The Australian National University
www.anu.edu.au (official website)
About the Australian National University
The Australian National University is a public research university based in Canberra. Its own website says it was established in 1946, in a period of post-war optimism, with the aim of helping Australia realise its potential as the world recovered from global crisis. It was set up as a national institution and has long been associated with research, education and policy engagement.
The main campus is in the inner suburb of Acton in the Australian Capital Territory, close to the city centre and to national institutions such as parliament, libraries and museums. The university also has a presence at other sites in the ACT, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Its early identity centred on postgraduate research, and undergraduate teaching was added later through a merger with the Canberra University College. It is widely listed as a member of the Group of Eight, the coalition of research-intensive Australian universities.
- Founded
- 1946
- Campuses
- Canberra (ACT)
- Network
- Group of Eight
- Known for
- National research universityPolicy engagementPostgraduate research traditionCapital-city location
Written by us from the university's own website and public sources; check details with the university. As at October 2026. Sources: anu.edu.au. Report an inaccuracy.
World ranking history
| Ranking | Edition | World rank | In Australia | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE | 2027 | 77 | 6 | THE profile |
| 2026 | =73 | 4 | THE profile | |
| ARWU | 2026 | 101–150 | 6 | ARWU profile |
| 2025 | 101–150 | 6 | ARWU profile | |
| QS | 2027 | 29 | 4 | QS profile |
| 2026 | =32 | 4 | 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: Department of Education list of higher education institutions. 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.