39 Best universities for Astrophysics and Astronomy in Australia

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Australia ranked based on their research performance in Astrophysics and Astronomy. A graph of 3.91M citations received by 138K academic papers made by 39 universities in Australia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Australian National University

Australia | Canberra

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#1 in Oceania

#42 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Founded: 1946

2. University of Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#2 in Oceania

#59 in the World

Enrollment: 63,602
Founded: 1850

3. University of New South Wales

Australia | Sydney

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#3 in Oceania

#87 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1949

4. University of Melbourne

Australia | Melbourne

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#4 in Oceania

#96 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Enrollment: 49,000
Founded: 1853

5. Monash University

Australia | Clayton

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#5 in Oceania

#109 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Enrollment: 78,000
Founded: 1958

6. University of Queensland

Australia | St Lucia

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#6 in Oceania

#152 in the World

Enrollment: 48,771
Founded: 1909

7. University of Western Australia

Australia | Crawley

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#7 in Oceania

#218 in the World

Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1911

8. University of Adelaide

Australia | Adelaide

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#8 in Oceania

#238 in the World

Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1874

9. Swinburne University of Technology

Australia | Hawthorn

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#9 in Oceania

#240 in the World

Founded: 1908

10. Macquarie University

Australia | Sydney

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#10 in Oceania

#296 in the World

Enrollment: 38,747
Founded: 1964

11. Queensland University of Technology

Australia | Brisbane

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#12 in Oceania

#355 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1989

12. Curtin University

Australia | Perth

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#13 in Oceania

#373 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Enrollment: 58,607
Founded: 1966

13. University of Tasmania

Australia | Hobart

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#16 in Oceania

#447 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Enrollment: 33,879
Founded: 1890

14. University of Technology Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#17 in Oceania

#493 in the World

Founded: 1965

15. University of Wollongong

Australia | Wollongong

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#19 in Oceania

#522 in the World

Enrollment: 31,313
Founded: 1975

16. University of Newcastle

Australia | Callaghan

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#20 in Oceania

#550 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1965

17. Griffith University

Australia | Brisbane

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#21 in Oceania

#566 in the World

Founded: 1971

18. University of South Australia

Australia | Adelaide

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#22 in Oceania

#570 in the World

Founded: 1991

19. La Trobe University

Australia | Melbourne

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#24 in Oceania

#585 in the World

Enrollment: 7,500
Founded: 1964

20. RMIT University

Australia | Melbourne

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#25 in Oceania

#608 in the World

Founded: 1887

21. Flinders University

Australia | Adelaide

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#26 in Oceania

#617 in the World

Founded: 1966

22. Deakin University

Australia | Geelong

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#27 in Oceania

#697 in the World

Enrollment: 34,616
Founded: 1974

23. Western Sydney University

Australia | Penrith

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#28 in Oceania

#718 in the World

Enrollment: 37,426
Founded: 1989

24. James Cook University

Australia | Townsville

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#29 in Oceania

#794 in the World

Founded: 1970

25. University of Southern Queensland

Australia | Toowoomba

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#31 in Oceania

#951 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 18,388
Founded: 1967

26. Edith Cowan University

Australia | Joondalup

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#33 in Oceania

#982 in the World

Founded: 1991

27. University of New England, Australia

Australia | Armidale

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#34 in Oceania

#990 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1938

28. Victoria University

Australia | Melbourne

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#35 in Oceania

#1116 in the World

Founded: 1990

29. University of Canberra

Australia | Canberra

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#36 in Oceania

#1128 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Founded: 1967

30. Murdoch University

Australia | Murdoch

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#37 in Oceania

#1133 in the World

Enrollment: 22,475
Founded: 1975

31. Central Queensland University

Australia | North Rockhampton

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#38 in Oceania

#1155 in the World

Founded: 1967

32. Australian Catholic University

Australia | North Sydney

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#39 in Oceania

#1374 in the World

Founded: 1991

33. Charles Sturt University

Australia | Bathurst

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#40 in Oceania

#1543 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Founded: 1989

34. Southern Cross University

Australia | Lismore

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#42 in Oceania

#1651 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1994

35. Federation University Australia

Australia | Ballarat

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#43 in Oceania

#1736 in the World

Founded: 1870

36. Bond University

Australia | Gold Coast

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#44 in Oceania

#1946 in the World

Founded: 1987

37. Charles Darwin University

Australia | Darwin

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#45 in Oceania

#1967 in the World

Founded: 1989

38. University of the Sunshine Coast

Australia | Sippy Downs

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#46 in Oceania

#1987 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Founded: 1994

39. University of Notre Dame Australia

Australia | Fremantle

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#48 in Oceania

#3202 in the World

Founded: 1989

The best cities to study Astrophysics and Astronomy in Australia based on the number of universities and their ranks are Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Clayton.

Physics subfields in Australia

Acoustical Engineering39

Applied/Engineering Physics24

Astrobiology28

Atomic and Molecular physics28

Biophysics28

Condensed Matter Physics32

Optical Engineering39

Quantum and Particle physics39

Theoretical Physics30