Adelaide University
adelaide.edu.au (official website)
About Adelaide University
Adelaide University is a public university in South Australia that was formed by bringing together two long-standing Adelaide institutions, with the new body drawing on what its website describes as more than 180 years of combined experience. It describes itself as a for-purpose university and says it is the first in Australia to include provision for an Aboriginal name in its founding legislation; the Kaurna name Tirkangkaku means Place of Learning.
Its campuses are spread across the state, with sites in the Adelaide city centre, Magill, Mawson Lakes, Roseworthy and Waite in the metropolitan and peri-urban area, and regional campuses at Mount Gambier and Whyalla. Study is also offered fully online. The university highlights First Nations knowledges and communities as an area of focus, and it is a member of the Group of Eight, the association of research-intensive Australian universities.
- Campuses
- Adelaide (SA), Magill (SA), Mawson Lakes (SA), Mount Gambier (SA), Roseworthy (SA), Waite (SA), Whyalla (SA)
- Network
- Group of Eight
- Known for
- Merger of two Adelaide institutionsFirst Nations focusFully online study optionsRegional campuses in South Australia
Written by us from the university's own website and public sources; check details with the university. As at October 2026. Sources: adelaide.edu.au. Report an inaccuracy.
Merger
Adelaide University began operating in January 2026, formed from The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia. Student numbers for 2024 were reported for each predecessor:
- The University of Adelaide: 30,504 students
- University of South Australia: 33,887 students
World ranking history
| Ranking | Edition | World rank | In Australia | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE | 2027 | =141 | 7 | THE profile |
| 2026 | 133 | 7 | THE profile | |
| ARWU | 2026 | 101–150 | 6 | ARWU profile |
| 2025 | 151–200as The University of Adelaide | 8 | ARWU profile | |
| 2025 | 401–500as University of South Australia | 21 | ARWU profile | |
| QS | 2027 | 79 | 8 | QS profile |
| 2026 | =82 | 8 | QS profile |
Ranks as published; bands such as 301–350 are not exact places, and "=" marks a tie. "In Australia" is the position among Australian universities in the same edition; universities sharing a band or a tie share a position. Each ranking measures different things, mostly research, and none of them is combined here. *Our copy of QS 2027 covers ranks 1–300 only.
Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings (timeshighereducation.com). Source: Academic Ranking of World Universities, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy (shanghairanking.com). Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds (www.qs.com). Copyright © QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd. Rank figures are reproduced as single facts with attribution; copyright stays with each publisher and we will remove them on request. See data sources.
About this profile
University category: TEQSA National Register (Australian University). State and public/private status: TEQSA register and Department of Education statistics (this university was renamed, merged or re-registered after the Department's 2020 list). Students: total enrolled students, all levels of course, 2024, Department of Education Higher Education Statistics (© Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0). Group of Eight membership: go8.edu.au.