18 August 2020
Release date 16 August 2020
The University of Melbourne is ranked the 35th best institution in the world according to the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Overall, the University improved six places on its 2019 ranking and remains the highest ranked institution in Australia.
Launched in 2003, the ARWU ranks more than 1,200 universities. World universities are ranked using six indicators, including number of alumni and staff winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, the number of highly cited researchers selected by Clarivate Analytics, and the number of articles published in journals such as Nature and Science.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Jim McCluskey said the University’s ranking was testament to the University’s staff.
“The University of Melbourne’s position in the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities reflects the quality of research conducted across the University and affiliated institutions,” Professor McCluskey said.
“The University considers metrics-based evaluations of research quality as one measure of the value and importance of its research, and recognises the assumptions and flaws in rankings methodology that preference STEM research, under value interdisciplinarity and are imperfect proxies of the long-term benefits of research.”
The ARWU is published annually by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. Initially, it was launched by Shanghai Jiao Tong, a public research university based in Shanghai.
