The top universities in Sydney and NSW
The best universities in New South Wales for study in 2025
There is no one university that is best for all students, since different things matter to different people. Our ratings provide a series of insights on Australian universities helping those in the process of deciding where to study.
Courses and institutions differ in many ways and only the student can decide which differences really matter to them. Check out the ratings for universities in New South Wales and filter by study level (undergraduate or postgraduate). Some ratings are also available to filter further by field of study.
Universities with campuses in New South Wales:
- Australian Catholic University (ACU)
- Charles Darwin University (CDU)
- Charles Sturt University CSU
- Curtin University
- La Trobe University
- Macquarie University
- Southern Cross University (SCU)
- University of Notre Dame Australia The
- University of Sydney
- University of Canberra
- University of New England UNE
- University of Newcastle
- University of Tasmania
- University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
- University of Wollongong
- Victoria University VU
- Western Sydney University
- CQ University
In the tables below, we’ve listed the university that ranked highest in each rating category for New South Wales a in the 2025 edition of The Good Universities Guide ratings.
Characteristics
|
Rating type |
Definition |
Top university |
|
Social Equity |
The proportion of domestic students enrolling at each university from low socioeconomic or disadvantaged backgrounds |
CQ University – 45% |
|
Staff Qualification |
The proportion of staff who hold a masters or doctoral degree |
University of Sydney — 91% |
|
Student Demand |
Where high-achieving students choose to study — compares the proportion of commencing students with high ATAR scores at each university |
University of South Australia — Low: 0.2 Medium: 0.65 High: 0.15 |
|
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 |
Victoria University VU — 45% |
The Student Experience
|
Rating type |
Definition |
Top university |
Top university |
|
Learner Engagement |
The proportion of students who felt they were engaged with learning in their institution |
Avondale University — 75.7% |
Torrens University Australia — 62.3% |
|
Learning Resources |
The proportion of students who were satisfied with the learning resources provided by their institution |
University of Wollongong — 87.2% |
UNSW Sydney — 87.6% |
|
Overall Experience |
The proportion of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience |
Avondale University — 88.9% |
University of New England — 80.2% |
|
Skills Development |
The proportion of students who were satisfied with the skill development they experienced through their studies |
||
|
Student Support |
The proportion of students who were satisfied with the support they received from their institution |
Avondale University — 83.9% |
Avondale University — 81% |
|
Teaching Quality |
The proportion of students who were satisfied with the quality of teaching they experienced |
Avondale University — 87.5% |
Macquarie University — 85.5% |
Graduate Outcomes
|
Rating type |
Definition |
Top university |
Top university |
|
Graduate Salary |
The median salary of graduates from different universities |
Avondale University — $64,400 |
UNSW Sydney — $80,600 |
|
Full-time Employment |
The employment rates of graduates from different universities |
Avondale University — 89.8% |
University of Tasmania — 94.4% |
Head to the Ratings to view our most recent ratings for New South Wales universities — filter by subject and level of study to find the one that suits.