University of Sydney
University of Sydney Summary
Founded in 1850, the University of Sydney holds the distinction of being Australia’s oldest university. This public institution is based in Sydney, within the southeastern state of New South Wales. While its main campus—Camperdown/Darlington—sits close to the city’s central business district, the university also operates additional campuses and research facilities across Sydney and other parts of Australia. One notable site is the One Tree Island Research Station, situated near the Great Barrier Reef, which supports studies on climate change, geology, and related fields.
Students have housing options at several campuses. At the Camperdown/Darlington location, they can stay in residential colleges (like International House) or in university-managed apartments and dorms. Tuition fees differ by program and are higher for international students.
The university is divided into 16 academic areas, covering disciplines such as agriculture and environment, arts and social sciences, business, engineering and IT, and medicine. Classes are taught in English, and the academic year follows a semester system. Undergraduates can apply for a one-year honors program, which is research-intensive.
With over 70 research centers, some key ones include the Brain and Mind Centre, the China Studies Centre, and the Centre for Carbon, Water and Food. The university also has student exchange partnerships with around 300 institutions worldwide, such as Canada’s University of British Columbia, China’s Fudan University, and Sweden’s Uppsala University.
University of Sydney Data
- Total students: 51,530
- International students: 27,129
- Academic staff: 2,078
- International staff: 549
- Undergraduate degrees awarded: 8,417
- Master’s degrees awarded: 11,146
- Doctoral degrees awarded: 799
- Research-only staff: 1,561
- New undergraduate students: 9,628
- New master’s students: 6,526
- New doctoral students: 372
University of Sydney Rankings
The University of Sydney is ranked #29 in Best Global Universities, with rankings based on widely accepted indicators of academic excellence.
Global Rankings
- #29 – Best Global Universities
- #1 – Best Global Universities in Australia/New Zealand
- #1 – Best Global Universities in Australia
Subject Rankings
- #48 – Agricultural Sciences (tie)
- #18 – Artificial Intelligence
- #20 – Arts and Humanities (tie)
- #82 – Biology and Biochemistry
- #146 – Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
- #51 – Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
- #55 – Cell Biology
- #105 – Chemical Engineering
- #119 – Chemistry (tie)
- #42 – Civil Engineering
- #29 – Clinical Medicine
- #25 – Computer Science (tie)
- #122 – Condensed Matter Physics
- #100 – Ecology (tie)
- #29 – Economics and Business
- #27 – Education and Educational Research (tie)
- #12 – Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- #7 – Endocrinology and Metabolism
- #95 – Energy and Fuels
- #36 – Engineering (tie)
- #171 – Environmental Engineering
- #68 – Environment/Ecology (tie)
- #109 – Food Science and Technology (tie)
- #41 – Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- #153 – Geosciences
- #160 – Green and Sustainable Science and Technology (tie)
- #58 – Immunology (tie)
- #54 – Infectious Diseases (tie)
- #97 – Marine and Freshwater Biology (tie)
- #99 – Materials Science (tie)
- #247 – Mathematics (tie)
- #47 – Mechanical Engineering
- #32 – Microbiology
- #98 – Molecular Biology and Genetics
- #141 – Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (tie)
- #36 – Neuroscience and Behavior
- #26 – Oncology (tie)
- #143 – Optics (tie)
- #36 – Pharmacology and Toxicology
- #127 – Physical Chemistry
- #158 – Physics (tie)
- #72 – Plant and Animal Science
- #45 – Psychiatry/Psychology
- #27 – Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
- #73 – Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging
- #17 – Social Sciences and Public Health (tie)
- #87 – Space Science
- #58 – Surgery (tie)
2025-2026 Indicator Rankings
The university’s #29 global ranking is based on 13 performance indicators. Here’s how it scored in each category:
- Global score: 79.9
- Global research reputation: #54
- Regional research reputation: #2
- Publications: #25
- Books: #13
- Conferences: #101
- Normalized citation impact: #232
- Total citations: #24
- Top 10% most cited publications: #30
- Percentage of top 10% most cited publications: #296
- International collaboration (relative to country): #1,129
- International collaboration: #553
- Top 1% most cited papers: #28
- Percentage of top 1% most cited papers: #242
