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On the up
Australia does well in Shanghai Rankings despite a difficult period .
By Wade Zaglas
Shanghai Rankings ’ latest list of academic subject rankings have revealed that Australia has a host of top-100 , top-20 and top-10 subjects appearing in the rankings .
Griffith University is the top-ranked Australian university coming in at number two for nursing . The university also boasts a ranking of five for its hospitality and tourism management course , dipping slightly from third last year . UNSW was also ranked eighth in this year ’ s rankings for water resources , down from five last year .
Following is a summary of some of the results for Australian universities by subject area . Information shown in brackets denotes their 2020 result .
NATURAL SCIENCES Physics : ANU 28 ( 28 ) Monash U 76-100 ( - ) Uni Melbourne 76-100 ( - ). Earth Sciences : ANU 25 ( 26 ) Curtin U 39 ( 39 ) UWA 48 ( 50 ) Monash U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) Uni Adelaide 51-75 ( 51-75 ) UNSW 51-75 ( 51-75 ) Macquarie U 76-100 ( 76-100 ) Uni Melbourne 76-100 ( - ) Uni Tas 76-100 ( 51-75 ). Geography : Uni Melbourne six ( 13 ) ANU 15 ( nine ), Uni Queensland 17 ( ten ) James Cook U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) UNSW 51-75 ( - ) Uni Sydney 51-75 ( 76-100 ) Griffith U 76-100 ( 76-100 ) UWA 76-100 ( - ) Uni Wollongong 76-100 ( - ).
ENGINEERING Computer science : UTS 11 () Uni Sydney 38 () Uni Adelaide 48 () ANU 51-75 UNSW 51-75 () Deakin U 76-100 () Griffith U 76-100 () Swinburne U 76-100 ( - ) Uni Melbourne 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Civil engineering : UNSW 12 ( 8 ) Uni Sydney 21 ( 21 ) Uni Adelaide 35 ( 25 ) Monash U 50
( 40 ) RMIT 51-75 ( 51-75 ) Uni Melbourne 51-75 ( 76-100 ) Western Sydney U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) QUT 76-100 ( 51-75 ) Swinburne U 76 -100 ( 76-100 ) Uni Wollongong 76 -100 ( 51-75 ). Mining and mineral engineering : UWA three ( four ) Monash U six ( nine ) Uni Adelaide seven ( seven ) UNSW eight ( 13 ) Curtin U 15 ( 19 ) Uni Queensland 16 ( 12 ) Uni Tas 25 ( 25 ) Uni Newcastle 27 ( 44 ) RMIT 40 ( 38 ) James Cook U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) Uni Wollongong 51-75 ( 42 ) Uni Melbourne 76- 100 ( 76-100 ) Uni SA 76 -100 ( 76-100 ).
LIFE SCIENCES Biological sciences : UWA 34 ( 34 ) Uni Melbourne 51-75 ( 49 ) Uni Queensland 51-75 ( 51-7 ) Monash U 76-100 ( 76-100 ) Uni Sydney 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Agriculture sciences : UWA 16 ( 17 ) Uni Queensland 22 ( 21 ) Uni Melbourne 32 ( 30 ) Uni Adelaide 42 ( 37 ) Uni Sydney 44 ( 39 ) ANU 51-75 ( 51-75 ) Uni Tas 51-75 ( 47 ) Western Sydney U 51-75 ( 51-75 ). Veterinary sciences : Uni Sydney 15 ( 17 ) Uni Melbourne 21 ( 26 ) Uni Queensland 43 ( 46 ) Murdoch U 47 ( 51-75 ) Uni Adelaide 76-100 ( 76-100 ) Uni New England 76-100 ( 76-100 ).
MEDICAL SCIENCES Clinical medicine : Uni Melbourne 14 ( 13 ) Uni Sydney 27 ( 27 ) UWA 30 ( 29 ) Monash U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) UNSW 51-75 ( 76-100 ) Uni Adelaide 76-100 ( - ) Uni Queensland 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Public health : Uni Melbourne 16 ( 17 ) Uni Queensland 24 ( 27 ) Uni Sydney 34 ( 35 ) Monash U 37 ( 46 ) UNSW 43 ( 51-75 ) UWA 51-75 ( 51-75 ) ANU 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Nursing : Griffith U two ( two ) Uni Queensland five ( four ) Monash U six ( 19 ) Uni Sydney ten ( 12 ) UTS 11 ( nine ) QUT 13 ( 17 ) Australian Catholic U 18 ( 18 ) Uni Newcastle 26 ( 51-75 ) Deakin U = 30 () Flinders U = 30 ( 51-75 ) Uni Melbourne 49 ( 42 ) Curtin U 51-75 ( 45 ) La Trobe U 51- 75 ( 76-100 ) Uni Adelaide 51-75 ( 76-100 )
Western Sydney U 51-75 ( - ) Edith Cowan U 76-100 ( 76-100 ) UNSW 76-100 ( 76-100 ).
SOCIAL SCIENCES Psychology : UNSW 27 ( 34 ) Uni Melbourne 38 ( 51-75 ) Uni Queensland 48 ( 50 ) UWA 51- 75 ( 51-75 ) Macquarie U 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Hospitality and tourism management : Griffith U five ( three ) Uni Queensland nine ( eight ) Curtin U 42 ( 43 ) Uni SA 43 ( 34 ) Edith Cowan U 51-75 ( 51-75 ) UNSW 51-75 ( 35 ) Deakin U 76-100 ( - ) James Cook U 76-100 ( - ) Monash U 76-100 ( 50 ) QUT 76-100 ( 51- 75 ) UTS 76-100 ( 76-100 ). Library and information science : UNSW 11 ( 12 ) Uni Sydney 51-75 ( 49 ) Uni Melbourne 76-100 ( 51-75 ) Uni Queensland 76-100 ( - ).
WORLD RANKINGS Universities in the US retain their status as the top-ranked institutions in many fields , topping 30 subject areas . Harvard University achieved 15 top spots within the fields of social sciences , medical sciences , engineering and life sciences .
MIT was another stellar performer , topping the subject rankings in six subjects , five of which are engineering subjects .
Hot on the heels of the US ’ domination is China ’ s quickly developing higher education sector , taking out the top honours in 13 subjects this year , many in highly important engineering fields of the future .
ARE RANKINGS ALWAYS GOOD NEWS ?
A 2018 story in Campus Review uncovered a correlation between Australia ' s rise in several top work rankings and an increase in tuition fees , which was based on analysis and modelling from Study Move .
“ It is not a surprise that there is a relationship but it is surprising how strong the correlation is ,” authors from the education consultancy wrote in their report .
More recently , President and vice chancellor of Australian National University Brian Schmidt all but called ranking models flawed and futile .
“ Everyone says [ rankings ] don ’ t matter , but they do ,” Schmidt told The Sydney Morning Herald .
“ They drive students to you ; they hold up your prestige in community and governments . It ’ s a shame they really aren ’ t very good .
“ I think most vice-chancellors , certainly around the world that I know , agree with me ,” he said . ■
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