The top universities in Melbourne and Victoria

The wide range of higher education providers in Melbourne means that undergraduate degrees are available in just about every field and specialisation — from business and law to game design and robotics.  

Regional Victoria is traditionally known for its course offerings in agriculture, forestry and education, although students still have access to most of the study fields on offer at metropolitan campuses, from arts to engineering, law and medicine. You should also consider that some providers and campuses offer the opportunity to access fields of study not readily available in metropolitan areas, like outdoor education or health courses with a regional focus.  

Major drawcards for regional Victorian universities include the relaxing lifestyle on offer, as well as their proximity to some of the most beautiful areas of the state. Your university experience depends on where you live and the feel of the campus you attend. Research each town thoroughly to find out what it has to offer. 

Where to study in Melbourne and Victoria 
The best universities in Melbourne and Victoria for 2025

The Good Universities Guide ratings provide a series of insights on Australian universities, helping you in the process of deciding where to study. There is no one university that is best for all students, since different things matter to different people.  

Courses and institutions differ in many ways and only you can decide which differences really matter to you. Check out the ratings for Victorian universities and filter by study level (undergraduate or postgraduate). Some ratings are also available to filter further by field of study.  

In the tables below, we’ve listed the university that ranked highest in each rating category for Victoria in the 2025 edition of our ratings. 

Characteristics 

Rating type 

Definition 

Top university  
undergraduate 

Social Equity  

The proportion of domestic students enrolling at each university from low socioeconomic or disadvantaged backgrounds 

CQUniversity – 45% 

Staff Qualification 

The proportion of staff who hold a masters or doctoral degree 

Monash University — 85% 

Student Demand 

Where high-achieving students choose to study — compares the proportion of commencing students with high ATAR scores at each university 

The University of Melbourne — Low: 0 Medium: 0.45 High: 0.55 

Student – Teacher Ratio 

The number of students per teaching staff member 

University of Tasmania — 18:01 

First Generation 

The proportion of domestic students commencing a bachelor degree whose parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12 

Federation University Australia — 50% 

The Student Experience 

Rating type 

Definition 

Top university 
undergraduate 

Top university  
postgraduate 

Learner Engagement 

The proportion of students who felt they were engaged with learning in their institution 

Victoria University — 70.9% 

Torrens University — 62.3% 

Learning Resources 

The proportion of students who were satisfied with the learning resources provided by their institution 

Deakin University — 90.2% 

Deakin University — 88.6% 

Overall Experience  

The proportion of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience 

Deakin University — 81.1% 

Deakin University — 81% 

Skills Development 

The proportion of students who were satisfied with the skill development they experienced through their studies 

The University of Notre Dame Australia — 85.1% 

Student Support 

The proportion of students who were satisfied with the support they received from their institution 

Deakin University — 78.8% 

CQUniversity — 80.5% 

Teaching Quality 

The proportion of students who were satisfied with the quality of teaching they experienced 

Torrens University  — 83.4% 

Macquarie University — 85.5% 

Graduate Outcomes 

Rating type 

Definition 

Top university 
undergraduate 

Top university  
postgraduate 

Graduate Salary 

The median salary of graduates from different universities 

Charles Sturt University —$64,100 

Charles Sturt University —$78,900 

Full-time Employment 

The employment rates of graduates from different universities 

Charles Sturt University — 88.9% 

University of Tasmania — 94.4% 

 
Head to the Ratings tab to view our most recent ratings for Victorian unis and filter by subject and level of study to find the one that suits you.  

 

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