Established in 1874, the University of Adelaide has a long history of achievements and important firsts. Not only was it the first university in Australia (and the second in the world) to admit women, it has produced Australia’s first indigenous Rhodes Scholar as well as five Nobel Laureates. Founded on the principals of social equality and education for all, the university has grown from humble beginnings to enter into the Group of Eight and now ranks in the top 1% of all universities in the world! Not bad for South Australia. But regarding practical benefits, what does this mean?

What is the Group of Eight and why is it good to be a part of it?

The Group of Eight was established in 1999. It’s a coalition of the oldest leading research universities in Australia, including the University of Adelaide, the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University. The group initially came together to advocate for sustainable higher education policy. With their collectively outstanding performance and admirable heritage, the Group of Eight title has since become a mark of prestige.

Altogether the Group of Eight universities consistently rank higher across all outcomes than other Australian universities, receive the most research funding and educate one-third of all postgraduate students in Australia. Half of all research in Australia is conducted within The Group of Eight universities, so they’re excellent places to study if you’re entering into science-based or research-intensive areas. In 2016, all Group of Eight universities ranked in the top 150 worldwide.

Perhaps you’re wondering how they come to that conclusion. There are six primary international ranking systems used to assess the performance of institutions against each other. Plus, there are a few more domestic ranking systems such as the Excellence in Research Australia, which determine how Australian Universities compare. Check out this brochure for more facts on what distinguishes the Group of Eight universities from other universities in Australia.

What does it mean for the University of Adelaide to be in the top 1%?

Being in the top 1% means that according to the chief international ranking systems and in particular the Times Higher Education, QS World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), Adelaide has outperformed 99% of all other universities worldwide. These rankings look at a range of performance indicators including teaching, citations, industry outcomes, learning, research and publication. Here are some of their proudest achievements from the 2017 rankings:

  • Ranked 78 in the world for Medicine and Pharma, making them 6th in Australia, and the best in South Australia (2nd in Australia for Dentistry and 4th for Nursing).
  • Ranked 85 in the world for Life Sciences, making them 5th in Australia and best in South Australia.
  • Ranked 187 in the world for Social Sciences, placing them in the top 10 in Australia and 1st in South Australia.
  • Ranked 172 in the world for Science, placing them in the top 6 in Australia and the best in South Australia.
  • Ranked 102 in the world for Engineering, 6th in Australia and 1st in South Australia.

With a reputation like this, it’s no wonder so many students want to study at the University of Adelaide and the Group of Eight. But, there’s another vital point these figures haven’t touched on. At the University of Adelaide College, we’re not just concerned with rankings. We send our graduates on to the University of Adelaide confident that they’re going to have a productive experience and receive the support they need. Staff at the University of Adelaide College care; just ask the students. Sometimes, that’s worth more than numbers.