30 Best universities for Theoretical Physics 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 Theoretical Physics. A graph of 497K citations received by 19K academic papers made by 30 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 Theoretical Physics

#1 in Oceania

#75 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Founded: 1946

2. University of Queensland

Australia | St Lucia

For Theoretical Physics

#2 in Oceania

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 48,771
Founded: 1909

3. University of New South Wales

Australia | Sydney

For Theoretical Physics

#3 in Oceania

#159 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1949

4. University of Melbourne

Australia | Melbourne

For Theoretical Physics

#4 in Oceania

#174 in the World

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

5. University of Adelaide

Australia | Adelaide

For Theoretical Physics

#5 in Oceania

#222 in the World

Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1874

6. University of Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Theoretical Physics

#6 in Oceania

#226 in the World

Enrollment: 63,602
Founded: 1850

7. University of Western Australia

Australia | Crawley

For Theoretical Physics

#7 in Oceania

#296 in the World

Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1911

8. Monash University

Australia | Clayton

For Theoretical Physics

#8 in Oceania

#307 in the World

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

9. Griffith University

Australia | Brisbane

For Theoretical Physics

#11 in Oceania

#470 in the World

Founded: 1971

10. La Trobe University

Australia | Melbourne

For Theoretical Physics

#12 in Oceania

#511 in the World

Enrollment: 7,500
Founded: 1964

11. Macquarie University

Australia | Sydney

For Theoretical Physics

#14 in Oceania

#550 in the World

Enrollment: 38,747
Founded: 1964

12. Flinders University

Australia | Adelaide

For Theoretical Physics

#15 in Oceania

#575 in the World

Founded: 1966

13. University of Newcastle

Australia | Callaghan

For Theoretical Physics

#16 in Oceania

#590 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Founded: 1965

14. University of Tasmania

Australia | Hobart

For Theoretical Physics

#17 in Oceania

#654 in the World

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

15. Queensland University of Technology

Australia | Brisbane

For Theoretical Physics

#18 in Oceania

#670 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Founded: 1989

16. University of Wollongong

Australia | Wollongong

For Theoretical Physics

#20 in Oceania

#702 in the World

Enrollment: 31,313
Founded: 1975

17. Swinburne University of Technology

Australia | Hawthorn

For Theoretical Physics

#22 in Oceania

#722 in the World

Founded: 1908

18. Curtin University

Australia | Perth

For Theoretical Physics

#23 in Oceania

#783 in the World

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

19. University of Technology Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Theoretical Physics

#24 in Oceania

#800 in the World

Founded: 1965

20. Deakin University

Australia | Geelong

For Theoretical Physics

#26 in Oceania

#916 in the World

Enrollment: 34,616
Founded: 1974

21. RMIT University

Australia | Melbourne

For Theoretical Physics

#27 in Oceania

#963 in the World

Founded: 1887

22. University of New England, Australia

Australia | Armidale

For Theoretical Physics

#28 in Oceania

#995 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1938

23. University of Canberra

Australia | Canberra

For Theoretical Physics

#29 in Oceania

#1194 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Founded: 1967

24. James Cook University

Australia | Townsville

For Theoretical Physics

#30 in Oceania

#1341 in the World

Founded: 1970

25. Western Sydney University

Australia | Penrith

For Theoretical Physics

#31 in Oceania

#1416 in the World

Enrollment: 37,426
Founded: 1989

26. Murdoch University

Australia | Murdoch

For Theoretical Physics

#32 in Oceania

#1451 in the World

Enrollment: 22,475
Founded: 1975

27. University of South Australia

Australia | Adelaide

For Theoretical Physics

#33 in Oceania

#1481 in the World

Founded: 1991

28. Federation University Australia

Australia | Ballarat

For Theoretical Physics

#34 in Oceania

#1680 in the World

Founded: 1870

29. University of Southern Queensland

Australia | Toowoomba

For Theoretical Physics

#36 in Oceania

#2028 in the World

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

30. Charles Sturt University

Australia | Bathurst

For Theoretical Physics

#37 in Oceania

#2042 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Founded: 1989

The best cities to study Theoretical Physics in Australia based on the number of universities and their ranks are Canberra, St Lucia, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Physics subfields in Australia

Acoustical Engineering39

Applied/Engineering Physics24

Astrobiology28

Astrophysics and Astronomy39

Atomic and Molecular physics28

Biophysics28

Condensed Matter Physics32

Optical Engineering39

Quantum and Particle physics39