Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline McMillen said the ranking in the independent global university league table was an “outstanding achievement that reflected the university’s international reputation for excellence in quality education, research and innovation”.

“Our UON community can be justifiably proud of an uplift of 84 places since 2014, achieved within a highly competitive sector,” Professor McMillen said.

“A world ranking at this level is testament to the hardworking staff across our disciplines who have collectively contributed to this great result.

“It pays tribute to our world-leading researchers who are developing innovative solutions to address the challenges facing communities in our regions and around the world; and our professional and teaching staff, who are passionate about delivering a positive learning environment and quality teaching to our students.”

Professor McMillen said the new ranking placed UON closer to its goal of breaking through to the top 200 universities by 2020.

The QS World University Rankings evaluates universities according to six metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.

UON improved its performance in faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio compared to 2018.

Professor McMillen said UON’s strong performances in the international faculty ratio (99.8) and international student ratio (82.3) showed its success in attracting “world-class” researchers and international students.

“We continue to draw outstanding staff who are making their mark as leaders and innovators in their professions or fields of endeavour.

“We are also extremely proud of our talented students, from all walks of life, who choose UON to pursue their educational aspirations.”