The Good Universities Guide Ratings 2025 Reveal Australia's Top Unis

2 December 2024, Sydney

Year13 has released the latest edition of The Good Universities Guide ratings revealing Australia's top performing universities.

Released today, the Good Universities Guide ratings for 2025 compare all 42 Australian universities across measures of student experience and graduate outcomes.

The top 8 universities have been chosen for each category and awarded a 5 star rating, putting them in the top 20% of the 42 universities in the country for their category.

The universities with 5-star ratings in the most categories are led by Bond University in Queensland with five; followed by Avondale University in New South Wales with four; and then the University of Divinity in Victoria, Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia, Deakin University in Victoria and Central Queensland University (CQUni) with three.

New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland each have four universities appear in the ratings; while Western Australia and South Australia each have two; while the ACT, Tasmania and Northern Territory each have one.

The Good Universities Guide is published by youth engagement platform Year13 and the full ratings can be accessed on the Good Universities Guide website from Monday. All student ratings contained in this press release are from undergraduate students and not postgraduate students.

Year13 Co-Founder Saxon Phipps said: “As school students get set to submit their university course preferences the Good Universities Guide’s latest ratings showcase the top performers in a range of categories from the best student experience to the unis where you’re most likely to land a job within just a few months of graduating. We can see how this year regional universities are consistently appearing as top performers in teaching quality, student satisfaction and social equity, showing how they can provide highly personalised education and student support which rivals larger metropolitan universities.”

Full time employment

These universities have the highest proportion of graduates who are employed full-time four months after completing their courses, ensuring their graduates are job-ready and well-prepared for the workforce. Universities with the highest employment rates are:

  1. Avondale University
  2. Charles Sturt University (CSU)
  3. University of New England (UNE)
  4. Central Queensland University (CQUni)
  5. University of Notre Dame
  6. University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
  7. Charles Darwin University (CDU)
  8. University of Newcastle

Teaching quality

These institutions have the highest proportion of undergraduates who provided a positive evaluation of the teaching quality at their university, standing out for their engaging teaching practices. The top-rated universities for teaching quality include:

  1. University of Divinity
  2. Bond University
  3. Avondale University
  4. Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  5. Australian National University (ANU)
  6. Torrens University
  7. Deakin University
  8. University of the Sunshine Coast

Educational experience

These universities have the highest proportion of students who rate their educational experience positively, providing a positive learning environment for their students. Universities offering the best overall undergraduate educational experience include:

  1. University of Divinity
  2. Avondale University
  3. Bond University
  4. Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  5. Deakin University
  6. University of New England (UNE)
  7. University of the Sunshine Coast
  8. Griffith University

Staff qualifications

These institutions have the highest percentage of doctoral-qualified teaching staff, ensuring students learn from experts in their fields. The universities with the most highly qualified academic staff are:

  1. University of Sydney
  2. Australian National University (ANU)
  3. University of New South Wales (UNSW)
  4. University of Queensland
  5. Monash University
  6. University of Divinity
  7. Griffith University
  8. RMIT University

Student-to-staff ratio

These universities have the lowest ratio of student enrolments to the number of full-time teaching and academic staff, including casual staff and excluding research only staff. The top universities with low student-to-staff ratios include:

  1. Australian National University (ANU)
  2. Bond University
  3. Flinders University
  4. James Cook University (JCU)
  5. Murdoch University
  6. University of Tasmania
  7. University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
  8. Federation University

Learning resources

These institutions have the highest proportion of undergraduates who give a positive assessment of their learning resources. Universities providing quality learning resources are:

  1. University of Divinity
  2. Bond University
  3. Deakin University
  4. University of the Sunshine Coast
  5. Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  6. University of Queensland
  7. University of Wollongong
  8. Macquarie University

Learner engagement

These universities have the highest amount of students who feel engaged with their learning at their university. The universities excelling in learner engagement are:

  1. Bond University
  2. Avondale University
  3. Victoria University (VU)
  4. University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
  5. University of Notre Dame
  6. Monash University
  7. University of Wollongong
  8. University of Divinity

Skills development

These universities have the highest percentage of students who positively rated their skills development at university, aligning education with practical skill building for future careers. Top performers in helping students build workplace-ready skills include:

  1. Bond University
  2. University of Divinity
  3. University of Notre Dame
  4. Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  5. Avondale University
  6. Australian Catholic University (ACU)
  7. Victoria University (VU)
  8. University of the Sunshine Coast

First generation student access

These institutions enroll the highest proportion of students whose parents have not attended university. These students are the first in a generation to attend university and may be the first of their family. Universities with the most first-generation students are:

  1. Federation University
  2. Victoria University (VU)
  3. Central Queensland University (CQUni)
  4. University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
  5. Charles Darwin University (CDU)
  6. Southern Cross University
  7. University of South Australia (UniSA)
  8. Charles Sturt University (CSU)

Social equity

These universities have the highest proportion of students who come from a low socio-economic or disadvantaged background, leading in ensuring opportunities for students from low socio-economic areas. The top institutions supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds are:

  1. Central Queensland University (CQUni)
  2. University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
  3. Federation University
  4. James Cook University (JCU)
  5. Murdoch University
  6. University of the Sunshine Coast
  7. University of New England (UNE)
  8. University of South Australia (UniSA)

Student support

These universities have the highest proportion of undergraduates who positively rated student support at their university, excelling in creating a supportive environment for students’ academic and personal wellbeing. The leading universities in student support services are:

  1. University of Divinity
  2. Bond University
  3. Avondale University
  4. Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  5. Deakin University
  6. University of the Sunshine Coast
  7. Central Queensland University (CQUni)
  8. Swinburne University

About The Good Universities Guide ratings

The Good Universities Guide features university performance ratings across numerous student-relevant criteria, in-depth field of study analysis and constructive editorial that provides overall direction for choosing the right university course.

The Good Universities Guide remains committed to ensuring the ratings are the most student-centric ratings within the industry. Built on a strong reputation spanning more than 25 years, the ratings are continually updated and improved with the most recent data, as well as being informed by feedback from students, families and educators.

The annual ratings are published in digital e-book and website and are part of the most comprehensive and independent source for information on higher education in Australia.

About Year13

Founded in 2011, Year13 is a Gen Z Publisher and Ed-tech whose purpose is to support young people to live happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives, and whose mission is to upgrade the school-to-work transition. Year13’s suite of brands includes Career Tools, Australia’s largest school to work transition platform, with over 1250+ subscribing schools. In 2023, Year13 acquired Good Education Group, including The Good Universities Guide, The Good Schools Guide and Studies in Australia, together with Australia’s most comprehensive database of schools, universities and training providers.