University strengthens performance in ARWU rankings

The University of Sydney has been ranked 74^th in the world in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), improving its position from last year’s ranking of 80^th. 

The Academic Ranking of World Universities is released annually by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. It ranks more than 2000 universities worldwide, publishing the top 1000 universities and providing specific rankings for the top 100. It is unique in its focus on excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine. 

“Although global rankings don’t measure everything we value, I am delighted to see the quality of the research our scientists, engineers and medical researchers are doing being recognised in this way, “said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Duncan Ivison.  

The University’s research output and outstanding individual academic performance were major factors in achieving the higher global ranking. Highly cited researchers especially in publications such as Nature and Science make an important contribution to such rankings success.  

We are now in the top 75 in the major university global rankings; most recently 40^th in the world in the QS world university rankings and 27^th in the US News and World Report Rankings, 2^nd in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, and 60^th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.  

The University also ranks 4^th in the world and first in Australia in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020. 

ARWU rankings use six indicators to rank universities’ academic and research performance. These include: 

• highly cited researchers 
• papers published in journals of Nature and Science
• papers indexed in prominent citation databases
• individual academic performance. 
• alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals 
• staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals 

Harvard University has ranked number one for the 18th year running, with Stanford University and University of Cambridge ranked second and third respectively. 

The latest ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, released in June this year, ranked three University of Sydney subjects in the top 20 globally and 12 in the top 50. Nursing was ranked twelfth in the world, transportation science and technology was ranked 16th and veterinary sciences was ranked 17th.