The University of Sydney ranks 28th in the latest QS World University Rankings and 31st in the US News World Rankings, both published this week, confirming our strong position among the world’s top universities. 

“I commend all our staff for our continuing competitiveness in these prestigious rankings, which reflects our deep commitment to outstanding research and to its ability to meaningfully change lives for the better and tackle society’s major challenges,” said Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott.  

“It also speaks to our dedication to excellence in teaching, learning and the student experience, including employability, as outlined in our 2032 strategy.”

The QS World University Rankings 2027, which reviews the past year, is an annual publication by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) and is considered one of the most widely referenced and influential university rankings globally.  This year’s QS rankings feature 1,504 universities from 106 locations (from 8,808 institutions evaluated overall). 

They are structured around five performance lenses, across research, employability, global engagement, learning and sustainability, and ten indicators. 

In this year’s rankings the University’s employer reputation rose to 46th globally (up from 53rd) and we maintained our position of 29th globally for academic reputation. The University ranks 16th in the world for sustainability.

The University of Sydney has placed 31st in the world in the latest US News 2026-2027 Best Global Universities Rankings, which focus on research excellence. 

The US News Rankings feature 2,250 universities from more than 100 countries including 39 institutions from Australia. They are assessed on indicators measuring academic research performance and global and regional reputation. 

The University ranked first in NSW and second in Australia.  

Further details of our performance include the University being ranked 31st for total research citations and 35th globally for the number of research papers among the top one percent most highly cited, highlighting our ability to produce internationally influential research.  

In the US News Best Global Universities Subject Rankings,  published the same day, the University has five subjects ranked in the global top 25 and 20 subjects ranked in the global top 50. Globally, Electrical and Electronic Engineering ranked 19th, Artificial Intelligence ranked 22nd, Endocrinology and Metabolism ranked 22nd, Social Sciences and Public Health ranked 23rd, and Arts and Humanities ranked 25th.

Examples of the University’s most recent successes in research include work on: 

• a trial suggesting cannabidiol significantly reduces chronic pain for those with nerve damage
• tunnel workers being exposed to significant silica dust risks across Australia 
• rodent eradication sparking an insect boom on Lord Howe Island
• a PhD student astronomer’s discovery of the 'Rosetta stone' for mysterious cosmic signals
• the hidden impacts of scuba-diving tourism on coral reefs
• a burial site near Broken Hill revealing the depth of relationships between First Nations people and dingoes 
• international investigative research resulting in a rare Holocaust-era songbook being translated into English and published for the first time
• business research on women being put at further risk by reporting abuse in sport
• how the use of digital court rooms risks deepening inequality.

 In the latest THE World University Rankings the University of Sydney ranked 53rd in the world overall, rising eight places globally.

The University also recently had 10 subjects ranked in the global top 25 and 31 in the top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and six disciplines in the global top 50 in THE subject rankings.