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The Best Universities for PhDs in Chemistry in Australia (2024)

Written by Vincent Hedman

Why Study Chemistry in Australia

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Chemistry at a university in Australia. Here are just a few:

  • Australian universities host some of the leading research facilities for Chemistry, including specialised centers like The Australian Synchrotron and high-performance computing facilities, providing PhD students access to tools and infrastructure needed for cutting-edge research.
  • Government bodies such as the Australian Research Council (ARC) alongside universities offer competitive scholarships and grants specifically for PhD students. This financial support covers tuition fees and living costs allowing students to focus wholly on their research.
  • As a country with one of the highest rates of international student enrollment globally – engaging in doctoral studies here naturally results in being part of an eclectic academic community.
  • Universities in Australia offer a wide array of research themes; from traditional fields such as organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry to interdisciplinary areas including medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, environmental chemistry, materials science, and nanochemistry.

The Best Universities for Chemistry in Australia

The following tables give the 10 top universities in Australia for Chemistry, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which Australian universities are amongst the best in the world - and help you compare institutions on an international level.

This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university's result.

Our guide has more information on how to use international rankings to decide on the best research universities for PhD study.


Top 10 Universities in Australia for Chemistry (Times Higher Education)
University Australia Rank Global Rank
University of Technology Sydney 1 151-175
University of Adelaide 2 101-125
Swinburne University of Technology 3 151-175
UNSW Sydney 4 88
Queensland University of Technology 5 201-250
Monash University 6 =90
University of Queensland 7 80
Charles Darwin University 8 401-500
Macquarie University 9 151-175
University of Sydney 10 =82
This information is based on the research quality score from the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?

The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.


Top 10 Universities in Australia for Chemistry (QS)
University Australia Rank Global Rank
University of Adelaide 1 =115
University of Wollongong 2 151-200
University of Technology Sydney 3 201-250
Griffith University 4 301-350
Queensland University of Technology 5 151-200
UNSW Sydney 6 56
Curtin University 7 201-250
University of Queensland 8 46
Monash University 9 40
Deakin University 10 201-250
This information is based on the citations per paper score from the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the QS rankings?

The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.


Top 10 Universities in Australia for Chemistry (ARWU)
University Australia Rank Global Rank
UNSW Sydney 1 51-75
University of Queensland 2 76-100
Monash University 3 101-150
University of Wollongong 4 76-100
University of Sydney 5 151-200
University of Melbourne 6 201-300
Queensland University of Technology 7 101-150
RMIT University 8 201-300
Australian National University 9 151-200
University of Adelaide 10 101-150
This information is based on the number of papers published by an institution in an academic subject in journals, this is from the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information.

What should I know about the ARWU rankings?

The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.


Last Updated: 09 October 2024