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Charles Darwin University

(CDU)

🇦🇺 Australia / Northern Territory / Darwin
Public Est. 2003

About

In the spirit of our namesake, Charles Darwin, the naturalist, geologist and father of modern evolutionary theory, CDU places great emphasis on innovative study and research that will change the world and improve people’s lives. Today we have over 22,000 students enrolled in Higher Education, Research and VET spread across nine campuses and centres in the Northern Territory, as well as in Melbourn...

In the spirit of our namesake, Charles Darwin, the naturalist, geologist and father of modern evolutionary theory, CDU places great emphasis on innovative study and research that will change the world and improve people’s lives. Today we have over 22,000 students enrolled in Higher Education, Research and VET spread across nine campuses and centres in the Northern Territory, as well as in Melbourne and Sydney. As one of a handful of universities in the country that provides both Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, we offer alternative ways to access education, particularly for mature-aged and Indigenous students. As well as gaining a qualification, CDU believes that every graduate should acquire universal skills, qualities and understanding regardless of their disciplines.

Reasons to choose CDU:

- we are in the top two per cent of universities in the world and in the top 100 universities worldwide under 50 years old. (Times Higher Education 2013) - we are the second-fastest growing university in Australia - we are in the top four universities in Australia and New Zealand for research in environmental science and ecology - we teach over 4000 Indigenous students each year.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 401 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

THE #401–500 (2026)
QS #584 (2026)

Ranked in 22 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =584
235
28.7
2026
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# 401–500
46.2
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 601-700
200
2023
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =797
21
44.9
2026

Key Facts

Students
7,195
Student-Staff Ratio
23.9 : 1
Int'l Students
38%
Female : Male
65 : 35
Staff
1,124

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 101 201 301 401 501 601 701 801 901 1000 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
87
Infectious Diseases
Top 100
201-300
201-300
Public Health
201-300
=213
251–300
251–300
Social Sciences
301–400
Engineering & Technology
301–400
Life Sciences
301–400
Physical Sciences
301-400
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
301-400
Human Biological Sciences
401–500
Business & Economics
401–500
Education & Training
451-470
Environmental Sciences

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

US News

7 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Infectious Diseases 87 44.9 2026
Ecology =213 44.9 2026
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health 469 44.9 2026
Environment/Ecology =487 44.9 2026
Plant and Animal Science =640 44.9 2026
Social Sciences and Public Health =647 44.9 2026
Clinical Medicine =683 44.9 2026

ARWU

6 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Ecology 201-300 - 2025
Public Health 201-300 - 2025
Nursing 201-300 - 2025
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 301-400 - 2025
Human Biological Sciences 301-400 - 2018
Computer Science 401-500 - 2025

THE

8 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Computer Science 251–300 45.3 2026
Social Sciences 251–300 42.1 2026
Engineering & Technology 301–400 41.5 2026
Life Sciences 301–400 42.4 2026
Physical Sciences 301–400 42.4 2025
Business & Economics 401–500 36.4 2026
Education & Training 401–500 32.7 2026
Clinical & Health 501–600 33.9 2026

QS

2 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Environmental Sciences 451-470 - 2023
Medicine 651-700 - 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of Charles Darwin University?

Charles Darwin University's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =584, THE Rank 401–500, ARWU Rank 601-700, US News Rank =797.

When was Charles Darwin University founded?

Charles Darwin University was founded in 2003.

What are the top subjects at Charles Darwin University?

Top subjects at Charles Darwin University include: Infectious Diseases, Ecology, Public Health, Nursing, Ecology.

Where is Charles Darwin University located?

Charles Darwin University is located in Darwin, Australia.