UNSW Sydney ranked among world’s best for 47 subjects

The 2024 QS Subject Rankings place 19 UNSW subjects in the top 50 worldwide and 10 at number one in Australia.

UNSW Sydney has been named among the world’s top universities for 47 subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject. Six UNSW subjects are ranked in the top 20 globally, and 19 are in the top 50.

Mineral & Mining Engineering maintained its position as UNSW’s highest-ranked subject at third in the world, an improvement on its fourth position in 2023. This is its eighth year in the top 10 and as UNSW’s best-performing subject.

UNSW ranked number one in Australia for 10 subjects, up from five in 2023 - Civil & Structural Engineering; Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering; Materials Sciences; Mathematics; Accounting & Finance; Business & Management Studies; Marketing; and equal first in Statistics & Operational Research and Performing Arts.

UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Attila Brungs said: “It is exciting to see UNSW improve its strong position in the QS Subject rankings across all faculties, reflecting the University’s renewed commitment to societal impact and positive change. Our rise in the subject rankings enables us to continue to attract the world’s best researchers, educators and students and drive our positive change – both globally and locally.”

UNSW Pro Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Dane McCamey, said the University’s success points to our quality research across broad subject areas.

“This year’s results again reflect our strong global reputation among employers and the academic community,” Prof. McCamey said.

“This reputation is borne out of our efforts to develop new knowledge and educate skilled graduates who can use that knowledge to have impact on the most significant challenges facing society.”

UNSW subjects ranked in the top 50 in 2024 (and ranking):

• Engineering – Mineral & Mining Engineering (3)

• Petroleum Engineering (9)

• Law (=12)

• Engineering – Civil & Structural (=17)

• Marketing (18)

• Accounting & Finance (=20)

• Psychology (30)

• Earth & Marine Sciences (30=)

• Geology (=30)

• Materials Science (=30)

• Geophysics (31) 

• Environmental Sciences (33)

• Architecture/ Built Environment (35) 

• Business & Management Studies (=35)

• Engineering – Electrical & Electronic (36)

• Economics & Econometrics (37)

• Anatomy & Physiology (=40)

• Mathematics (44)

• Engineering – Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing (=50)

Published annually since 2011, the global QS Subject Rankings are based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research citations. The 2024 league table ranked 1559 institutions across 55 subjects in five broad subject areas. 

The rankings aim to help prospective students identify the world’s leading schools in their chosen field, with the list of subjects extended each year in response to high demand for subject-level comparisons.

The full results for 2024 can be found on the QS World University Rankings by Subject site.