In Australia, nursing, dentistry, and medical degrees are among the most popular choices for students. After all, these all lead to great professions with high earning potential.
However, before you can start working in any of these fields, you need to choose the right university or medical school and course for your desired career.
Here are Australia's best medical schools and universities for studying medicine.
10. La Trobe University
Our first university for medicine is La Trobe University in Melbourne. This university doesn't usually make Australia's top 10 universities across all subjects, but it just squeezes into the rankings for medicine.
Other sources rank it between 8th and 10th, though we could have included Macquarie University in this spot. It was a tough call.
Either way, if you're considering a career in medicine and looking for a university, La Trobe University could be an excellent place to start your search. Just remember what you're getting yourself into. Here's a timeline for becoming a doctor.
3-4 years
Bachelor's degree
3-4 years
Doctor of Medicine
2-3 years
Junior hospital doctor
3-5 years
Specialist training
9. Australian National University
Australian National University (ANU) was established by the Parliament of Australia in Canberra in 1946. The university typically ranks within the top 10 for all subjects, including medicine. Many of its graduates have gone on to make significant contributions to the medical field, a testament to the quality of education and training offered at ANU.
The ANU Medical School offers the Bachelor of Health Science undergraduate degree, the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery, and Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and Doctor of Medicine by Specialist Research programs.
For us, Australian National University (ANU) is the ninth-best university for medicine in Australia. Incidentally, it's also among the top-ranked schools for computer science. However, it's important to note that rankings can vary depending on the source and the criteria used.
8. University of Newcastle
The University of Newcastle is one of Australia's newer universities. Still, it ranks particularly well in medicine, where we've ranked it 8th, and other sources have ranked it 3rd (Medentry), 9th (QS World University Rankings), and 10th (US News).
This university doesn't generally make Australia's top 10 across all subjects, so it mightn't be on certain students' radars, especially those considering a law degree. However, given its reputation for medicine, potential medical students should look into it.
7. University of Western Australia (UWA)
The University of Western Australia is one of Australia's oldest universities, a Group of Eight (Go8) member and one of the world's top 100 universities.
It's one of Australia's sandstone universities, which are the oldest in the country or the oldest in their respective state. The campus buildings were typically made from sandstone, but this isn't always the case.
| 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 |
We've ranked it 7th for medicine, and other sources tend to rank it between 6th and 8th. Globally, the University of Western Australia regularly makes it into Australia's top 10 universities and typically occupies the same spots as it does for medicine.
6. University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is the third-oldest in Australia. Like seven other of Australia's most reputable universities, it belongs to the Group of Eight (Go8).
Most sources rank this university between 5th and 7th in terms of medicine, which also tracks with the university's global rankings, where it regularly features in Australia's top 10 universities.
The University of Adelaide offers the Bachelor of Medical Studies degree program, which can be completed in three years of full-time study. Upon completion of the program, students gain direct entry into the Doctor of Medicine program at the university. This six-year program will allow graduates to practise medicine anywhere in Australia and around the world.
5. University of New South Wales Sydney
The University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW Sydney) is part of the Group of Eight (Go8). The university was founded in 1949 and opened the Faculty of Medicine a few decades later.
We've ranked UNSW Sydney 5th. Times Higher Education ranked it 6th, US News 5th, QS World University Rankings 4th, and Medentry considered it the second-best university in Australia for medicine, though it's easily one of the best for business degrees.
Like other universities in Australia, the undergraduate medical training programs require completion of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).
Students wishing to enrol in medical courses after completing an undergraduate degree that isn't specifically in medicine will have to take the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
4. University of Queensland
The University of Queensland Medical School is one of the best in the country. We've ranked it #4 in our rankings, much like Times Higher Education, US News, and Medentry did. Only QS World University Rankings put it lower in 5th place.
The university is part of the Group of Eight (Go8). It offers various study pathways into medicine: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, and Doctor of Medicine.
The Doctor of Medicine program is competitive and requires a good ATAR and the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).
The other courses require mathematics, biology, and chemistry as prerequisites and the completion of the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) to start medical training.
3. University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD) was Australia's first medical school. We've ranked it third, but other sources, such as Times Higher Education, US News, and QS World University Rankings, considered it third, first, and second, respectively.
The places at the business end of these rankings are incredibly competitive, and any universities placed between first and third are worth considering.
Though it requires an incredible ATAR of 99.5 and the UCAT, the double degrees at the University of Sydney allow you to combine disciplines.
Outside these limited places, you can also complete a Bachelor of Science or undergraduate chemistry degree, take the GAMSAT, and start graduate study in medicine, where access to the courses isn't quite as competitive.
2. University of Melbourne
We've ranked the University of Melbourne 2nd, but it could have easily been 1st. After all, both Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings consider it to be the best medical school in Australia. However, Medentry ranked it a lowly ninth. US News placed it second.
We can't stress this enough, though: Any of the top 3 would be an excellent school, and for most students, any of the top 10 could provide the right education in medicine.
Melbourne offers undergraduate medical programs, such as the Bachelor of Biomedicine and the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Honours) degrees.
There are also biomedical sciences, biological sciences, and public health courses. These, along with the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
It should also be noted that most sources also rank the University of Melbourne as Australia's best university outright and ranks highly across many subjects including engineering degrees.
1. Monash University
Regarding universities in Australia, Monash is usually beaten by a few others on our list, but it is highly ranked for medicine.
We've ranked it first, much like Medentry did. Times Higher Education considered it the second-best university for medicine. US News and QS World University Rankings considered it the third-best university for medicine in Australia.
Typically, Monash, Melbourne, and Sydney were ranked between first and third and would all be considered excellent universities to study medicine. Only Medentry ranked the University of Melbourne outside of the top 3.
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences includes a nursing school, public health and preventative medicine, a clinical medicine school, and a department for biomedical sciences, which allows students many options in terms of medical study.
Naturally, places on these courses are highly competitive, and students will typically be expected to apply with an outstanding ATAR and excellent UCAT results.
Australian Medical School Rankings from around the Web
These were all our rankings, but if you'd like to see how these (and other) medical schools were ranked by different sources, you can compare them in this table before choosing the right university.
Most sources tend to agree with one another, but some universities' rankings don't agree with the general consensus.
In any case, all the universities in these rankings would be worth considering.
| Rank | Times Higher Education | US News | QS World University Rankings | Medentry | Superprof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Macquarie University | University of Newcastle | La Trobe University | University of New England | La Trobe University |
| 9 | La Trobe University | Australian National University | University of Newcastle | University of Melbourne | Australian National University |
| 8 | University of Western Australia | La Trobe University | Australian National University | University of Western Australia | University of Newcastle |
| 7 | Australian National University | University of Adelaide | University of Western Australia | University of Sydney | University of Western Australia |
| 6 | UNSW Sydney | University of Western Australia | University of Adelaide | Western Sydney University | University of Adelaide |
| 5 | University of Adelaide | University of New South Wales Sydney | University of Queensland | University of Adelaide | UNSW Sydney |
| 4 | University of Queensland | University of Queensland | University of New South Wales Sydney | University of Queensland | University of Queensland |
| 3 | University of Sydney | Monash University | Monash University | University of Newcastle | University of Sydney |
| 2 | Monash University | University of Melbourne | The University of Sydney | University of New South Wales Sydney | University of Melbourne |
| 1 | University of Melbourne | University of Sydney | The University of Melbourne | Monash University | Monash University |
Get Help with Studying Medicine from a Private Tutor
Medicine is a challenging subject; if you need help, a private tutor is an excellent way to improve your academic performance.
Even the best universities can only guarantee that some sessions will suit each student on the program.
However, a private tutor can tailor each session to the student, ensuring they learn what they need to learn in a way that works for them.
On the Superprof website, you can find experienced and talented private tutors to help you. On their profiles, you can see what they teach, how much they charge, and what their other students think of them.
Many offer the first lesson for free, so try a few before choosing the right one.
If you'd like help from a private tutor, search for "medicine" on the Superprof website today.
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