The Times Higher Education (THE) released its 2025 World University Rankings on Wednesday. Australia has ten institutions in the top 200, two fewer than four years ago.
Of the country's 38 universities, 17 saw a drop in their rankings compared to last year, including leading institutions such as the University of Melbourne, Australian National University, Monash, and the University of Queensland.
Among the top 10 Australian universities, eight have dropped in the rankings.
The University of Melbourne remains the highest-ranked, but it fell by two places and now sits at 39th globally, its lowest position in 20 years. Monash University, ranked second in the country, dropped four places to 58th globally, while the University of Sydney, ranked third, fell one place to 61st.
Both the Australian National University and the University of Queensland dropped by six and seven positions, respectively. The University of Adelaide experienced the steepest fall, dropping from 111th last year to 128th.
No. | University | 2024-2025 rank | 2023-2024 rank | Difference |
1 | University of Melbourne | 39 | 37 | -2 |
2 | Monash University | 58 | 54 | -4 |
3 | University of Sydney | 61 | 60 | -1 |
4 | Australian National University | 73 | 67 | -6 |
5 | University of Queensland | 77 | 70 | -7 |
6 | University of New South Wales Sydney | 83 | 84 | 1 |
7 | University of Adelaide | 128 | 111 | -17 |
8 | University of Western Australia | 149 | 143 | -6 |
9 | University of Technology Sydney | 154 | 148 | -6 |
10 | Macquarie University | 178 | 180 | 2 |
Experts attribute the decline to government policies restricting the number of international students. In August, Australia announced a cap of 270,000 international students by 2025, a reduction of about 53,000 from last year. This cap affects 15 universities, including those ranked by THE.
Additionally, the government reduced post-graduation work visas for international students to 2-4 years, down from the previous 4-6 years.
The English language proficiency requirement was raised by 0.5 points, and the required financial proof for studying abroad increased to AUD$29,710 (US$20,000), a 20% rise. Visa processing fees more than doubled to AUD$1,600.
Vicki Thomson, CEO of G8, Australia's group of leading universities, criticized these policies as the primary reason for the drop in rankings.
"It's all downhill from here if the Australian government persists with this fundamentally flawed policy," she told The Guardian in a report on Wednesday.
Phil Baty, THE's chief global affairs officer, echoed these concerns, noting that Australian universities are losing ground in international research collaboration and overseas recruitment—traditional areas of strength. He pointed out slight declines in scores for international students, staff, and co-authorship this year, following steeper declines last year.
"International student caps... may further erode income for some top institutions [and] diminish Australia's world-leading reputation as an open and internationally focused sector," Baty warned.
Consultant Justin Bokor added that Australia's university rankings are likely to continue deteriorating. "You can have a high-performing higher ed sector, a low call on the public purse, or capped international student numbers," he said. "You can't have all three."
Australia currently hosts about one million international students, making it one of the most attractive study destinations globally, alongside the U.S. and Canada. International tuition fees in Australia range from AUD$24,000 to AUD$52,000 ($16,200-35,000) per year.
THE is one of three renowned university ranking organizations, along with QS and the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The 2025 rankings were based on data from over 2,000 higher education institutions across 115 countries and territories, using 18 criteria grouped into five categories: teaching (29.5%), research environment (29%), research quality (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industry income and patents (4%).