Southern Cross University
www.scu.edu.au (official website)
About Southern Cross University
Southern Cross University is a public university serving the north coast of New South Wales and the southern Gold Coast. It was formally established on 1 January 1994, after NSW legislation of late 1993 separated the former University of New England campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour into a new institution. Its predecessor at Lismore began as a teachers' college in 1970.
The main campus is at Lismore, with further campuses at Coffs Harbour and Coolangatta on the Gold Coast, the latter opened in 2010. It also has teaching locations in Sydney and Melbourne aimed mainly at international students. The university has focused on regional engagement and on fields including natural and environmental sciences, health, education and business, with a notable history in online and flexible study, and it is a member of the Regional Universities Network.
- Founded
- 1994
- Campuses
- Lismore (NSW), Coffs Harbour (NSW), Gold Coast (QLD), Sydney (NSW), Melbourne (VIC)
- Network
- Regional Universities Network
- Known for
- North coast regional focusEnvironmental and natural sciencesHealth and educationFlexible and online study
Written by us from the university's own website and public sources; check details with the university. As at October 2026. Sources: scu.edu.au, en.wikipedia.org. Report an inaccuracy.
World ranking history
| Ranking | Edition | World rank | In Australia | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE | 2027 | 551–600 | 33 | THE profile |
| 2026 | 401–500 | 26 | THE profile | |
| ARWU | 2026 | Not ranked | – | ARWU 2026 table |
| 2025 | Not ranked | – | ARWU 2025 table | |
| QS | 2027 | Not in top 300* | – | QS 2027 table |
| 2026 | =638 | 31 | 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).