As of 2021, the University of Sydney ranks #38 worldwide and #3 in Australia by QS, a small drop from previous years. According to gooduniversitiesguide.au, the student to teaching faculty ratio is 1:18.

Subject Rankings

• Sports-related subjects: #3 (2^nd in Australia)
• Nursing, Pharmacy & Pharmacology #13 (both 2^nd in Australia)
• Law and Legal Studies #14 (3^rd in Australia)
• Veterinary Science #16 (1^st in Australia)
• Medicine #19 (2^nd in Australia)
• Architecture: #21 (1^st in Australia)
• Anthropology #24 (3^rd in Australia)
• Education and Training: #25 (3^rd in Australia)
• Linguistics #33 (4^th in Australia)
• Modern Languages #34 (2^nd in Australia)
• Archaeology #40 (2^nd in Australia)

Broad Subject Areas

• Arts/Humanities – 23 (3^rd in Australia)
• Business/Management – 43 (3^rd in Australia)
• Engineering/Technology – 65 (4^th in Australia)
• Life Sciences/Medicine – 22 (1^st in Australia)
• Natural Sciences – 62 (3^rd in Australia)
• Social Sciences/Management – 32 (2^nd in Australia)

Camperton/Darlington is Sydney Uni's largest campus, holding the majority of its faculties. The university has four satellite campuses, including Sydney Dental Hospital (Surry Hills Campus) and Sydney Conservatorium of Music. It has eight academic faculties and university schools, and as many as 90 research centres, including but not limited to Australia-first collaborative research into medicinal cannabis (yes, really).

The UoS's library also holds the exceptional status of being the largest library in not only Australia but the Southern Hemisphere, divided into 11 subsidiaries and holding some fascinating rare book collections – holding not only medieval manuscripts but cuneiform tablets!

The University of Sydney has a number of avenues for startup support, ranging from incubators to co-working spaces and more:

• Incubate – Incubate is an accelerator program that funds students, alumni and researchers, with a focus on kickstarting student entrepreneurs.
• Sydney Genesis – A startup kickstart program which provides a grant of $25000 and free media PR to winning businesses. Team leaders must be UoS students or alumni, but the rest of the team aren't restricted.
• Sydney Knowledge Hub – UoS's membership-based on-campus co-working space, located in the Merewether Building, intended for small to medium businesses. It supports research businesses in a list of fields including Robotics, Biotech, Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability.

As a Group of 8 Uni, the UoS has a heavy research focus and output. Times Higher Education ranked the university for #1 in research impact in 2020, and #2 in 2021, and in the same year 29 Sydney Uni academics were named top in their field. The University of Sydney's major research areas cover a wide range of fields, from Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences to Education to Human Society.

The degree structure for PhD students is at USyd designed to be flexible, with cross disciplines encouraged. Domestic students' research degrees are covered by the university, but international students must pay a fee. However, a number of scholarships are available.

Job placements at Sydney Uni vary among courses. It should be noted that PhD students aren't guaranteed job placements, as it is dependent on the industry – certain courses have mandatory job placement requirements, while for others, internships and job placements are optional to take. These job placements can range from 6 month scholarship programs to 4 week volunteer community placements. You can find out which courses have mandatory placements here.

Some faculties also have summer research programs, giving students the opportunity to work with leading researchers. As well as that, Sydney Business School has specific support for business students' job placement. UoS also holds regular workshops and events, such as the Univative and Graduate Edge programs for employability skills.

Sydney is one of the most popular student cities not only in Australia but in the world – though it is also the priciest, beating out even Melbourne in cost of living. Student accommodation is generally the cheaper option for your stay. Campus life will have plenty to enjoy, as Sydney Uni has over 200 clubs and societies for just about anything you could think of (including a Medieval Re-enactment Society!) On the 4^th floor of the university is a dedicated International Student Lounge, too.

QILT Student Survey Scores

According to the latest QILT student survey results (2019-2020), The University of Sydney's Support Services satisfaction rate was 57.1% for undergraduates, and 64.7% for postgraduates – notably, one of the lowest rates among Australian universities. 'Overall Experience' was rated 69% (UG) and 66.9% (PG). Recent graduate satisfaction (2020-2021), meanwhile, ranged from 77-78% between the two.

Subject Ranking Comparisons

Subjects ranked on the lower end include Art & Design, Materials Sciences, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Australian unis better-ranked in these subjects include: (Sydney Unis in italics)

• University of New South Wales – Materials Sciences #39, Chemical Engineering #50, Mechanical Engineering #54
• University of Melbourne – Chemical Engineering #49
• RMIT University – Art & Design #15 (1^st in Australia)
• Monash University – Chemical Engineering #31, Materials Sciences #34
• University of Technology Sydney – Art & Design #25

ANU, UniMelb, or Sydney Uni?

Overall, the University of Sydney is the best of the Sydney unis for Arts & Humanities and Medicine in particular. If you are deciding between ANU, UniMelb and UoS, Melbourne just beats it in Medicine.

According to QILT student survey scores, ANU and Melbourne performed slightly higher in overall experience, recent graduate satisfaction, and significantly higher in support services. UoS scored highest in full-time employment rate for undergraduates, however, at 75% compared to 68% and 58% for ANU and Melbourne.

Sydney has the highest cost of living for students, so keep your budget in mind before taking the plunge. However, of the top 3 unis, Melbourne costs more on average for international students for undergraduate education.