'Find something else': Academics warn of workload as uni rankings released

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has ranked best Australian university and 19th worldwide. (AAP: Dean Lewins) The annual Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) university rankings have placed the University of New South Wales (UNSW) as Australia's best university, ranking 19th out of 1,504 universities worldwide. Higher education experts have cautioned the rankings, saying they have little relevance to domestic students. A new survey of more than 500 university staff reveals just more than 40 per cent plan to stay until retirement, with widespread concern about workloads. Link copiedShareShare articleAustralia's top universities have surged in the latest global rankings over the past decade, but experts warn the results have little relevance to domestic students. The QS World University Rankings 2027 come as the sector faces parliamentary scrutiny over governance, entrenched funding challenges and widespread staff discontent, with a new survey revealing just more than 40 per cent plan to stay in academia until retirement. "Australia's 2027 results point to a higher education system competing with real confidence on the world stage. With 21 universities improving their position, the sector continues to build momentum," QS CEO Jessica Turner said. "The rankings also highlight areas where further progress is needed. Compared with some of its global peers, Australia performs less strongly on teaching capacity and graduate outcomes." Australia's large intensive research universities, known as the Group of 8 (Go8), dominated the list. (Reuters: Loren Elliott) Australia's large intensive research universities, known as the Group of 8 (Go8), dominated the list and its chief executive Vicki Thomson hailed the results as "historic". "This is an outstanding national result. Australia's leading universities are performing at an elite global level and continue to compete with the very best in the world," Ms Thomson said. QS rated the University of New South Wales (UNSW) the country's best and 19th worldwide. "We are excited to be number one because it allows us to do more, have more impact, more influence and access to more networks," UNSW Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs said. "It gives our talented staff and students even greater opportunities to have a positive impact on the world." While the rankings are being celebrated by university leaders, higher education experts have cautioned domestic students that the rankings are of little relevance to them. "Domestic students should not pay much attention to rankings," higher education policy professor Andrew Norton, from Monash University, said. "None of them use local employment results or student satisfaction levels that are a better guide to the likely student experience." The final report into governance has called for state and Commonwealth legislation to refocus universities on teaching and research. QS listed the metrics rankings as research (50 per cent), global employer reputation and graduate outcomes (20 per cent), learning experience (10 per cent), global engagement (15 per cent), and sustainability (5 per cent). In a statement, QS acknowledged the rankings were originally designed to assist international students, but said they had "evolved" to also be relevant to domestic students. Experts say the global rankings do not use local employment results or student satisfaction levels. (ABC News: Lucas Hill) "For domestic students, local indicators such as student satisfaction and graduate employment data are especially valuable when comparing institutions within a single country," the spokesperson said. "Rankings add a different layer: a university's global reputation, research strength, international networks and standing among employers worldwide." Andrew Norton says the rankings are more useful for international students. (Supplied) Professor Norton said the ratings were most useful for universities marketing themselves to overseas students from China, which remained a crucial source of revenue. A recent New South Wales auditor-general's report found universities received less than it cost them to educate domestic students and were increasingly relying on international student revenue to meet operating shortfalls. "Chinese students pay high fees to attend universities with a top 100 rank. Universities use international student fee revenue to increase research output, which in turn drives ranking results," Professor Norton said. "For these universities, rankings matter. Other international students are more price sensitive. Especially when they want a migration outcome, there is little benefit in attending an expensive top 100 university." As universities increasingly pursued revenue while reducing costs through staff and course cuts, a new report released exclusively to ABC News reveals increasing staff discontent on campus. Associate Professor Jess Harris has worked in universities for more than 25 years, and for the last 10 years has res

'Find something else': Academics warn of workload as uni rankings released

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