VU again in top 2% of unis worldwide

Victoria University has held firm in the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018-19.
Wednesday 26 September 2018

Victoria University has held firm in the top 2 per cent of universities worldwide in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018-19.

VU was ranked in the 301-350-institution band, placing it equal third in the State, after Melbourne and Monash Universities, and ahead of RMIT, Deakin, Swinburne, and Australian Catholic Universities. It was tied for third with Latrobe University.

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Dawkins said the results confirmed VU’s growing reputation on the global stage, and as a world-class university in Melbourne’s west.

“For a young university, we are on a powerful trajectory moving from strength to strength. This confirms we are among the best universities in the world,” he said.

The Times Higher Education ranking is a world-best list from among just over 1100 eligible institutions of the world’s 24,000 universities, across core missions of teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

VU broke into the rankings for the first time in 2016-17, debuting in the 351-400 band. Last year, it advanced into the 301-350 band, one of the few universities in Victoria to have improved.

VU’s strongest categories in today’s world ranking announcement came in the areas of research, citation impact, industry income, and international outlook.

VU's international outlook

VU’s 40,000-strong student body includes about 11,000 international students, 5,800 of whom are studying at one of VU’s several Melbourne campuses or at VU in Sydney, and a further 5,400 studying a VU qualification at one of its international partners. 

Through its 110 exchange partners, more than 500 VU students gain a study abroad experience each year. With more than 100 years’ experience in teaching, learning and research – 27 of them as a university – VU has a global network of more than 240,000 alumni, a significant portion who now work overseas.

VU’s strong score for citations shows the solid contribution VU research is making to the advancement of global knowledge. Nearly 70% of the University’s research funding comes from industry sources, and more than half its published research involves international collaborations. VU attracts research students from more than 60 countries around the world.

Vice-Chancellor Dawkins said VU’s growing presence in world rankings demonstrates the hard work and innovations taking place at VU to build on its strengths and make it an outstanding university of the 21st century.