University profile

The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions. We strive for excellence through the creation, preservation, transfer and application of knowledge. For more than a century, we have educated and worked with outstanding people to deliver knowledge leadership for a better world.

World rankings

UQ ranks among the world’s top universities, as measured by several key independent rankings, including the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2020 (31)*, U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2020 (36), the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities 2019 (39), QS World University Rankings 2021 (46), Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019 (54), and Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 (62).

180 UQ staff (including honorary and adjunct appointments) and emeritus professors are Fellows of Australia’s five learned academies, AAS, AAHMS, ASSA, ATSE, and AAH.

UQ is one of only three Australian members of the global Universitas 21, a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) universities, and a member of Universities Australia.

Teaching and learning excellence

Skilled and motivated teachers are integral to providing positive teaching and learning outcomes for students.

UQ has a strong focus on teaching excellence, having won more Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) than any other in the country and attracting the majority of Queensland's highest academic achievers, as well as top interstate and overseas students.

We are committed to excellence in learning experiences and outcomes for our students.

edX

In late 2013, UQ joined edX – the world’s leading consortium of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), jointly founded by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

UQ is a charter member and has a seat on the University Advisory Board of the not-for-profit edX enterprise. The UQx project in the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation works with the University’s academic teaching staff to create and present a range of MOOCs through the edX platform and to further the goals of the UQ Student Strategy with respect to on-campus teaching.

UQx has 48 MOOCs, four MicroMasters, two XSeries and one online master's degree program running on edX with more under development. UQx MOOCs cover subjects drawn from many disciplines along with meta-skills courses in employability and teamwork. Since releasing its first course on edX in March 2014, UQx has registered more than 2.98 million participants representing every country.

Student experience

The Student Employability Centre provides students with opportunities, choices and support that will enable them to achieve their individual aspirations, to become leaders in their chosen fields and to positively impact on the society in which they live. In addition to flexibility in program choice, students can enjoy a wide range of activities during their studies, including global experiences, participating in conferences and research opportunities, accessing more than 220 clubs and societies, and making use of a wide range of sporting and cultural facilities.

In 2019, the University had more than 55,300 students including 16,000 international students from 134 countries. UQ’s more than 18,600 postgraduate students include one of Australia's largest PhD cohorts, celebrating its 15,400th PhD graduation in 2020.

UQ is continually discovering and practising innovative approaches to fostering student retention and employability. We work towards achieving our strategic objectives by partnering with students to develop new initiatives to enhance the student experience.

Notable alumni

The University’s outstanding 280,000-plus alumni include a Nobel laureate, an Academy Award winner, and leaders in government, law, science, public service and the arts. The University celebrates its alumni as its greatest assets. Their achievements make the University great and, in return, we work hard to strengthen our reputation.

Research focus

The UQ Graduate School offers significant support to higher degree by research (HDR) students through a broad range of scholarships and research travel awards, dedicated office spaces, skills training, and professional development opportunities. We introduced the Career Development Framework – another first nationally – designed to accelerate HDR students’ career development and enhance their employability. Evidence indicates that the University’s research excels in both quality and impact.