Reputation and rankings

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Reputation and rankings

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RMIT has a global reputation for excellence in professional and vocational education, applied research, and engagement with the needs of industry and communities world-wide. There are at least 15 global ranking schemas, of which (QS, ARWU and THE) are considered the most influential.

RMIT standing in the major ranking schemas

QS

  • 223rd globally (and 15th in Australia) in QS World University Rankings 2021. Rankings published for 1,002 institutions.
  • 18th globally in the 2021 QS Top 50 Under 50 (5th in Australia). A ranking of the world’s top universities which are under 50 years old.
  • 77th globally in QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020. RMIT ranks 55th globally on the Graduate Employment Rate.

Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)

  • 330th globally in the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities, up 24 places compared to 354th in 2019. RMIT has moved up 157 places since 2016. ARWU publishes rankings for 1,000 institutions. RMIT is ranked in the 301-400 band.

Times Higher Education (THE)

  • 10th  globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. RMIT ranks 1st globally in reducing inequalities. This ranking focuses on measuring universities’ social, environmental and economic impact and progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • 301-350 (band) in the 2021 edition of Times Higher Education World University Rankings. RMIT ranks 59th globally on international outlook. THE publishes rankings for 1,527 universities.
  • 76th globally (5th in Australia) in the Young University Rankings. A ranking of the world’s best universities that are aged 49 years or under.

Best Global Universities

  • 281st globally in Best Global Universities 2021. A ranking of the world’s top 1,500 universities, published by U.S. News & World Report. RMIT ranks 223rd globally on the global research reputation dimension. This is a ranking which heavily relies on bibliometrics and a reputation survey.

CWTS Leiden Rankings

  • 252nd globally (and 18th in Australia) on the mean normalized citation score, up from 265th in 2019.
  • 293rd globally (and 15th in Australia) on proportion of international collaborative publications, up from 314th in 2019.
  • CWTS Leiden ranks which are deemed to be the most research intensive universities in the world. Ranks 1,176 institutions in 2020 and derives a set of impact and collaboration measures but it does not produce an overall rank.

Nature Index

  • 425th globally in 2020 Nature Index. RMIT is 31 places up from 2015 when it was ranked for the first time. The Nature Index is a specialised ranking, produced by Nature Research, ranks the world’s top leading universities in the sciences.

NTU Ranking

  •  431st  globally (and 20th in Australia) in 2020. This ranking is published by the National University of Taiwan (NTU) and is designed to evaluate and compare research universities’ achievements in scientific research by using objective indicators. The NTU Ranking covers the world’s top 500 universities.

Round University Ranking (RUR)

  • 352nd globally in 2020, up 57 places from 409th in 2019. This ranking is published by RUR Rankings Agency and ranks the world’s 829 leading universities based on bibliometric and reputational data. 

Webometrics

  • 273rd globally on the 2020 Ranking Web of Universities (Webometrics). The aim of this ranking is to promote academic web presence and support open access initiatives. It ranks over 28,000 universities globally.

5 QS Stars – RMIT was awarded an overall 5 QS Stars in eight out of eight categories by QS for 2018-2021

  • Teaching
  • Employability
  • Research
  • Internationalization
  • Innovation
  • Inclusiveness
  • Facilities
  • Specialist criteria (Art & Design)

Ranking by schema

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Ranking by study area

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Architecture / Built Environment

  • 25th globally (Top 50) and 3rd in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

Art and Design

  • 11th globally (Top 20) and 1st in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

  • 201–250 globally and 12 – 16th in Australia for THE World University Rankings 2020 by Subject

Art and Humanities

  • 102th globally and 7st in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 201–250 globally and 12 – 16th in Australia for THE World University Rankings 2020 by Subject
  • 207th globally (Top 250) and 15th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings

Fashion and Textiles

  • RMIT School of Fashion & Textiles is Ranked in the Top 11 of the Business of Fashion’s (BoF’s) ‘Best Fashion Schools in the World’ Survey, and Number 1 in Australia

Computer Science & Information Systems

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 10th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 99th globally (Top 150) and 8th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and (9th - 13th) in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 106th globally (Top 150) for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Engineering - Chemical

  • 151-200th globally (Top 200) and 9th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 63rd globally (Top 100) and 5th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 201-300th globally and 12th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 245th globally for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Engineering - Civil & Structural

  • 51-100th globally (Top 100) and 9th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 71st globally (Top 100) and 8th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 51-75th globally (Top 100) and 6th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 124th globally (Top 150) for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Engineering - Electrical & Electronic

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 9th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 75th globally (Top 100) and 6th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 76-100th globally (Top 100) and 7th  in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 107th globally (Top 150) for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Engineering - Mechanical, Aerospace & Manufacturing

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 7th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

Engineering – Mechanical

  • 71st globally (Top 100) and 2nd in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 8th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 70th globally (Top 100) for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Materials Science & Engineering

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 9th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Automation & Control

  • 51-75th globally (Top 100) and 7th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Instruments Science & Technology

  • 76-100th globally (Top 100) and 5th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Energy Science & Engineering

  • 201-300th globally (Top 300) and 12th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Transportation Science & Technology

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 11th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

  • 151-200th globally (Top 200) and 10th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Food Science & Technology

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 5th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Mining & Mineral Engineering

  • 38th globally (Top 50) and 8th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Aerospace Engineering

  • 41st globally (Top 50) and 2nd in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Metallurgical Engineering

  • 51-75th globally (Top 100) and 7th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Telecommunication Engineering

  • 151-200th globally (Top 100) and 8th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Agriculture & Forestry

  • 151-200th (Top 200) globally and 11th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 301–400th globally and 22-28th in Australia for THE World University Rankings 2019 by Subject
  • 301-400th globally and 18th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Biological Sciences

  • 401-450th globally and 21st in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 401-500th globally and 20th in Australia for 2019 ShanghaiRankings

Medicine

  • 401-500th globally and 19th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 401-500th globally and 20th in Australia for 2019 ShanghaiRankings

Chemistry

  • 251-300th globally and 13th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 301-400th globally and 14th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
  • 321st globally and 13th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings

Environmental Sciences

  • 151-200th globally and 15th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 301-400th globally and 20th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Geography

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 7th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 201-300th globally and 20th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Mathematics

  • 251-300th globally and 15th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

Physics and Astronomy

  • 251-300th globally and 11th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 520th globally and 10th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings

Atmospheric Science

  • 301-400th globally and 20th in Australia for 2020 Shanghai Rankings

Accounting & Finance

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 10th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 151-200th globally (Top 200) and 11th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Business & Management Studies

  • 101-150th globally (Top 150) and 10th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject
  • 201-300th globally and 8th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Executive Masters of Business Administration

  • 69th globally and 9th in Asia Pacific for QS Executive Masters of Business Administration

Communication & Media Studies

  • 44th globally (Top 50) and 4th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 151-200th globally (Top 100) and 11th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Economics & Econometrics

  • 251-300th globally and 15th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020
  • 142nd globally (Top 200) and 11th in Australia for 2020 Best Global World University Rankings
  • 121st globally (Top 150) for 2019 NTU World University Rankings

Education

  • 51-100th globally (Top 100) and 11th in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

Library Management

  • 49th globally (Top 50) and 3rd in Australia for QS Rankings by Subject 2020

Business Administration

  • 201-300 globally and 8th in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings

Hospitality and Tourism Management

  • 151-200 globally and 21st in Australia for 2020 ShanghaiRankings
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Acknowledgement of country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business. - Artwork created by Louisa Bloomer

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