Universities in Australia

For those looking to move to Australia, education and universities in Australia are issues which need to be considered and addressed at a very early stage. Those with young children, and older children, will obviously want the best education available for their family and we hereby cover some of the higher ranking universities in Australia.

Australian National University

The Australian National University (ANU) is widely considered to be the number one University in Australia having been passed as an act of Parliament back in August 1946. Located in Canberra the Australian National University has for many years topped the rankings of various educational surveys in the country. But what does it have to offer?

The university itself is a research organisation with the College of arts and social sciences, College of Asia and the Pacific, College of business and economics, College of engineering and computer science, College of Law, College of medicine, biology and environment as well as the College of physical and mathematical sciences.

There are also a number of institutions of advanced studies which include subjects such as astronomy and astrophysics, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, information sciences and engineering, Pacific and Asian studies, social sciences, medical research and environmental studies.

The university itself has 3,600 staff, 8,100 undergraduates and 4,382 postgraduates which are all situated within a 350 acre site in Canberra. In simple terms the Australian National University is a world-renowned education facility which continues to attract the attention of students from around the globe and has a recognition which few others will ever achieve.

University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia with a history which goes back to 1850 although the make up the university has changed dramatically over the years. While the main areas of University are situated in the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the outskirts of Sydney there are 16 separate faculties which include subjects such as agriculture, food and natural resources, architecture, design and planning, arts, dentistry, economics and business, education and social work, engineering and information technologies, fine arts, health sciences, law, medicine, music, and nursery and midwifery, pharmacy, science and veterinary science.

Even though the Australian National University has retained the top ranking in Australia for many years, the University of Sydney is still very popular. The establishment itself has just over 3,000 members of staff, just under 48,000 students (32,000 which are undergraduates and 16,000 are postgraduates). Like the Australian National University the University of Sydney has been a common member of the top 100 universities in the world by renowned ranking associations such as the U.K.’s Times Higher Education Supplement. It is a university which continues to attract the attention of those looking for one of the best education facilities in the country.

It is a reflection of the success of the University of Australia that it currently has financial endowments totalling of $800 million and the university regularly receives some of the highest research grants available in Australia. In many ways it would appear that where universities in Australia are concerned success breeds success.

University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is the second oldest university in Australia having been founded back in 1853. While the main campus is located in Parkville on the north side of Melbourne there are many other campuses located across Victoria. While recently voted second top of the league of universities in Australia, the University of Melbourne has the largest financial endowment in the country standing at over $1.1 billion in 2008.

As you would assume, this has seen the University of Melbourne leading the way in areas such as business, education, engineering, arts, law and medicine and pushing the likes of the University of Sydney and the Australian National University for the top position in the universities of Australia league table. The University has been credited with bringing together various educational practices from American and European universities and attempting to gain an international standing for the degrees earned by students.

The university itself has over 7,000 members of staff, 35,000 students (of which 25,000 are undergraduates and 10,000 postgraduates) with 12 faculties including subjects such as architecture, building and planning, arts, economics and commerce, education, engineering, land and the environment, law, medicine, dentistry and health sciences, VCA and music, science, veterinary science and graduate research.

University of Queensland

The University of Queensland was founded back in 1909 and is the oldest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the Australia. While the breadth of subjects studied at the University is impressive, there have been major breakthroughs and progress in the research of numerous cancers which have led to grants of over $10 million over the last three years. The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has been particularly impressed by the work done at the University of Queensland with a number of collaborations in place for the future.

The main campus of the University is located in St Lucia which is in the South West of Brisbane although various smaller campuses are dotted around the area. There are 11 separate colleges which include Cromwell College, Duchesne College, Emmanuel College, Grace College, International House, King’s College, St John’s College, Union College, Women’s College and Gatton Halls of Residence. In addition there are also six major research institutions within the University which include the Institute for molecular bioscience, the Diamantina Institute of science, immunology and metabolic medicine, Australian Institute for bioengineering and nanotechnology, Institute for social science research, sustainable and mineral Institute and the Queensland brain Institute.

The University of Queensland has over 6,000 members of staff, 40,000 students of which 29,000 are undergraduates and 11,000 are postgraduates.

Monash University

The Monash University is actually the largest university in Australia although it is number five in one of the more recent ranking league tables for universities in Australia. With over 56,000 students (39,000 undergraduates and 17,000 postgraduates) the university also has 15,000 members of staff spread across the campuses, six of which are in Victoria, Australia with one in Malaysia and one in South Africa. There are also various research facilities in Italy and India which makes Monash University one of the better known Austrian universities in the world.

The university has 10 different faculties which include Art and design, arts, business and economics, education, engineering, information technology, law, medicine, nursing and health sciences, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences as well as science. There are also a number of stand-alone research facilities covering subjects such as accident research, science and wealth creation, regional studies, Asia Institute, e-research centre, electron microscopy, synchrotron science, sustainability Institute, nanosciences, materials and manufacture as well as the study of global movements. All in all, a very competitive list of subjects and research facilities!

While Monash University has regularly appeared in the top five of the league of universities in Australia it is also a prominent figure in the top 50 universities in the world. The University also has extensive student sports facilities with over 47 sporting clubs within the University.

University of New South Wales

The University of New South Wales is situated in the Kingston suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and was founded back in 1949. While the likes of the Australian National University continued to grab the attention across a number of fields, the University of New South Wales is very prominent in areas such as teaching and research. It is well renowned in subjects such as renewable/alternative energy, quantum computing and nanotechnology, taxation reform, information and communication technology, digital media, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, HIV/AIDS research and social policy research to name but a few.

The university itself has just over 44,000 students with roughly 60% undergraduates and 40% postgraduate with a total of 6,000 staff running the University. The University has nine faculties which include arts and social sciences, Australian defence Force Academy, Australian School of business, built environment, College of fine arts, engineering, law, medicine and science. This public College also has one of the largest financial endowments in Australia topping $1 billion.

The University of New South Wales is a prominent member of the “group of eight” which includes the top eight universities in Australia who have formed a lobby group to campaign for higher research funding and increased government backing for universities as a whole. The “group of eight” also give the Australian university sector a more prominent and a louder voice on the international stage.

University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide was founded back in 1874 and is the third oldest university in Australia and a member of the “group of eight”. The main campus is located on North Terrace in the Adelaide city centre although there are five other campuses at Roseworthy, Urrbrae, Thebarton, Adelaide Park Lands and a campus in Singapore.

Even though the University of Adelaide is one of the smaller universities in Australia it still has over 1,100 staff, 13,000 undergraduates and over 5,000 postgraduates. The University is split into five faculties which include engineering, computer and mathematical sciences, health sciences, humanities and social sciences, professions and sciences. In line with a growing trend within the Australian university sector, the University of Adelaide is one of the more forward thinking in the country having capitalised upon various collaborations with the commercial sector to bring in much-needed income.

As with most universities around the world, sport is now a major element of university life with over 37 sporting clubs connected with University. Even though the University of Adelaide is one of the smaller in Australia it continues to attract a significant number of international students with around 4,500 students from 90 different countries currently studying at the university. The need to attract international students is something which has been recognised by many universities in Australia and is becoming a major part of future financial planning. There is also the opportunity to take the best crop of international students and utilise them within the Australian economy.

University of Western Australia

Situated in the state of Western Australia, the University of Western Australia is a regular member of the league of the top 10 universities in Australia. The university has a history which goes back to 1911 and like so many of Australia’s more prominent universities was established under a State act and is under the direct control of the state authorities. The establishment itself has over 3,200 members of staff, 15,000 undergraduates and over 4,000 postgraduates.

There are nine faculties at the University of Western Australia which include architecture, landscape and visual arts, arts, humanities and social sciences, business, education, engineering, computing and mathematics, law, life and physical sciences, medicine, dentistry and health sciences as well as natural and agricultural sciences. The University of Western Australia is one of the largest landowners in the Perth area due to a number of large bequests and private donations over the years. The University continues to grow in size with the announcement of a new $360 million medical research facility which should be ready by the end of 2011.

Like all of the top 10 universities in Australia, the University of Western Australia is a regular feature in the top 100 universities in the world and continues to attract the attention of international students.

Conclusion

The university sector in Australia has a history which in many cases goes back over 100 years. Universities in Australia are now a vital element of not only the educational service but also the economy as they continue to attract the best minds in Australia, and many international students, who often transfer their skills to the Australian economy. In many ways this investment into the university sector by the Austrian authorities has already yielded massive returns and looks set to continue to do so for some time to come.

There are various education visas available for those looking to move to Australia and sample life while at the same time improving their education. As the Australian authorities continue to try and attract more skilled workers and students it seems that we can expect to see further growth and further investment from the state. Many of the top 10 universities in Australia are regular members of the top 100 universities in the world which says everything about the standard of education, state investment and the attractions of the country itself.

Related posts:

1. Auckland City Guide
2. Schools in Australia

Tagged as: Universities in Australia