Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings
As a university with a strong commitment to achieving sustainability in terms of teaching, research and how we operate, we’re thrilled to be the top ranked Queensland university in the 2023 THE Impact Rankings. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and measure the social and economic impact of an institution.
- UniSC ranked first place in Queensland for ‘Overall Impact’, and eighth in Australia. We received an overall score of 92.9 out of 100.
- UniSC is first in Queensland across five SDGs
- Zero Hunger
- Clean Water and Sanitation
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- UniSC ranked an equal 29 out of 1591 institutions globally – that’s up two positions from last year.
- UniSC is in the top two percent globally for overall impact
- UniSC is third in the world for our global impact to 'Clean Water and Sanitation'
- UniSC is 23rd globally for ‘Life on Land’
- UniSC is equal 11th globally for ‘Life Below Water’
- UniSC has five SDGs in the global top 50:
- Good Health and Wellbeing
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- Climate Action
- Clean Water and Sanitation
Teaching so good it’s rated 5 stars
Among public universities, UniSC is number one in Queensland* for overall educational experience, and the best in Australia* for postgraduate skills development. And we have a five-star rating for teaching.
Our commitment to student satisfaction is reflected in the inaugural AFR Best Universities Ranking, where UniSC was listed as the highest ranked public university in Queensland for student satisfaction, and number two in Australia. In the key area of equity and access, we ranked 11 nationally. Overall, we ranked 15 across 40 of the nation’s eligible private and public universities.
According to the Good Universities Guide 2023/24, we have 14 five star ratings from key areas including teaching quality, overall experience, learner resources, skills development, social equity, student support, first generation and learner engagement.
*2022 Student Experience Survey Data.
How UniSC ranked:
This rating is based on students’ ratings of their overall educational experience; the quality of teaching they received; and the extent to which they felt lecturers and tutors actively engaged them in and demonstrated concern for learning, provided clear explanations of coursework and assessment, inspired them intellectually, seemed helpful and approachable and provided useful feedback on work, among various other factors.
83.9% of UniSC students (undergraduate), and 87.8% (postgraduate) were satisfied with the quality of teaching they experienced.
UniSC is the highest rated public university in Australia for teaching quality in the fields of:
- Business and Management (undergraduate and postgraduate)
- Computing and Information Systems (postgraduate)
- Health Services and Support (undergraduate)
UniSC is the highest rated public university in Queensland for teaching quality (undergraduate) in the fields of:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Business and Management
- Computing and Information Systems
- Creative Arts
- Education and Training
- Health Services and Support
- Social Work
Overall for teaching quality, we’re number one in Queensland (undergraduate and postgraduate), and in the top five in Australia.
This rating looks at the proportion of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience.
80.6% of UniSC students (undergraduate), and 87.8% (postgraduate) were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience.
UniSC is the highest rated public university in Australia for overall experience in the fields of:
- Business and Management (undergraduate and postgraduate)
UniSC is number one in Queensland (undergraduate) for overall student experience in the fields of:
- Agriculture and Environment Studies
- Business and Management (also No. 1 in QLD postgraduate)
- Computing and Information Systems (also No. 1 in QLD postgraduate)
- Creative Arts
- Education and Training
- Law and Paralegal
- Rehabilitation
- Social Work (also No. 1 in QLD postgraduate)
For overall experience, we’re number one in Queensland (undergraduate and postgraduate), and in the top five in Australia.
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt they received support to settle into study; experienced efficient enrolment and admissions processes; felt orientation activities were helpful; and found administrative staff and services, career advisers, academic or learning advisers, counsellors, financial advisers and health services to be available and helpful.
79.8% of UniSC students were satisfied with the support they received from their institution.
UniSC came in first place in Queensland for student support (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Computing and Information Systems
- Creative Arts
- Education and Training
- Social Work
We also scored in the top five in Australia for student support in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Business and Management
- Communications
- Computing and Information Systems
- Education and Training
- Health Services and Support
- Law and Paralegal
- Science and Mathematics
- Social Work
UniSC is also in the top two in Australia for student support (postgraduate) for Computing and Information Systems and Education and Training.
The proportion of domestic students commencing a bachelor degree whose parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12.
44% of University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) students came from families where their parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12.
This rating is based on students’ average ratings of teaching spaces (including lecture theatres, laboratories and tutorial rooms), student spaces and common areas, online learning materials, computing and IT resources, assigned books and notes, laboratory or studio equipment and library facilities.
88.2% of UniSC students (undergraduate), and 87.0% (postgraduate), were satisfied with the learning resources provided by their institution.
UniSC is number one in Queensland for learning resources (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Studies
- Creative Arts
- Nursing
- Rehabilitation
In Australia, we’re in the top five (undergraduate) for:
- Business and Management
- Creative Arts
- Education and Training
- Health Services and Support
- Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences
- Law and Paralegal
- Rehabilitation
- Science and Mathematics
- Social Work
- Psychology
For postgraduate study, UniSC is number one in Australia in Social Work and number one in Queensland in Business and Management.
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt prepared for study, had a sense of belonging at their institution, participated in discussions online or face to face, worked with other students, interacted with students outside of study and interacted with students different to them.
UniSC is in first place in Queensland for learner engagement (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Studies
- Education and Training
- Social Work
UniSC is number one in Australia for postgraduate learner engagement in:
- Education and Training
UniSC is ranked first in Queensland (postgraduate) for:
- Psychology (also second in Australia)
- Social Work
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt their course developed their critical-thinking skills, ability to solve complex problems, ability to work with others, confidence to work independently, written communication skills, verbal communication skills, knowledge of the field they are studying, and work-related knowledge and skills.
UniSC is number one in Australia (undergraduate) for:
- Education and Training
UniSC is in first place in Queensland for (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Studies
- Computing and Information Systems
We’re also in first place in Australia for skills development of postgraduates studying:
- Business and Management
- Computing and Information Systems
This rating compares the median salary of graduates from different universities.
UniSC is ranked first in Queensland for starting salary (undergraduate) in:
- Science and Mathematics (also top 5 in Australia)
- Social Work (also top 5 in Australia)
We're also in the top three in Australia for Education and Training.
For Graduate Outcomes - Full-time Employment, UniSC came first in Australia for Rehabilitation.
Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)
90% of graduates are employed within four months of finishing their degrees.
95% of graduates are employed within four months in our top performing study areas – engineering, education, and occupational therapy.
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Rankings
The Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings
UniSC ranked 160 in the world in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings (2022). These rankings list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger and use the same 13 performance indicators as the flagship THE World University Rankings, but the weightings have been adjusted to give less weight to reputation.
For ‘Teaching,’ UniSC was ranked 132 in the world (out of 539 ‘young’ universities)
We don’t like to brag…but hey, we’d be doing our university community an injustice if we didn’t quietly mention (or shout from the rooftops!) how incredibly proud we are of our rankings.
Among public universities, UniSC is number one in Queensland*, and in the nation’s top two, for overall educational experience. And we have a five-star rating for teaching!
Our strong focus on sustainability, impact and community, all of which are reflected in our rankings that look at the three main areas of university activity: impact, research, and teaching.
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Our rankings are based on five top ranking systems used to assess performance and compare universities around the world, including the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings, Good Universities Guide and Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT).
Impact
Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings
The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and measure the social and economic impact of an institution.
As a university with a strong commitment to achieving sustainability in terms of teaching, research and how we operate, we’re thrilled to be the top ranked Queensland university in the 2022 THE Impact Rankings.
The multiple innovations and research projects at the UniSC’s five campuses through Sustainable USC, as well as our work in the community, have contributed to these excellent ranking results.
How we ranked:
- UniSC is in first place in Queensland for ‘Overall Impact’, and seventh in Australia. We received an overall score of 6 out of 100.
- UniSC ranked an equal 31 out of 1406 institutions globally (out of 106 countries/regions) – that’s up two positions from last year.
- UniSC is in the top three percent globally for 'Climate Action' impact
- UniSC is fifth in the world for our global impact to 'Clean Water and Sanitation'
- UniSC is third in Australia for our global impact to ‘Life on Land’
- UniSC is in the top four percent globally for ‘Life Below Water’
RESEARCH
Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Rankings
The Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) Rankings identifies and promotes excellence across the full range of research in Australia’s higher education institutions. Through ERA, the Australian Research Council (ARC) identifies excellence in research by comparing Australia's university research against international benchmarks.
UniSC performed strongly in the most recent ERA Rankings, with 13 of our research fields ranked well above world standard.
UniSC’s research explores the timeliest topics of our era, those with the most significance for the future. Our research impacts are being felt on both a regional and global scale through outcomes that make a tangible difference, transforming communities and lives.
How UniSC ranked:
UniSC has 13 research fields placed well above world standard, characterised by evidence of outstanding performance. These fields include:
- Environmental Sciences
- Ecological Applications
- Environmental Science and Management
- Ecology
- Zoology
- Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
- Fisheries Sciences
- Forestry Sciences
- Horticultural Production
- Veterinary Sciences
- Technology
- Neurosciences
- Nursing
UniSC has four research fields placed above world standard, including:
- Biological Sciences
- Materials Engineering
- Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
- Psychology
UniSC has nine research fields placed at world standard, including:
- Engineering
- Medical and Health Sciences
- Human Movement and Sports Science
- Medical Microbiology
- Studies in Human Society
- Criminology
- Human Geography
- Policy and Administration
- Language, Communication and Culture
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Teaching - 5 star rating
For teaching and learning, UniSC has received strong rankings across numerous providers of trusted performance data, including the Good Universities Guide, THE Young University Rankings, and Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT).
Good Universities Guide 2022/23
We’re exceptionally proud to be one of Australia’s highest-rated public universities. According to the Good Universities Guide 2022/23, we have 13 five star ratings from key areas of student satisfaction, for teaching quality, overall experience, learner resources, skills development, social equity, student support, first generation and learner engagement (postgraduate).
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How UniSC ranked:
This rating is based on students’ ratings of their overall educational experience; the quality of teaching they received; and the extent to which they felt lecturers and tutors actively engaged them in and demonstrated concern for learning, provided clear explanations of coursework and assessment, inspired them intellectually, seemed helpful and approachable and provided useful feedback on work, among various other factors.
82.2% of UniSC students (undergraduate) were satisfied with the quality of teaching they experienced.
UniSC is the highest rated university in QLD for teaching quality (undergraduate) in the fields of:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Computing and Information Systems
- Creative Arts
- Engineering and Technology and Rehabilitation
Overall for teaching quality, we’re in the top five in Australia.
This rating looks at the proportion of students who were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience.
77.1% of UniSC students (undergraduate) were satisfied with the overall quality of their educational experience.
UniSC is number one in QLD for overall student experience in the fields of:
- Agriculture and Environment Studies
- Education and Training
- Rehabilitation
- Social Work
For overall experience, we’re in the top five in Australia.
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt they received support to settle into study; experienced efficient enrolment and admissions processes; felt orientation activities were helpful; and found administrative staff and services, career advisers, academic or learning advisers, counsellors, financial advisers and health services to be available and helpful.
78.5% of UniSC students were satisfied with the support they received from their institution.
UniSC came in first place in QLD for student support (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Rehabilitation (also top three in Australia)
- Social Work (also top three in Australia)
We also scored in the top three in Australia for Law and Paralegal Studies.
UniSC is also in the top five in Australia for student support (post-graduate) in the field of Social Work.
The proportion of domestic students commencing a bachelor degree whose parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12.
46% of University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) students came from families where their parents’ education is known and did not exceed Year 12.
This rating is based on students’ average ratings of teaching spaces (including lecture theatres, laboratories and tutorial rooms), student spaces and common areas, online learning materials, computing and IT resources, assigned books and notes, laboratory or studio equipment and library facilities.
83.7% of UniSC students were satisfied with the learning resources provided by their institution.
UniSC is number one in QLD for learning resources (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Studies
- Rehabilitation
- Social Work
In Australia, we’re in the top five for:
- Law and Paralegal Studies
- Health Services
- Support
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt prepared for study, had a sense of belonging at their institution, participated in discussions online or face to face, worked with other students, interacted with students outside of study and interacted with students different to them.
UniSC is in first and second place in QLD for learner engagement (undergraduate) in:
- Agriculture and Environmental Studies (1st)
- Social Work (1st)
- Computing and Info Systems (2nd)
- Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences (2nd)
- Rehabilitation (2nd)
UniSC is also number one for learner engagement in postgraduate students in the fields of:
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Social Work (also second in Australia)
This rating is based on the extent to which students felt their course developed their critical-thinking skills, ability to solve complex problems, ability to work with others, confidence to work independently, written communication skills, verbal communication skills, knowledge of the field they are studying, and work-related knowledge and skills.
UniSC is in first place in QLD for skills development (undergraduate) in:
- Computing and Information Systems (also top 5 in Australia)
- Rehabilitation (also top 5 in Australia)
This rating compares the median salary of graduates from different universities.
UniSC is ranked first in QLD for starting salary (undergraduate) in:
- Science and Mathematics (also top 3 in Australia)
- Social Work (also top 4 in Australia)
We’re also in the top three in Australia for starting salary in Education and Training.
UniSC also ranked first in Australia for Graduate Outcomes - Full-time Employment in the field of Rehabilitation.
Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2022
On a global scale, UniSC ranked 160 overall in THE Young University Rankings. The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings list the world’s best universities that are 50 years old or younger. The table is based on the same 13 performance indicators as the flagship THE World University Rankings, but the weightings have been adjusted to give less weight to reputation.
How UniSC ranked:
- For ‘Teaching,’ UniSC was ranked 132 in the world (out of 539 ‘young’ universities)
Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT)
According to the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022, UniSC ranks high when it comes to finding employment with competitive wages after graduation. This means our teaching and learning at UniSC is doing its job in preparing graduates to be work-ready.
How UniSC ranked:
90% of graduates are employed within four months of finishing their degrees.
95% of graduates are employed within four months in our top performing study areas – engineering, education, and occupational therapy.
This rating shows what proportion of domestic students enrolling at each university come from low socioeconomic or disadvantaged backgrounds. *This rating is not field of study specific but for the institution as a whole.
23% of UniSC students were from low socioeconomic or disadvantaged backgrounds.