The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive universities. Established in 1949, UNSW is a research university, ranked 44th in the world in the 2021 QS World University Rankings and 67th in the world in the 2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It is one of the members of Universitas 21, a global network of research universities. It has international exchange and research partnerships with over 200 universities around the world.According to the 2021 QS World University Rankings by Subject, UNSW is ranked top 20 in the world for Law, Accounting and Finance, and 1st in Australia for Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. UNSW is also one of the leading Australian universities in Medicine, where the median ATAR (Australian university entrance examination results) of its Medical School students is higher than any other Australian undergraduate medical school.The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. The main campus is in the Sydney suburb of Kensington, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the Sydney central business district (CBD). The creative arts faculty, UNSW Art & Design, is located in Paddington, and subcampuses are located in the Sydney CBD as well as several other suburbs, including Randwick and Coogee. Research stations are located throughout the state of New South Wales. The university's second largest campus, known as UNSW Canberra at ADFA (formerly known as UNSW at ADFA), abbreviated to UNSW Canberra, is situated in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). ADFA is the military academyUNSW is located on unceded territory, and we recognise the Traditional Owners of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated. This timeline of Australian history helps us understand the impact of laws and policies upon the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.Our history tells the story of a University forged by a commitment to discovery, creativity and challenging the status quo. We chronicle milestones from UNSW’s earliest foundations in 1949, and celebrate trailblazers such as our first international student in 1950, our first female graduate in 1952, and Australia’s first Indigenous law graduate in 1976 — to name just a few. Our University has since been shaped by the addition of new schools, centres and institutes, by changes to the physical campus and strategic planning processes. Today UNSW is building a legacy of transformative and positive impact.As part of the UNSW 2025 Strategy, the University engaged historian Paul Irish, author of Hidden In Plain View: The Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney (NewSouth Publishing), to provide a historical and anthropological history of UNSW. The following draws upon that report, but also frames the history according to a timeline, or phases, of Australian history that help us to understand the impact of laws and policies upon the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since first contact.UNSW is at the heart of the sophisticated global knowledge system that is shaping our future. Since our foundation in 1949, we have strived to create and share critical knowledge for the benefit of society, with lasting impact. The strategies produced and implemented across our university are strengthening our ability to achieve these goals, now and into the future. Our visionOur aim is to be recognised globally for the distinctiveness of our education and for the quality of our student experience. We will be a leader in the provision of onsite and digital learning. We will invest in our academic staff, increase the quality of our student services, refine our curriculum and modes of assessment, and continue to innovate in the delivery of our education and student experience in and beyond the classroom. Our initiativesIn pursuit of our vision, we will build on our achievements, implement new initiatives, continue to support faculties and our students, and provide targeted interventions where needed. Our markers of success will enable us to judge our progress in delivering an unrivalled education and student experience. Our goal is to enable our students to realise their ambitions, and to grow, develop and contribute positively to a better world. We want our graduates to be prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. We believe our initiatives will help lay the foundations for the journey ahead. We will achieve our vision by pursuing 16 initiatives in four areas.
In the pursuit of our vision to help the students find the right courses and institutions based on their learning inclination and caliber. Dive right in to know more about the institutions that are best suited for you, all at one place.
Watch the videos to learn about the student life-cycle and the teaching environment at the University.
