Southern Cross University | Public | Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Tweed Heads, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne | NSW | 1954 | 1994 | 501–600 | 901–1000 | 576= | 997 | N/A |
| Swinburne University of Technology | Public | Melbourne, Malaysia | VIC | 1908 | 1992 | 201–250 | 201–300 | 291= | 199 | 682 |
| Torrens University Australia | For-profit private (International) | Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, New Zealand, China | National, New Zealand | 2014 | 2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| The University of Adelaide | Public | Adelaide, Roseworthy | SA | 1874 | 1874 | 111= | 151–200 | 82= | 74 | 220 |
| University of Canberra | Public | Canberra | ACT | 1967 | 1990 | 351–400 | 801–900 | 403= | 593 | 1353 |
| University of Divinity | Private collegiate (Australian) | Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth | National | 1910 | 2012 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| The University of Melbourne | Public | Melbourne | VIC | 1853 | 1853 | 37 | 35 | 13 | 27 | 28 |
| University of New England | Public | Armidale, Sydney | NSW | 1938 | 1954 | N/A | 901–1000 | 1001-1200 | 821 | 1081 |
| University of New South Wales | Public | Sydney, Canberra | NSW | 1949 | 1949 | 84 | 72 | 19 | 37= | 52 |
| The University of Newcastle | Public | Newcastle, Central Coast (Ourimbah), a suburb of Gosford, Sydney, Singapore | NSW | 1951 | 1965 | 201–250 | 401–500 | 179= | 231 | 388 |
| The University of Notre Dame Australia | Public | Fremantle, Broome, Sydney | WA NSW | 1989 | 1989 | N/A | N/A | 1401+ | 1511 | N/A |
| The University of Queensland | Public | Brisbane, Gatton | QLD | 1909 | 1909 | 70 | 51 | 40= | 36 | 48 |
| University of South Australia | Public | Adelaide, Whyalla, Mount Gambier | SA | 1856 | 1991 | 301–350 | 501–600 | 340= | 263 | 616 |
| University of Southern Queensland | Public | Toowoomba, Ipswich, Springfield | QLD | 1967 | 1992 | 351–400 | 901–1000 | 396= | 452 | 1210 |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | Public | Sunshine Coast | QLD | 1994 | 1994 | 501–600 | 701–800 | 1001–1200 | 1072 | 1126 |
| The University of Sydney | Public | Sydney | NSW | 1850 | 1850 | 60 | 73 | 18 | 28 | 36 |
| University of Tasmania | Public | Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Sydney | TAS | 1890 | 1890 | 251–300 | 201–300 | 293= | 273 | 491 |
| University of Technology Sydney | Public | Sydney | NSW | 1870 | 1988 | 148 | 201–300 | 88 | 112 | 315 |
| The University of Western Australia | Public | Perth, Albany | WA | 1911 | 1911 | 143= | 101–150 | 77 | 83 | 203 |
| University of Wollongong | Public | Wollongong, Batemans Bay, Bega, Moss Vale, Nowra, Sydney, Dubai, Malaysia | NSW | 1951 | 1975 | 201–250 | 201–300 | 167= | 186 | 398 |
| Victoria University | Public | Melbourne, Sydney | VIC | 1916 | 1990 | 401–500 | N/A | 741–750 | 649 | 1282 |
| Western Sydney University | Public | Sydney | NSW | 1891 | 1989 | 301–350 | 301–400 | 384 | 234 | 615 |
* The University of Melbourne, Melbourne
* The University of Western Australia, Perth
* University of South Australia, Adelaide
* University of Technology Sydney, Sydney
* Edith Cowan University, Perth
* The University of Notre Dame Australia, Perth
* Bond University, Gold Coast
* The University of Queensland, Brisbane
* The University of Sydney, Sydney
* RMIT University, Melbourne
* Monash University, Melbourne
* University of New South Wales, Sydney
* Macquarie University, Sydney
* Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
* Australian National University, Canberra
* Charles Sturt University, Bathurst
* Curtin University, Perth
* University of Adelaide, Adelaide
* University of New England, Armidale
* University of Canberra, Canberra
* Deakin University, Melbourne
* Murdoch University, Perth
* Australian Catholic University, Brisbane

## National university groups

* Australian-European Network – a network of 5 Australian universities who cooperate with 31 European universities on student exchange programs.
* Australian Technology Network – technology-focused Australian universities that mostly originated as institutes of technology.
* Group of Eight – research intensive high-ranking Australian universities, similar to Russell Group in the United Kingdom.
* Innovative Research Universities – a coalition of Australian universities with focus on higher education advocacy and research.
* Red Brick Universities – the University of New South Wales, Monash University and the Australian National University
* Regional Universities Network – a group of regional, distance education and multi-campus university networks.
* Open Universities Australia – a group of universities that offer distance education courses as part of a common platform.
* Sandstone Universities – an informal group of the oldest universities in each Australian state with colonial-era sandstone buildings.
* Verdant universities – an informal group of Australian universities founded in the 1960s and 70s, often with nature reserves or vegetation
* NUW Alliance – the University of Newcastle, the University of New South Wales and the University of Wollongong