UOW's highest-ever worldwide QS ranking driven by research and sustainability more than student outcomes

This was an improvement on No.185 in the same system last year, and put UOW as the 12th-ranked university in Australia.

It was not an outcome driven by student outcomes, which are well behind its grades for research citations and international collaboration.

UOW was ranked 290 worldwide for academic reputation, the category given the heaviest weighting in the QS rankings. It was ranked 382 for employer reputation, 492 for employment outcomes, and below 701 for student-to-faculty staff ratio.

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Its highest ranking was for the number of times research was cited in other publications - 60th in the world - and was highly ranked for the number of international staff working there (146th) and international research collaborations (186th).

UOW said this was a testament to the diversity of its workforce.

There was a ratio of 7.8 staff per 100 students at UOW, lower than the global median of 7.8.

Wollongong benefited from changes to the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) methodology to boost the impact of "sustainability" on the results, which was included for the first time and ranked UOW 75th worldwide.

Apart from a small dip in 2018 UOW has increased its overall QS ranking every year since 2015.

UOW vice-chancellor Patricia Davidson congratulated staff for pushing the boundaries of knowledge and making an impact on the lives of the people globally.

"We are thrilled with this outstanding global ranking, which is a testament to the unwavering dedication and exceptional talent within the UOW community," Professor Davidson said.

"This achievement further affirms our commitment to fostering excellence in research, sustainability, and international collaboration.

"We will continue to push the boundaries of knowledge, nurture a culture of innovation, and empower our students to become global leaders."

Employer reputation refers to how employers view graduates of an institution, particularly their job-readiness, while employment outcomes measures how readily graduates are employed and make an impact in their fields.

UOW saidthe research citations ranking was led by research programs in Materials Science, Earth and Environmental Science, Engineering, Nursing, Chemistry, Education, and Law.

UOW's dedication to producing impactful research in these fields has garnered international recognition and solidified its position as a leading research institution.

It said the outstanding sustainability ranking was contributed to by initiatives including the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre and the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security which advance knowledge in sustainable development and environmental preservation.

The University of NSW and the University of Sydney also benefited under the new QS methodology, both rising to within the top 20 in the world (tied at 19).

"This year, we've innovated to reflect the evolving missions of universities and crucial priorities of students, by introducing new metrics evaluating sustainability, employment outcomes and international research collaboration, adding to our focus on research and discovery, employer reputation, learning experience and global engagement," QS CEO Jessica Turner said.

Australian universities inside the top 200 worldwide were, in order: Melbourne, UNSW, Sydney, ANU, Monash, Queensland, WA, Adelaide, UTS, Macquarie, RMIT, Wollongong, Newcastle, Curtin and QUT.