Thinking about studying in Australia? It’s an exciting time to think about going to a university here in Australia. And there’s no doubt that Australian National University (ANU), located in Canberra, is one of the top choices that you should opt for. Aside from its current rank, ANU has stood by its reputation as one of the world’s top-tier universities. Here are some key aspects about ANU.
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Where ANU actually ranks
ANU sits 29th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027, up three places on the previous edition and inside the top two per cent globally. Its overall score was 87.6 out of 100, with gains in six of the nine weighted indicators — most notably sustainability and faculty-student ratio, both up 19 places, plus employer reputation and employment outcomes.
Nationally, ANU is Australia’s fourth-ranked university, behind UNSW, Melbourne and Sydney. That’s worth being clear about, because plenty of older articles still describe it as number one: ANU held the top Australian spot for close to two decades before Melbourne took over in 2023, and UNSW leads for the first time this year.
Rankings only tell you so much. Fourth in Australia and 29th worldwide still puts ANU among the best universities on the planet — and in specific fields it’s stronger than its overall position suggests. It ranks 8th in the world for Philosophy, 9th for Anthropology and 11th for Politics, with Law, Natural Sciences and Computer Science all in the global top 40. If you’re studying politics, international relations or public policy, ANU is arguably the best choice in the country, its position in Canberra is not a coincidence.
For reference, ANU places 73rd in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, different methodology, different result, which is why it’s worth looking at subject rankings rather than headline positions.
Sources: ANU · QS World University Rankings
Programs Offered
ANU provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Students can choose from single degrees or flexible double degree options in areas such as Arts, Business and Commerce, Health, Medicine, Psychology, Engineering, and Environmental Sciences. The university is particularly known for its research-driven curriculum and offers significant opportunities for hands-on learning, internships, and exchange programs.
Additionally, as an ANU student, you can connect with industry and government executives through internships and participate in world-class international student exchange programs. You can also join in cultural, sports, and social activities that foster lifelong friendships and networks that enhance your career.
Campus and community
ANU sits in the heart of Canberra, a fifteen-minute walk from the city centre, unusual for an Australian university, most of which are stranded in the suburbs. Around 17,000 students study across seven teaching colleges, roughly a third of them international.
The Acton campus covers about 145 hectares and is more parkland than campus: over 10,000 trees, more than 140 native animal species, and a registered wildlife corridor for Box-Gum woodland. Walking to a lecture you can genuinely expect to pass kangaroos, and there are resident platypus in Sullivans Creek, which runs through the middle of it.
Facilities include modern teaching spaces and laboratories, five libraries holding more than two million physical volumes and as many again electronically, medical services, sporting fields, a gym, and the usual spread of cafés and food vans.
Canberra itself divides opinion. It’s smaller and quieter than Sydney or Melbourne, which some students love and others find limiting. What’s not in dispute: it’s cheaper, the commute is nothing, and you’re surrounded by bush, hills and mountains within minutes.
Tuition fees and scholarships
Fees vary widely by programme. For international students, expect roughly AUD 33,000 to AUD 70,000 per year, with science, engineering and medicine at the upper end and humanities at the lower.
That’s the headline figure, but it isn’t the whole cost. Budget for OSHC health cover (compulsory for the entire length of your student visa), accommodation, and living expenses. The Department of Home Affairs currently requires proof of AUD 29,710 per year in living funds for a student visa.
Apply for scholarships early, most people don’t. ANU awards more than 400 scholarships worth around AUD 25 million each year, and a significant number go undersubscribed simply because applicants miss the deadlines, which typically fall months before term starts. Check the ANU scholarships portal as soon as you’ve picked a course, not after you’ve been accepted.
On course structure: ANU offers around 50 single degrees and lets you combine them into double degrees, roughly 750 possible combinations — alongside certificates, diplomas, masters and doctorates. The flexibility is one of its genuine selling points, particularly if you want to pair something vocational with a research discipline.
Read more: budgeting to study in Australia · how to finance your studies
🏥 OSHC is compulsory — sort it before you apply
Overseas Student Health Cover is a condition of the student visa, and it must cover your entire stay. Your visa length is tied to your policy length, so a policy that’s too short shortens your visa. Take it out before you lodge your application.
Nobel Laureates and Notable Alumni
ANU counts 6 Nobel Prize winners among alumni and staff, plus 49 Rhodes Scholars. It has also educated two Australian prime ministers and numerous heads of government departments, indicating its role as a significant contributor to public policy and leadership in the region. Governor‑General Sam Mostyn (appointed 2024) is an ANU alumna – one of many leaders in politics, diplomacy and science to graduate from the university.
A few things that set ANU apart
It’s the only Australian university created by an Act of Federal Parliament founded in 1946 specifically as a national research institution, which is why it sits where it does and why it dominates public policy in this country.
The School of Cybernetics, launched in 2021, is the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and runs the world’s first Master of Applied Cybernetics.
ANU’s Canberra campuses have run on 100% renewable electricity since 2020, thanks to the ACT’s green grid.
It is Australia’s only member of the International Alliance of Research Universities, alongside Oxford, Yale, ETH Zurich and Cambridge.
