Acceptance Rates and Rankings at the University of Melbourne

If you are considering applying to study at the University of Melbourne, you are certainly not alone. Anyone who is thinking of studying in Australia and looking for an institute of academic excellence should be taking a close look at what this University has to offer. There is no doubt that it enjoys an outstanding international reputation for teaching and research.

Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia, and the first university established in the state of Victoria. The University of Melbourne is a large university of around 50000 students, with around 42% being international students. The university community commonly refers to it as UniMelb.

Community life on campus, and through connections with the wider community and other institutions, is rich and diverse. Discussions, teaching, and research are enriched by the incredible mix of academics, professional staff, and students from a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds.

There are other top universities in Australia you might also be investigating, so let’s take a closer look at some of the ranks and figures for the University to help you compare. If you intend to study in a particular discipline, it might make the choice clearer.

Number 1 in Australia

The University of Melbourne is recognized by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings as the number 1 university in Australia. This alone easily puts it at the top of many people’s list of potential study destinations. With Australia’s overall good performance on the world stage, this makes the University of Melbourne equal number 32 in the world.

If you take a look at the QS World University Rankings (2019), the University of Melbourne takes position number 39. In these rankings it is placed as number 2 in Australia, sitting behind the Australian National University which came in at number 24. In the ranking indicators, UniMelb leads in Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, and International Faculty Ratio.

Subject Area Rankings

The University enjoys not only an overall high ranking but also some exceptionally good rankings in individual subject areas.

There are a number of rankings which have shuffled slightly from last year, but the University of Melbourne is consistently in the top 3 universities in Australia across the majority of subject areas which are ranked. The other universities which vie for top position are the Australian National University and the University of Sydney.

Given the high esteem that the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences has, it is unsurprising that UniMelb holds the top position in Australia for Anatomy, Dentistry, Medicine and Psychology. The Melbourne Business School and Melbourne Law School are also widely recognized.

In the 2019 rankings, there is a total of 14 subjects in which UniMelb is ranked as number 1 in Australia. All of these subjects are also within the top 35 in the world, many in the top 20.

The University of Melbourne is ranked as number 1 in Australia in the following subjects (with the world ranking listed):

• Anatomy ranked #9 in the world
• Biology #29
• Business #20
• Computer Science #32
• Dentistry #30
• Economics #24
• English Language and Literature ranked at #17
• Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) #35
• Law at #6
• Medicine is #17
• Modern Languages ranked as #23
• Performing Arts #15
• Psychology #18
• Statistics #24

Education is ranked at 14 this year and 2nd in Australia. In 2018 that was number 6 and number 1 in Australia. It just lost out to the University of Sydney which came in at 12 in the world.

The University of Melbourne also came in a close second in Australia in Accounting and Finance at number 16 in the world; Architecture which placed at number 17 in the world; Geography which UniMelb is ranked number 5 in the world; and Chemical Engineering at number 32; and Anthropology at number 19.

In Development Studies the University of Melbourne holds equal second position in Australia with the University of Sydney—both at number 18 in the world.

Acceptance Rates

Unlike in the US market, details of university acceptance rates in Australia are not typically made public. In some cases, individual course data can be inferred or is available, but these won’t be official, and may not be accurate.

There is considerable variation between acceptance rates for local versus international students, undergraduate versus postgraduate or research degrees, plus for individual courses. As international students bring valuable funds into the university, acceptance rates can be quite high.

Employers Seek University of Melbourne Graduates

Since 2008 the University of Melbourne has used the Melbourne Model, so offers only a limited range of nine core undergraduate degrees. Students can then specialize further by selecting from a huge range of professional masters qualifications available in the Graduate Schools. This separates it from most other Australian universities in terms of course structure and sees it more in line with European and American models.

Employers seem to approve of this, as University of Melbourne graduates certainly get hired and their alumni generally have very good employment outcomes. According to the QS World University Rankings (2019), the University ranks as number 6 for graduate employability, in the world. It achieved very high scores on the criteria of Alumni Outcomes, Employer Reputation, Graduate Employment Rate and Partnerships with Employers.

Melbourne is a top Student City

Studying at the University will mean living in fantastic Melbourne, which was classed as the most livable city in the world for seven years running until 2017. It is a great city for students and is now also ranked in the top 3 best student cities in the world. There are a huge number of international and local students in the city—at around 270000, that is the largest student population in Australia.

About One-third of those are International Students.

You will find the Melbourne weather is mostly warm and mild, though you will still need a good jacket for the winter months. It can often be overcast, but it does not rain heavily very often, or for very long. Melbourne has a reputation for its weather being like four seasons in one day.

Melbourne is also considered the cultural capital of Australia, so you can be sure there will always be something interesting going on. Head to a festival event, see some live music, go to a gallery, or enjoy a drink at one of the many tiny bars tucked in the Melbourne laneways.