Many parents still believe that law or medicine are the best career choices. With a starting salary close to $72,000 and an average salary of $125,000, lawyers in Australia are among the best earners.
So, if you're interested in studying law in Australia, where should you do it? Here are the country's most prestigious universities for law.
10. Macquarie University
Macquarie University is located in Sydney and was founded in 1964 as a verdant university. Macquarie is one of two verdant universities on our list.
Verdant universities were established during the 1960s and 1970s next to native bushland and nature reserves.
While most of these verdant universities were the second in their state, Macquarie is Sydney's third and New South Wales's fourth university.
Macquarie generally ranks within the top 200 universities globally and comes typically close to or around the top 10. And, as for being a good school to study computer science, this one ranks in the top ten.
It just makes it into our rankings for law in tenth.
9. University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide, established in 1874, is the first of Australia's sandstone universities to feature on our list and the third oldest university in Australia.
The sandstone universities are each state's oldest university, the name referring to the sandstone typically used to construct the buildings. However, not every university built from sandstone is considered a "sandstone university," though most are members of the Group of Eight (Go8), with the exception of the University of Tasmania.
| University | Location | Established |
|---|---|---|
| University of Adelaide | Adelaide, South Australia | 1874 |
| University of Melbourne | Melbourne, Victoria | 1853 |
| University of Queensland | Brisbane, Queensland | 1909 |
| University of Sydney | Sydney, New South Wales | 1850 |
| University of Tasmania | Hobart, Tasmania | 1890 |
| University of Western Australia | Perth, Western Australia | 1911 |
As for law, we've ranked the University of Adelaide in 9th.
8. Griffith University
Griffith University is one of Australia's newer universities (founded in 1971), located in South East Queensland, and another of the verdant universities.
It is regularly included in the top 300 universities in the world by QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education, and the US News & World Report.
Generally, it ranks in the middle of Australia's universities (19th out of 39, for example), but for law, it's one of the country's top 10 universities, which both QS and Edurank agree with.
7. University of Technology Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) mightn't sound like a law school, but it offers the Juris Doctor, like many others, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate law programs.
Both the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education included the University of Technology in their top 10 law universities in Australia, ranking it 7th place, just like us.
Don't be put off by the name; the course catalogue is extensive, and anyone considering studying law should research UTS.
6. Monash University
Monash University was founded in 1958 and takes its name after a World War I general. It's located in Melbourne and is Victoria's second-oldest university. In addition to the campus in Melbourne, it also has international campuses in China, Indonesia, and India.
As a law school, it offers a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree with options for specialisation as you progress.
There's also the Doctor of Philosophy—Law program, a four-year research program that would require 10 years of schooling to complete.
Monash also ranks highly for business studies, and despite its high ranking for law, the admissions are pretty lenient compared to some of the universities later in this article.
5. University of Queensland (UQ)
The University of Queensland in Brisbane was founded in 1909 and is one of the sandstone universities in Australia.
The university is also one of the founding members of the edX, an online education platform, a member of the Group of Eight (Go8), and one of the country's best universities.
For law, it makes our top 5, though some sources rank it as highly as third, whereas others have put it as low as sixth.
4. Australian National University (ANU)
The Australian National University ranks highly in the QS World University Rankings. It is one of the top 50 universities globally in education and law and belongs to the Group of Eight (Go8).
Located in Canberra, the university was founded by the Parliament of Australia in 1946 and boasts many famous alums, including Nobel laureates.
It's one of the top five in the country for law. Like many of Australia's other universities, it offers the Juris Doctor program, which is available for graduates of four-year bachelor's (honours) programs.
3. The University of Sydney (USYD)
The University of Sydney is a Group of Eight (Go8) member and one of the country's oldest universities. Founded in 1950, it's also another of Australia's sandstone universities.
Globally, it's one of the top universities in the world. As a law school, it ranks just behind the University of New South Wales Sydney, but it is nonetheless praised for its double degrees, where students can study arts, engineering, commerce, economics, or science alongside law.
Double degrees take five years to complete, requiring a 99.5 ATAR and English language standards for international students.
2. University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW Sydney)
UNSW Sydney is ranked second in the country for law. This university was founded in 1949 and ranks 19th in the world and 2nd in Australia in general, according to the 2024 QS World University Rankings.
There are five-year undergraduate double degree programs and an expansive course catalogue that includes the Practical Legal Training program. This program improves employability upon graduation, something UNSW Sydney already excels in. In fact, it's ranked second in Australia and 27th in the world for graduate employability.
You may also consider the university's Master of Law by Research program.
If all the different qualification types are getting confusing, here they are arranged by level.
Level 5
Diploma
Level 6
Advanced Diploma
Level 6
Associate Degree
Level 7
Bachelor Degree
Level 8
Bachelor Honours Degree
Level 8
Graduate Certificate
Level 8
Graduate Diploma
Level 9
Masters Degree (Extended)
Level 9
Masters Degree (Coursework)
Level 9
Masters Degree (Research)
Level 10
Doctoral Degree
Level 10
Higher Doctoral Degree
1. The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne, consistently ranked in the top 20 worldwide for law degrees, is not just a place of learning but a gateway to success. It's ranked #1 in general and #1 for law in Australia, and its alumni include four Prime Ministers and eight Nobel Laureates, a testament to the university's commitment to excellence.
You can study law at Melbourne University either in-person, online, full-time, or part-time, meaning law students have many options.
However, the university doesn't offer any undergraduate law options, and students must instead choose pathways that lead to graduate law studies.
Both domestic and international students can start with the Juris Doctor program, progress through the Master of Laws program, and even complete a PhD in law.
The Juris Doctor is valid in every legal jurisdiction in Australia. Melbourne offers dozens of different law courses with different specialisations.
How Others Ranked Australia's Best Universities for Law
These rankings are ours, and everyone will rank universities slightly differently, weighing certain aspects over others.
Our rankings are compared with some of the other sources listed here for a clearer idea of the general consensus.
| Rank | Times Higher Education | QS World University Rankings | Edurank | Superprof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | University of Adelaide | University of Adelaide | University of Adelaide | University of New South Wales |
| 9 | University of Tasmania | Macquarie University | Deakin University | University of Adelaide |
| 8 | University of Wollongong | Griffith University | Queensland University of Technology | Griffith University |
| 7 | University of Technology Sydney | University of Technology Sydney | Griffith University | University of Technology Sydney |
| 6 | Monash University | University of Queensland | Australian National University | Monash University |
| 5 | University of Queensland | Monash University | UNSW Sydney | University of Queensland |
| 4 | University of Sydney | Australian National University | Monash University | Australian National University |
| 3 | Australian National University | University of Sydney | University of Queensland | University of Sydney |
| 2 | UNSW Sydney | UNSW Sydney | University of Sydney | UNSW Sydney |
| 1 | University of Melbourne | University of Melbourne | University of Melbourne | University of Melbourne |
Choosing the Right University for Law
Remember that choosing the right university isn't just about how it ranks for a given subject. After all, there's the location, cost of living, and approach to teaching to consider, too.
Studying law is tough, so make it easier by choosing a place where you'll be happy learning and able to lead a rich life outside of your studies.
While you can certainly start your search for a good law school using these rankings, make sure you do your research into all the other factors that will affect you.
While those with law degrees shouldn't struggle to find work, it still helps to see how the universities do in terms of employability.
It helps to stay active during your studies, so see how each university supports extracurricular activities and sports.
While the quality of teaching for a given subject is arguably the most important factor, remember that it's not the only one.
Get Help with Law Studies from a Private Tutor
As mentioned, studying law is really difficult. If you need help, the best law schools and universities will offer it where they can. Still, a private tutor can entirely focus on you and your education.
Professors at your university will have to focus on all their students' overall well-being and education. In contrast, your tutor will tailor sessions to you and what you need to learn.
Plenty of talented and experienced private law tutors are on the Superprof website. Search for them and start browsing their profiles today. You can see what they teach, how much they charge, and what their other students have to say about them.
With many offering the first session for free, you can even try a few before choosing one that is ideally suited to you and your learning objectives.
Just search for law on the Superprof website today!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
