Every university on this page is ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 500 — all 8 in New Zealand and 27 in Australia. Explore rankings, tuition ranges, strengths, and campus life for each before you shortlist.
New Zealand's largest and highest-ranked university, set across a central-city campus in the country's biggest city. Strong across business, engineering, medicine, and computer science, with research output that leads the country.
Auckland's scale means depth: more majors, more research centres, and the widest range of student clubs and societies of any NZ campus.
New Zealand's oldest university and its leading medical school, in a compact heritage campus town built almost entirely around student life. Otago's residential college system is the strongest in the country.
Health sciences, dentistry, and pharmacy draw students from across the world, alongside strong programmes in sciences and law.
Based in the capital, Victoria is New Zealand's top choice for law, public policy, and government-adjacent study, with direct proximity to parliament, ministries, and the courts.
Wellington's compact, creative city also makes this campus a hub for design, film, and the arts, home to the Miramar screen industry cluster nearby.
New Zealand's leading engineering school, rebuilt into a modern campus after the 2011 earthquakes and now home to some of the country's newest teaching and research facilities.
Close ties to aerospace, geo-engineering, and disaster-resilience research make this a strong pick for applied sciences and engineering students specifically.
New Zealand's agriculture and veterinary science leader, with a large distance-learning network and three physical campuses across the North Island.
Massey is also the country's top pick for aviation, running its own commercial flight training programme, alongside strong business and creative arts schools.
A research-led university known for its law school and one of the country's strongest computing and cybersecurity programmes, on a green, park-like campus outside Hamilton.
Waikato also holds a distinctive strength in Māori and indigenous studies, with dedicated cultural and language programmes woven through the wider curriculum.
New Zealand's specialist land-based university, focused entirely on agriculture, viticulture, environmental science, and land management, on a small rural campus outside Christchurch.
Class sizes are the smallest of any NZ university, with hands-on access to working farms, vineyards, and research land as part of everyday study.
New Zealand's newest and most career-focused university, built around industry placements and applied learning in the heart of Auckland's CBD.
AUT is the country's top choice for sport science and communications, with strong business and health science schools built on direct employer partnerships.
Alongside the 8 universities, New Zealand's institutes of technology and polytechnics ("colleges") offer shorter, more practical diplomas and degrees — often with lower tuition and easier entry requirements. Following the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga, 10 regional polytechnics returned to independent, regionally governed status on 1 January 2026.
Broad vocational diplomas and degrees across nursing, engineering, and the creative industries.
New Zealand's largest polytechnic merger, with strong building, IT, and healthcare training.
Well-regarded engineering, media arts, and business programmes with strong industry links.
Learner-centred, capable-based programmes with particular strength in design and nursing.
Strong Māori and Pacific learner pathways, trades, and health programmes across the Bay of Plenty.
Known for viticulture, wine science, and hospitality, reflecting the region's wine industry.
Established programmes in nursing, aviation, and the creative arts.
Distinctive strength in aquaculture, viticulture, and outdoor/adventure tourism training.
Long-standing trades and aviation programmes, historically known for its Zero Fees Scheme.
New Zealand's distance-learning specialist and the anchor institution of the new polytechnic federation.
Australia has 27 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027 top 500, including nine in the global top 100. Tuition ranges below are indicative annual fees for international students and vary by programme.
Australia's highest-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings 2027, and a powerhouse in engineering, business, law, and computer science on a large campus between Sydney's CBD and its eastern beaches.
UNSW runs on a three-term calendar, so you can start in February, June, or September, and its graduates are among the most sought-after by Australian employers.
Australia's second-oldest university, set on a leafy campus on the edge of Melbourne's CBD, with world-class strength in medicine, law, education, and the arts.
The Melbourne Model pairs a broad undergraduate degree with specialised graduate professional programmes, making it a popular choice for Master's students.
Australia's first university, with sandstone quadrangles that sit minutes from Sydney's CBD and one of the country's broadest ranges of courses.
Strong across medicine, law, architecture, veterinary science, and business, with deep links to Sydney's finance and health sectors.
Australia's national university, founded by federal parliament and located in the capital, with world-leading research in politics, international relations, economics, and the physical sciences.
ANU's compact campus beside Lake Burley Griffin sits minutes from parliament, embassies, and national research institutions.
Australia's largest university, with its main campus in Melbourne's south-east plus campuses across Victoria and overseas in Malaysia.
Monash is especially strong in pharmacy, medicine, engineering, and business, and posted its best-ever QS result in 2027.
Queensland's leading university, on a riverside sandstone campus in Brisbane, with standout research in biotechnology, medicine, agriculture, and environmental science.
UQ has won more national teaching awards than any other Australian university, and Brisbane's warm climate and lower costs make it popular with international students.
Western Australia's oldest university, on a riverside campus on the Swan River, with strong research in mining, energy, agriculture, and marine science.
Close ties to WA's resources sector make UWA a strong choice for engineering, geology, and earth-science students.
Australia's newest large university, formed in January 2026 by merging the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia into a single institution.
It combines Adelaide's research strength in health, wine science, and engineering with UniSA's industry-focused teaching, in one of Australia's most affordable mainland capitals.
A young, practice-focused university in the heart of Sydney's tech and creative precinct, and Australia's fastest riser in the 2027 QS top 100.
UTS is known for engineering, IT, design, and communication, with built-in industry internships and strong employer links across Sydney.
A global university of technology, design, and enterprise, woven into the streets of Melbourne's city centre, with a large vocational arm alongside its degrees.
RMIT is a top pick for art and design, architecture, engineering, and business, with campuses in Vietnam and strong industry project work.
A modern campus in Sydney's north, set inside the Macquarie Park innovation district, home to many global technology and pharmaceutical companies.
Macquarie is strong in business, accounting, IT, linguistics, and health, and was among Australia's biggest risers in the 2027 QS rankings.
Western Australia's largest university, with a big suburban campus in Perth and global campuses in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Mauritius.
Curtin's WA School of Mines is one of the world's leading mining and minerals engineering schools, alongside strong programmes in business and health.
A coastal university about 80 km south of Sydney, between the escarpment and the beach, known for engineering, IT, business, and health.
Lower living costs than Sydney and a close-knit campus make Wollongong a popular choice with value-conscious international students.
A multi-campus Victorian university with a large, well-regarded online campus, known for sport science, nursing, IT, and cybersecurity.
Deakin's campuses range from suburban Melbourne to the coastal city of Geelong, giving students a choice of city or regional study.
A multi-campus Queensland university with major bases on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, and one of the biggest movers in the 2027 QS rankings.
Griffith is strong in health, environmental science, hospitality and tourism, criminology, and music through the Queensland Conservatorium.
A practical, industry-connected university in inner-city Brisbane, with its Gardens Point campus beside the City Botanic Gardens.
QUT is known for business, law, engineering, creative industries, and nursing, built around real-world projects and work-integrated learning.
A large Melbourne university with a bushland campus in Bundoora and regional campuses across Victoria, strong in health sciences, IT, agriculture, and public health.
Its regional campuses in Bendigo and beyond give students access to smaller classes and regional post-study benefits.
A regional research university about two hours north of Sydney, with a bushland campus near one of Australia's best surf beaches.
Newcastle is well-known for engineering, medicine, nursing, and education, and its regional location brings post-study work advantages.
A technology-focused university in Melbourne's inner east, strong in engineering, IT, design, aviation, and astrophysics.
Swinburne builds industry placements into many of its degrees, and also runs a campus in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Australia's fourth-oldest university, on the island state of Tasmania, and a world leader in Antarctic, marine, and climate science.
The whole state counts as regional, so graduates can qualify for extended post-study work rights and extra migration points.
A multi-campus university across Greater Western Sydney, one of Australia's fastest-growing regions, strong in health, IT, business, and education.
WSU has repeatedly been ranked number one in the world in the THE Impact Rankings for social and sustainability impact.
A hillside campus in Adelaide's south, with an on-site teaching hospital and strong programmes in medicine, nursing, psychology, and engineering.
Adelaide's lower living costs and South Australia's migration pathways make Flinders a good-value option.
Known as UniSQ, a regional Queensland university and one of Australia's pioneers in flexible and online study.
Strengths include aviation, engineering, education, and nursing, with lower living costs than the major cities.
A leafy Perth university known for veterinary science, environmental science, IT, and law, with a campus in Singapore.
Smaller class sizes and a strong sustainability focus make Murdoch a relaxed, supportive place to study.
A regional Queensland university with campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, and one of the biggest risers in the 2027 QS rankings.
Popular with international students for IT, accounting, nursing, and engineering, often at lower tuition than big-city universities.
A tropical university in northern Queensland and a world leader in marine biology, tropical medicine, and environmental science.
Its location next to the Great Barrier Reef makes JCU a unique choice for marine and environmental students, with regional post-study advantages.
A career-focused university in the national capital, strong in health, education, IT, and public administration.
Close links to federal government agencies and a compact campus make it a good fit for students interested in policy and public-sector careers.