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Our rankings
World rankings
Southern Cross University is a world-ranked University, combining academic and research excellence with the intimacy and support that comes with being a leading institution in some of the most beautiful and community-led regions of Australia.
In recent years, Southern Cross has progressed up the QS Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings. These are the most recognised international indices and each has its own methodology. There are about 11,000 universities globally. In 2024, QS Rankings declared Southern Cross the Most Improved University in Oceania, having seen it rise more than 200 places in the previous five years.
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“This university does remarkable work in education and research … the energy and the passion that I see continually inspires me.”
Our highlights
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QS Rankings
In 2024, QS ranked Southern Cross University at 576th in the world. High ranking subject areas for Southern Cross University include:
Agriculture & Forestry - Top 450Times Higher Education
In the 2024, Times Higher Education ranked Southern Cross among the Top 100 Young Universities in the world under 50 years old and, in 2025, the top 600 universities globally. High ranking subject areas for Southern Cross University in 2025 include:
- Life Sciences - Top 300
- Psychology - Top 300
- Education - Top 400
- Social Sciences - Top 400
- Physical Sciences - Top 500
- Business and Economics - Top 800
- Clinical and Health - Top 800
Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai Ranking)
High-ranking subject areas for Southern Cross University in the 2024 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects include:
Oceanography
Top 150
Nursing
Top 300
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Top 200
Ecology
Top 300
Earth Sciences
Top 500
Education
Top 500
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Good Universities Guide
Business Five Stars
In 2025, the Good Universities Guide rated Southern Cross University 5 stars in Business and Management for undergraduate Skills Development and Teaching Quality.
Law Rankings
In Law and Paralegal Studies, Southern Cross rated 5 stars for undergraduate Full-Time Employment, Skills Development and Student Support.
GUG also awarded five stars for Postgraduate Student Support and Full-Time Employment.
Other five-star study areas included:
- Agriculture & Environmental Studies (Skills Development (UG); Teaching Quality (UG))
- Communications (Full-time Employment (UG))
- Education & Training (Full-time Employment (PG); Overall Educational Experience (PG); Skills Development (PG); Student Support (PG); Teaching Quality (PG))
- Engineering & Technology (Overall Educational Experience (PG); Student Support (PG); Teaching Quality (PG))
- Humanities, Culture & Social Sciences (Full-time Employment (UG); Student Support (UG))
- Nursing (Full-time Employment (UG); Overall Educational Experience (PG); Student Support (PG); Teaching Quality (PG))
- Psychology (Learning Resources (UG); Student Support (UG))
- Tourism, Hospitality, Sport & Leisure (Learner Engagement (UG); Skills Development (UG); Student Support (UG))
UG = Undergraduate; PG = Postgraduate
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QILT
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) is a government-funded agency that independently surveys all universities in Australia.
The latest Student Experience Survey in 2023 (released in 2024) shows Southern Cross University with a positive rating of 79.6% for Skills Development; 75.7% for Teaching Quality; 73.7% for Student Support; and 83% for Learning Resources.