Top 20 Universities for PhD Study in Australia in 2024

Written by Hannah Slack

Australia’s universities are well-established in the global top 250 and its government places great value on international PhD students, with generous post-study work visas.

We’ve taken a look at the latest global ranking information to find out which universities could be best for PhD study.

Top 20 Australian Universities in 2024
University	THE 2024	QS 2024	ARWU 2023
University of Melbourne	37	14	35
Monash University	54	42	77
University of Sydney	60	=19	60
Australian National University	67	=34	84
University of Queensland	70	47	51
UNSW Sydney	84	45	-
University of Adelaide	=111	109	151-200
University of Western Australia	=131	90	101-150
University of Technology Sydney	133	90	201-300
Macquarie University	175	=130	201-300
Curtin University	201-250	183	201-300
University of Newcastle	201-250	110	401-500
Swinburne University of Technology	251-300	=285	201-300
University of Wollongong	201-250	162	201-300
Deakin University	251-300	=233	201-300
Griffith University	251-300	243	301-400
La Trobe University	251-300	242	301-400
RMIT University	251-300	140	301-400
University of Tasmania	251-300	=307	201-300
Flinders University	301-350	380	201-300
Information in this table is based on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their websites for more information.

So, how good are Australian universities for PhD study?

Australia’s diverse culture and unique ecology means that some subjects can only be researched there. Plus, if you’re not keen on the idea of an oral exam, many Australian universities don’t actually assess doctoral candidates using a viva.

If you'd like some more tips and tricks on how to use PhD rankings effectively to choose the best university for postgraduate study, have a look at our guide.

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Last Updated: 20 November 2023

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Top 20 Universities for PhD Study in Australia in 2024

So, how good are Australian universities for PhD study?

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