Victoria’s world class universities continue to shine in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

Published: 26 March 2026
Photograph of four people standing and conversing outdoors against a stone building wall. Three individuals wear casual jackets while one holds a green notebook, suggesting a casual or academic setting.

Victorian universities continue to shine on the world stage in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, reinforcing its reputation as a high-quality global study destination.

At the centre of this performance is the University of Melbourne, which achieved the highest breadth of top 50 subject areas for any Australian university, with 47 subjects ranked in the world’s top 50, highlighting its depth and consistency of academic excellence.

Monash University also shone globally and nationally, with 51 subjects in the world’s top 100 and leading nationally in two subjects with Pharmacy & Pharmacology ranked #2 globally and Economics #36 in the world.

RMIT University was placed in the global top 20 for Architecture/ Built Environment (#15), Art and Design (#19) and became Australia’s top performer in the Library & Information Management (#29) for the first time since 2019.

Victoria also stood out as a global leader in the sporting domain with Deakin University, La Trobe University and Victoria University all placing within the world’s top 100 for Sports-related Subjects. Swinburne University also maintained its place as a global leader in Art and Design, placing in the world’s top 100-150.

Key subject area standouts for Victorian universities include:

Subject

University

2026 Rank

Pharmacy & Pharmacology

Monash University

2

Economics & Econometrics

Monash University

36

Law

The University of Melbourne

11

Life Sciences & Medicine

The University of Melbourne

14

Education

The University of Melbourne

15

Arts & Humanities

The University of Melbourne

16

Geography

The University of Melbourne

16

Social Sciences & Management

The University of Melbourne

19

Sociology

The University of Melbourne

18

English Language & Literature

The University of Melbourne

18

Psychology

The University of Melbourne

20

Medicine

The University of Melbourne

20

Accounting & Finance

The University of Melbourne

24

Computer Science & Information Systems

The University of Melbourne

31

Biological Sciences

The University of Melbourne

38

Business and Management Studies

The University of Melbourne

42

Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering

The University of Melbourne

45

Architecture / Built Environment

RMIT University

15

Art & Design

RMIT University

19

Library & Information Management

RMIT University

29

Sports-related Subjects

Deakin University

11

Sports-related Subjects

La Trobe University

29

Sports-related Subjects

Victoria University

51–100

Art and Design

Swinburne University

101–150

These results reinforce Melbourne and Victoria’s reputation as a world class education destination with globally recognised academic excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Combined with Melbourne’s  consistently high ranking as a student city and the state’s globally connected university ecosystem, Victoria is a premium study partner delivering both quality education and diverse study opportunities at world-class standard.

Search and compare all study options available in Victoria

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