Top ranking in Good Universities Guide

UNSW has outscored every university in Australia in the 2009 Good Universities Guide.

The Guide gives UNSW the maximum five-star rating for ten key performance indicators, more than any other university. UNSW also tops the bill in total points across all of the categories assessed.

The Guide describes UNSW as "one of the heavyweights of Australian higher education ... offering an intense, rich tertiary experience".

The Good Universities Guide, released annually, is a comprehensive handbook for anyone choosing a university course or campus. It features detailed profiles of every Australian university, as well as other institutions offering tertiary courses. The institutions are ranked against a number of criteria in key performance areas. Individual courses at different tertiary institutions are also compared.

UNSW achieved a top score in the following categories: research grants, research intensivity, student-staff ratio, staff qualifications, graduate starting salary, student success in gaining employment, teaching quality, acquisition of generic skills, cultural diversity and positive graduate outcomes.

"These are outstanding results for UNSW," Vice-Chancellor Professor Fred Hilmer said.

"They reflect the fact that, as well as being one of Australia's leading research universities, we remain committed to teaching excellence and to offering a great student experience.

"UNSW graduates are known to achieve the highest median starting salaries and to be highly sought after by employers. It's pleasing to see this confirmed, yet again, in the 2009 Guide."

Media Contact: Judy Brookman | +61 2 9385 3249 | 0421 061251 | j.brookman@unsw.edu.au