October 1, 2015

UOW praised for ‘outstanding achievement’ in final major ranking for 2015

UOW has rounded off the year with another lift in global rankings –this time the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

The THE World University Rankings, the final major rankings for the year released in London on 1 October, shows UOW has lifted into the 251-300 band (up from the 275-300 band last year). This result pushes UOW up from 12^th spot (in 2014) to 10^th spot among universities in the Times rankings in Australia

Now in its 12^th year, the THE World University Rankings are widely referenced globally. Editor of the THE Rankings, Phil Baty, said the rankings “apply rigorous standards, using tough global benchmarks across all of a global research university’s key missions – teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

“The results are trusted by students and their families, academics, university leaders and governments. For the University of Wollongong to make 251-300 in the world is an outstanding achievement to be celebrated,” Mr Baty said.

The latest rankings success caps off a top year for UOW. Wollongong recently made one of the biggest jumps among the world’s universities in the QS World University Rankings. In these rankings, UOW surged from its 2014 ranking of 283^rd to 243^rd - a rise of 40 places representing one of the biggest improvements of any university.

These results followed closely on UOW’s other recent surge in mid-August when it recorded the fourth biggest improvement in the world leaping from a ranking of 329^th to 262^nd in the Academic Rankings of World Universities (ARWU).

And UOW in August also outperformed all other universities in the country in the Good Universities Guide to score the highest number of star ratings. Wollongong scored an impressive 50 stars across the Guide’s various categories – three stars clear of its nearest metropolitan-based university rival.

“What a way to finish the major rankings cycle for 2015, in this our 40^th anniversary year, with the latest result from the Times Higher Education World Rankings,” Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings, CBE, said.

Professor Wellings said it was particularly pleasing to see the THE team highlight the strength of UOW’s “international outlook” and overall how we have consolidated our spot in the top 2 per cent of universities world-wide.

“I again wish to acknowledge the tremendous efforts put in by our researchers and dedicated teaching staff,” Professor Wellings said.