The QS World University Rankings for 2027, released on June 18, have named the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as the best university in Australia, placing it 19th in the world. This achievement marks a rise of one position compared to the previous year, making UNSW the only Australian university to break into the top 20, a notable accomplishment after over 20 years of QS rankings.

For the past decade, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University (ANU) have alternated as leaders in Australia on various prestigious international rankings. ANU held the top position in the QS rankings from 2017 to 2023, while the University of Melbourne was ranked number one in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings starting in 2018, even leading both rankings in 2024.

In the latest QS evaluation, UNSW received high scores in several criteria, particularly in research and exploration, student employability, global outlook, and sustainability, with scores of 94/100 or higher in each category. This year marks a significant rise for UNSW, which has climbed a total of 30 places in the QS rankings over nearly a decade.

In contrast, the University of Melbourne has lost its top position, dropping three places from 19th to 22nd. This marks the third consecutive year of decline for the university, which has fallen a total of 10 places from its peak position of 12th in 2024.

The Group of Eight, an alliance of Australia’s leading research universities, continues to dominate the top rankings in the country. Nine of the top ten Australian universities are now within the global top 100. Tuition fees for these top institutions range from $20,200 to $57,000 per year for international students, equivalent to approximately 530 million to 1.5 billion VND.

Here is the list of the best universities in Australia for 2027 according to QS rankings:

• University of New South Wales - Rank 1 in Australia, 19th in the world, Tuition: $33,300 - $44,700
• University of Melbourne - Rank 2 in Australia, 22nd in the world, Tuition: $26,800 - $57,000
• University of Sydney - Rank 3 in Australia, 28th in the world, Tuition: $34,600 - $46,400
• Australian National University - Rank 4 in Australia, 29th in the world, Tuition: $20,200
• Monash University - Rank 5 in Australia, 31st in the world, Tuition: $31,300 - $41,800
• University of Queensland - Rank 6 in Australia, 40th in the world, Tuition: $38,500 - $40,600
• University of Western Australia - Rank 7 in Australia, 77th in the world, Tuition: $33,100 - $36,900
• University of Adelaide - Rank 8 in Australia, 79th in the world, Tuition: $33,600 - $39,200
• University of Technology Sydney - Rank 9 in Australia, 87th in the world, Tuition: $35,700 - $42,000
• RMIT University - Rank 10 in Australia, 119th in the world, Tuition: $31,600 - $34,300

QS is one of the four prominent university ranking organizations. In its evaluation criteria, academic reputation holds the largest weight at 30%, followed by citation impact at 20%. Other criteria include institutional reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, internationalization, global research network, employment outcomes, and sustainability, which account for 5-15% each. This year, approximately 37 out of 43 recognized higher education institutions in Australia made it onto the QS rankings, the highest number ever. Nearly 60% of the universities that have participated in this ranking have improved their standings, with nine institutions achieving record-high positions.