Universities in Adelaide, Australia
- Rankings & Reviews -

Latest ranking updates related to universities in Adelaide
  • 11 Nov, 2024: Publication of GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking (Business Administration). University of South Australia with highest ranking among universities in Adelaide ranked #76.
  • 09 Oct, 2024: THE Times Higher Education, UK published most recent results of THE World University Rankings. Includes 3 universities from Adelaide.
  • 01 Sep, 2024: Publication of NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers. The University of Adelaide with highest ranking among universities in Adelaide ranked #142.
  • 01 Sep, 2024: Publication of NTU Rankings by Subject (Economics & Business). The University of Adelaide with highest ranking among universities in Adelaide ranked #110.

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and it’s one of the five most populous cities in the country at roughly 1.4 million inhabitants. Lying near the River Torrens and characterised by churches, stone buildings, parkland and numerous beaches, Adelaide has become a popular destination for international students. Those relocating to Adelaide can expect a thriving live music scene, comparatively affordable monthly rents to other parts of Australia, and three reputable universities at an international level.


Rankings of universities in Adelaide, Australia 2025

Student satisfaction: 4.5 / 5.0 (based on 384 student ratings)
Card image


Student satisfaction: 4.2 / 5.0 (based on 150 student ratings)
Card image


Student satisfaction: 4.2 / 5.0 (based on 284 student ratings)
Card image

  • #20 
  • #301 
THE World University Rankings
[Published 09 October, 2024]
  • #21 
  • #336 
QS World University Rankings
[Published 04 June, 2024]
  • #23 
  • #670 
Scimago Institutions Rankings
[Published 06 March, 2024]
Show 14 more rankings of Flinders University and subject specific rankings for 8 subjects

Highest subject rankings of universities in Adelaide

Dentistry QS World University Rankings By Subject
#39 
The University of Adelaide
Artificial Intelligence URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#39 
The University of Adelaide
Chemical Engineering GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#42 
The University of Adelaide
Geology URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#45 
The University of Adelaide
Archaeology QS World University Rankings By Subject
#51 
The University of Adelaide
Agricultural Sciences GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#51 
The University of Adelaide
Education GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#76 
University of South Australia
Law QS World University Rankings By Subject
#101 
The University of Adelaide
Business URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#114 
University of South Australia
Architecture URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#115 
The University of Adelaide

Student Opinions About Studying in Adelaide

“Studying in Adelaide has been an unforgettable experience. There are many international students here, so that helped me to feel more comfortable about being a foreigner here..housing is affordable which makes life a little easier. I wish there were more job options though.”

“Adelaide has a number of stunning beaches where you can meet up with your friends to hang out for a while, or even do some sports, because one thing you’ll learn about Adelaide is that running and cycling are hugely popular here. With three public universities in Adelaide, you’re spoiled for choice if you want to study somewhere prestigious.”

Adelaide Key Facts for International Students

PROS

  • The housing options are modern and up-to-date in Adelaide, with options at various rental price points in different neighborhoods.

  • Adelaide is known to be a fairly inexpensive city compared to other major cities in Australia, and more affordable for students.

  • The beaches are popular among students and often spoken about as some of the best places to spend your free time.

CONS

  • There are numerous students who express that the city doesn’t have as many job opportunities as there are in other cities, so students often move to a bigger city after their studies.

  • Despite the housing being cheaper as well as the social scene, energy bills are expensive.

  • Neighbourhoods in Adelaide aren’t as close together as many expect, making it necessary to use public transport to get anywhere.


3 out of 3 Universities in Adelaide Ranked in at least one ranking

23 Different Rankings list Universities in Adelaide (17 institution and 6 subject rankings)

22 Global Rankings rank Universities in Adelaide Among TOP 200

Population: 1388000

Time: GMT +9

District/province: South Australia, Adelaide

Living costs for students in Adelaide:

* 100 = prices in London

  • Living costs without accommodation 100* (0% cheaper than London)
  • All costs including accommodation 77* (23% cheaper than London)
  • Meals (grocery & lower cost restaurants) 88* (12% cheaper than London)
  • Average Big Mac price 7.50 AU$
  • Plug Type I
    • Residential voltage: 230 V
    • Frequency: 50 Hz

Map with location of universities in Adelaide

google static map google map control google map control

Student Life in Adelaide.

  • Experience Adelaide - University of South Australia
    1/1

Useful related pages

Links below are handpicked for usefulness. We might earn a commission on purchases.

FAQ

The University of Adelaide ranks #1 in Adelaide in our meta ranking composed of 108 university rankings.

Among all universities in Adelaide The University of Adelaide is listed in the largest number of rankings. See all 30 rankings where The University of Adelaide is listed.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Medicine & Health (Dentistry). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Engineering (Chemical Engineering). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Natural Sciences (Geology). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Social Studies & Humanities (Archaeology). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Agriculture (Agricultural Sciences). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

University of South Australia is ranked best in Adelaide for Education (Education). See all rankings for the University of South Australia.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Law (Law). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

University of South Australia is ranked best in Adelaide for Business (Business). See all rankings for the University of South Australia.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Architecture, Building & Planning (Architecture). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Mathematics (Mathematics). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

The University of Adelaide is ranked best in Adelaide for Languages & Literature (Linguistics). See all rankings for the The University of Adelaide.

Ranking publishers

4icu

view methodology

British Quacquarelli Symonds, UK

Criteria used in ranking -QS World University Rankings:

Academic Reputation 40% Employer Reputation 10% Faculty/Student Ratio 20% Citations per faculty 20% International Faculty Ratio 5% International Student Ratio 5%

view methodology

Criteria used in ranking -QS Employability Rankings:

Employer reputation 30% Alumni outcomes 25% Partnerships with Employers per Faculty 25% Employer/Student Connections 10% Graduate employment rate 10%

view methodology

view methodology

CWUR Center for World University Rankings

Criteria used in ranking -CWUR Center for World University Rankings:

Research Performance: 40%

  • Research Output: 10%
  • High-Quality Publications: 10%
  • Influence: 10%
  • Citations: 10%

Quality of Education: 25%

Alumni Employment: 25%

Quality of Faculty: 10%

view methodology

Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands

Criteria used in ranking -CWTS Leiden Ranking:

Scientific Impact Number of Publications Collaboration Open Access Gender Diversity

view methodology

NTU ranking

Criteria used in ranking -NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers:

Research Productivity: 25%

  • # Articles last 11 years: 10%
  • # Articles current year: 15%

Research Impact: 35%

  • # Citations last 11 years: 15%
  • # Citations last 2 years: 10%
  • Average # citations last 11 years: 10%

Research Excellence: 40%

  • H-index last 2 years: 10%
  • # Highly cited papers last 11 years: 15%
  • # Articles current year in high-impact journals: 15%

view methodology

Nature Index

Criteria used in ranking -Nature Index: Research Leaders Academic Sector:

Article count (AC) Fractional count (FC) Weighted fractional count (WFC)

view methodology

view methodology

RUR Ranking Agency (Moscow, Russia)

Criteria used in ranking -RUR World University Rankings:

Teaching: 40%

  • Ratio Faculty/Student: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Doctoral Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Doctoral Degrees Awarded/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • World Teaching Reputation: 8%

Research: 40%

  • Citations per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • Doctoral Degrees per Accepted PhD: 8%
  • Normalized Citation Impact: 8%
  • Papers per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • World Research Reputation: 8%

International Diversity: 10%

  • International Faculty: 2%
  • International Students: 2%
  • International Co-Authored Papers: 2%
  • Reputation Outside Geographical Region: 2%
  • International Level: 2%

Financial Sustainability: 10%

  • Institutional Income per Faculty: 2%
  • Institutional Income per Student: 2%
  • Papers per Research Income: 2%
  • Research Income per Academic/Research Staff: 2%
  • Research Income per Institutional Income: 2%

view methodology

Criteria used in ranking -RUR Academic Rankings:

Normalized citation impact (Citations of research publications from all university authors compared with world averages) 20% Citation per papers 20% Papers per academic and research staff 20% International research reputation 20% Share of research publications written in international co-authorship 20%

view methodology

Criteria used in ranking -RUR Reputation Ranking:

Teaching Reputation 50% Research Reputation 50%

view methodology

Scimago Institutions

Criteria used in ranking -Scimago Institutions Rankings:

Research 50% Innovation 30%
Societal 20%

view methodology

ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Criteria used in ranking -ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking:

Quality of Education 10%

  • Alumni winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 10%

Quality of Faculty 40%

  • Staff winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 20%
  • Highly Cited Researchers 20%

Research Output 40%

  • Papers published in Nature and Science 20%
  • Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded & Social Science Citation Index 20%

Per Capita Performance 10%

view methodology

StuDocu

view methodology

THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings:

30% Teaching (the Learning Environment)

  • Reputation survey: 15%
  • Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
  • Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2.25%
  • Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 6%
  • Institutional income: 2.25%

30% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)

  • Reputation survey: 18%
  • Research income: 6%
  • Research productivity: 6%

30% Citations (Research Influence)

7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)

  • Proportion of international students: 2.5%
  • Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
  • International collaboration: 2.5%

2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)"

view methodology

Criteria used in ranking -THE World’s Most International Universities:

Proportion of international students 25% Proportion of international staff 25% Proportion of journal publications with one or more international co-authors 25% University’s international reputation 25%

view methodology

Criteria used in ranking -THE Young University Rankings:

Teaching 30% Research (volume, income and reputation) 30% Citations 30% International outlook (staff, students, research) 7.5% Industry income (knowledge transfer) 2.5%

view methodology

view methodology

view methodology

Urap

view methodology

Us News

view methodology

Webometrics

Criteria used in ranking -Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities:

Visibility 50% Excellence 35% Transparency 10% Presence 5%

view methodology