<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>330511</docID> <postdate>2024-10-09 09:32:25</postdate> <headline>Unis drop in world rankings ahead of student cap</headline> <body><p><img class=" wp-image-327166" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ANU-e1724127667495.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>The ANU... fell from 67th to 73rd in the world rankings.</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Andrew Brown</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Australia's leading universities have tumbled down in world rankings, with some recording their worst result in annual standings.</strong></p> <p>The latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings showed the University of Melbourne was the top institution in Australia, coming in 39th place.</p> <p>While the university retained its position as the leading campus in the country for the 15th straight year, it was the lowest position in the 21-year history of the global rankings.</p> <p>The next best Australian university was Monash University, down from 54th to 58th, followed by the University of Sydney, which fell from 60th to 61st.</p> <p>The Australian National University went back from 67th to 73rd, while the University of Queensland rounded out the top five Australian campuses in 77th place, a drop from 70th the year before.</p> <p>The rankings showed 17 Australian universities fall down the scale, with seven having their worst results.</p> <p>Just four institutions – UNSW, Macquarie University, Deakin University and Federation University Australia – increased their position in the latest list.</p> <p>While Australia had 12 universities inside the top 100 in 2021, it now has just 10.</p> <p>Times Higher Education chief global affairs officer Phil Baty said there were serious warning signs in the sector in Australia.</p> <p>"Australian universities are losing ground in terms of their global academic reputation (and) funding levels," he said.</p> <p>"Perhaps most alarmingly, they are losing ground in areas of great traditional strength: international research collaboration and the attraction of international talent."</p> <p>It comes as the federal government is looking to introduce caps on the number of new international university students.</p> <p>Under the proposal, 53,000 fewer students would be allowed to enrol in Australian universities as part of a cap of 270,000.</p> <p>Further details about the limit are expected to be unveiled in a Senate report handed down on Wednesday.</p> <p>Mr Baty said the caps could lead to Australia's international standings in the university sector being reduced.</p> <p>"Many in the sector are very worried about forthcoming international student caps, which may further erode income for some top institutions, as well as diminish Australia's world-leading reputation as an open and internationally facing sector," he said.</p> <p>The report said Australia's average score for international students had dropped for the second year in a row, following repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>The higher education rankings are measured across 18 metrics, such as teaching, research and international students.</p> <p>Oxford University came out on top in the global standings, followed by MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Cambridge.</p> </body>