Australian universities face a “wake-up call” as a significant majority experience a decline in the latest world rankings.

Dozens of Australia’s top universities have experienced a decline in a global ranking, amidst a “turbulent year” for higher education, exacerbated by attacks from Donald Trump’s second administration. The University of Melbourne, Australia’s highest performer, dropped seven places to 19th in the QS World University Rankings, while the University of Sydney fell from 18th to 25th globally. The rankings, which assess universities based on reputation, teaching and learning, research impact, internationalisation, and sustainability, saw 25 out of 36 ranked Australian universities decline, with just seven improving. This decline is attributed to various factors including recent federal government discussions on limiting international students and financial constraints. The decline also comes at a time when competitor universities in Asia are rapidly improving their standings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology retained the top position globally, followed by Imperial College London and Stanford University. The poor performance in rankings presents a wake-up call for Australian universities to adapt and remain competitive, relevant, and contribute to national productivity.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/19/top-australian-universities-tumble-in-global-ranking-amid-trump-era-attacks-and-international-student-cuts-ntwnfb