Griffith consistently places in the top 2% of universities worldwide according to a series of prestigious ranking systems
We rate highly as a young university, ranking 30th in the 2020 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings and 33rd in the 2021 QS World University Rankings Top 50 Under 50 world university rankings. By choosing to study at Griffith, students benefit from degrees informed by our world-class research, expert knowledge and industry connections.
Griffith is also a university that lives its values—and, despite our relative youth, we’re being recognised worldwide for our commitment to sustainable development.
In 2021, Griffith has been included for the first time in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, placing inside the global top 50 overall. The rankings assess universities against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Griffith placing 38th out of 1,115 institutions globally in its first appearance on the list.
World rankings
In four of the largest and most credible world university rankings, Griffith is rated in the top 300:
Times Higher Education World University Rankings: 201–250
University Ranking by Academic Performance: 245
US News Best Global Universities: 217
CWTS Leiden Ranking: 246
Griffith is also recognised in the world's top 400 rankings:
Academic Ranking of World Universities: 301-400
QS World University Rankings: 303
National Taiwan University Ranking: 302
Young and ambitious
Griffith ranks highly as a young university, ranking 30th in the 2020 Times Higher Education Young University Rankings and 33rd in the 2021 QS World University Rankings Top 50 Under 50. Being a young university means we have the freedom to respect tradition without being restricted by it, which gives us the flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing needs of students, industry and the community. We’ve introduced Australia’s first degrees in a wide range of important areas, from Asian studies and environmental science to dental technology and forensic science. We were also quick to adopt online education, and have offered online study options for almost 20 years.
Making an impact
Since its founding almost 50 years ago, Griffith University has been a leader in environmentally sustainable and responsible practice. That proud history is now being recognised on the world stage through the University’s inclusion in the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
The rankings assess universities against the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Griffith placing inside the global top 50 overall in its first appearance on the list.
We also ranked highly in four specific SDGs:
- Top 100—SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities (#76)
- Top 20—SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being (#15) and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (#12)
- Top 10—SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals (#5)
These results demonstrate our commitment to creating a better future for all through meaningful, impactful and measurable action, and we are dedicated to achieving even better results in subsequent years.
Find out more about Griffith’s commitment to the UN SDGs on our Sustainable Development webpage.
Australia's top teachers
Griffith has received more Australian Awards for University Teaching than any other university, since 2012. We have won:
3 Australian University Teacher of the Year awards
8 Teaching Excellence awards
6 Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning
42 Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
Five stars for educational experience
Griffith holds a five star rating for overall educational experience from the Good Universities Guide, an independent guide to Australian higher education. We also have five star rankings for our highly qualified staff, skills development, and teaching quality.
Subject rankings
Griffith ranked in the top 300 in the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020 for a range of subjects.
Top 10
- Hospitality and Tourism Management (third globally, first in Australia)
- Marine/Ocean Engineering (eighth globally, second in Australia)
- Nursing and Midwifery (second globally, first in Australia)
Top 50–100
- Computer Science and Engineering
- Education
- Geography
- Law (first in Australia)
- Water Resources
Top 101–150
- Chemical Engineering (equal fifth in Australia)
- Civil Engineering
- Dentistry and Oral Sciences (third in Australia)
- Ecology
- Environmental Science and Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
- Oceanography
- Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Political Science (third to fifth in Australia)
- Public Administration
Top 151–200
- Sociology
- Transportation Science and Technology
Top 201–300
- Biomedical Engineering
- Biotechnology
- Business Administration
- Chemistry
- Clinical Medicine
- Communication
- Management
- Psychology
- Public Health
Griffith MBA
Our MBA is placed among leading national and global MBA’s with a Tier One ranking in CEO Magazine’s 2019 MBA Rankings. We ranked second for student satisfaction and fifth overall in the 2019 Australian Financial Review BOSS Magazine MBA rankings and earned a five-star rating from the Graduate Management Association of Australia’s 2017 MBA Star Rating. Find out more about our MBA credentials.
Research excellence
The 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia results highlight Griffith’s performance at world standard or above across more than 50 different disciplines. With over 1,700 experts conducting research across all major academic disciplines, Griffith is focused on understanding the world we live in and improving people’s lives.
Griffith was rated ‘well above world-standard’ for the following 24 fields of research:
- Chemical sciences
- Condensed matter physics
- Criminology
- Dentistry
- Ecological applications
- Ecology
- Environmental sciences
- Environmental science and management
- Evolutionary biology
- Inorganic chemistry
- Macromolecular and materials chemistry
- Materials engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Medical microbiology
- Nanotechnology
- Nursing
- Oncology and carcinogenesis
- Optical physics
- Physical chemistry (incl. structural)
- Physical sciences
- Political science
- Quantum physics
- Technology
- Tourism
Teaching and learning
Our innovative teaching methods and learning experiences set us apart