Top universities in Australia for education degrees 2026
| Australia Education Rank 2026 | Global Education Rank 2026 | University | Overall | Teaching | Research Environment | Research Quality | Industry | International Outlook |
| 1 | 16 | University of Melbourne | 80.3 | 75 | 87 | 77.3 | 84.4 | 86.1 |
| 2 | 18 | Monash University | 78.5 | 67.6 | 80.6 | 87.7 | 74.5 | 85.8 |
| 3 | 26 | The University of Sydney | 72.7 | 62.8 | 71.8 | 81 | 87.1 | 79.9 |
| 4 | 39 | The University of Queensland | 67.2 | 51.2 | 66.5 | 80.1 | 79.6 | 84.4 |
| 5 | =54 | UNSW Sydney | 62.1 | 46.1 | 49.2 | 87 | 66 | 87.3 |
| 6 | 70 | Deakin University | 58.3 | 36.8 | 57.4 | 86.1 | 43.8 | 59.7 |
| 7 | =71 | University of Technology Sydney | 58.1 | 34.7 | 42.6 | 91.1 | 98.6 | 76.5 |
| 8 | 89 | Adelaide University | 56.8 | 35.8 | 48.9 | 79.2 | 83.3 | 80.9 |
| =9 | 101–125 | Curtin University | 51.8–54.7 | 30.4 | 41.7 | 86.7 | 53.2 | 79.7 |
| =9 | 101–125 | Macquarie University | 51.8–54.7 | 28.6 | 35.9 | 83.6 | 79.3 | 81 |
| =9 | 101–125 | The University of Western Australia | 51.8–54.7 | 33.9 | 35.4 | 79.2 | 75.6 | 80.6 |
| 12 | 126–150 | RMIT University | 49.6–51.7 | 34.5 | 37.1 | 75.2 | 72.8 | 68.7 |
| =13 | 151–175 | Australian Catholic University | 47.6–49.2 | 19.7 | 29.5 | 94.2 | 30.1 | 82.9 |
| =13 | 151–175 | Griffith University | 47.6–49.2 | 24.8 | 40.9 | 75.4 | 71.9 | 68.6 |
| =13 | 151–175 | Queensland University of Technology | 47.6–49.2 | 34.4 | 33.2 | 76.1 | 48.4 | 62 |
| 16 | 176–200 | Western Sydney University | 46.7–47.5 | 28.2 | 31.7 | 75.4 | 50 | 81.4 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Edith Cowan University | 43.1–46.6 | 26.9 | 24.4 | 80.1 | 25.5 | 63.6 |
| =17 | 201–250 | La Trobe University | 43.1–46.6 | 22.3 | 30.4 | 76.7 | 40.4 | 78 |
| =17 | 201–250 | Swinburne University of Technology | 43.1–46.6 | 19.5 | 23.1 | 85.2 | 50 | 74.3 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Newcastle | 43.1–46.6 | 32.8 | 31.3 | 72.1 | 61.8 | 62.8 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Tasmania | 43.1–46.6 | 23.7 | 24.9 | 82.2 | 41 | 64.1 |
| =17 | 201–250 | University of Wollongong | 43.1–46.6 | 23.1 | 28 | 78.5 | 85.5 | 71.2 |
| =23 | 251–300 | Murdoch University | 40.6–43.0 | 17.3 | 18.7 | 89 | 35.6 | 71.3 |
| =23 | 251–300 | University of Canberra | 40.6–43.0 | 21.3 | 22.1 | 69.8 | 46.9 | 89.3 |
| =25 | 301–400 | Flinders University | 36.3–40.5 | 26.3 | 23 | 64.2 | 36 | 77.1 |
| =25 | 301–400 | James Cook University | 36.3–40.5 | 19.5 | 21.3 | 65.3 | 48.5 | 62.5 |
| =25 | 301–400 | Southern Cross University | 36.3–40.5 | 20.7 | 20.9 | 75.1 | 25.4 | 61.4 |
| =25 | 301–400 | University of Southern Queensland | 36.3–40.5 | 27.2 | 19.2 | 69.3 | 31.3 | 54.1 |
| =25 | 301–400 | University of the Sunshine Coast | 36.3–40.5 | 17.4 | 20.2 | 71.4 | 49.2 | 48.2 |
| =25 | 301–400 | Victoria University | 36.3–40.5 | 28.3 | 21 | 68.2 | 36.1 | 54.6 |
| =31 | 401–500 | Central Queensland University | 32.7–36.2 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 76.1 | 42 | 50.2 |
| =31 | 401–500 | Charles Darwin University | 32.7–36.2 | 15.8 | 16.1 | 61.3 | 28.7 | 72.8 |
| =31 | 401–500 | Charles Sturt University | 32.7–36.2 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 67.2 | 27.9 | 42.7 |
| 34 | 501–600 | Federation University Australia | 29.0–32.6 | 16.2 | 12.4 | 55.3 | 70.2 | 61.7 |
| 35 | 601–800 | The University of Notre Dame Australia | 20.1–28.9 | 15.3 | 11.8 | 48 | 19.6 | 51.7 |
Key insights into the top universities for education in Australia 2026
- The top university for education degrees in Australia is the University of Melbourne.
- There are 35 Australian universities ranked in the table for best universities for education
- The University of Technology Sydney scores highly for research quality and links to industry.
- The education studies table evaluates schools and colleges across three core disciplines: education studies, teacher training and academic studies in education.
Choosing the right university for education in Australia
Becoming an educator of the next generation is a rewarding and secure career path to take. There are several different pathways to becoming a qualified teacher, varying significantly between country.
In Australia, universities offer a postgraduate teacher training programme known as the graduate diploma of education or the master of teaching.
However, education can be studied at many different levels in the Australia, beyond teacher training. Education as an academic discipline brings together fields such as sociology, politics, history and psychology to investigate a broad range of education-related problems, from social mobility to international policy.
A number of Australian universities offer undergraduate degrees in education, typically four years in length.
Choosing where to study education in Australia requires considering a range of factors including teaching and research. These rankings provide critical insights based on:
- Research environment – focuses on research reputation and productivity
- Teaching quality – the student learning experience and faculty strength.
- Research quality – influence and innovation in the engineering field.
- Industry collaboration – how institutions work with businesses and apply practical knowledge.
- International outlook – global diversity of students and faculty.
The table for the best universities for education in Australia was derived from data collected for the THE World University Subject Rankings: Education. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.
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