The University of Queensland
Queensland, Australia
Founded1909
Updated February 8, 2026
Overview
The University of Queensland (UQ) is a premier public research institution and the oldest and largest university in the state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, the university operates under the motto Scientia ac Labore (by means of knowledge and hard work). It is a founding member of the Group of Eight, a member of Universities Australia, and one of only three Australian members of the prestigious Universitas 21 network.
UQ is organized into five primary faculties covering Business, Economics and Law; Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology; Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences; Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; and Science. The institution is dedicated to delivering public good through transformative teaching and impactful research, guided by its "Toward 2032" strategic plan and core values of excellence, creativity, integrity, courage, and respect.
Location
The university's primary presence is anchored by its historic St Lucia campus in Brisbane, famous for its Great Court and extensive facilities. The university also maintains several specialized campuses across the region: the Gatton campus focuses on agriculture and veterinary science with over 1,000 hectares of farmland; the Herston campus is situated near the Brisbane CBD and serves as a hub for health and medicine; and the Dutton Park campus.
In addition to these primary locations, the university operates UQ Brisbane City at 308 Queen Street, which is dedicated to executive education and postgraduate programs. This diverse range of settings—from urban centers to expansive rural research farms—allows the university to provide specialized environments for various academic disciplines.
St Lucia, Australia
Also in: Herston, Australia · Brisbane City, Australia
Campuses
St Lucia Campus
MainSt Lucia· Australia
Herston Campus
Herston· Australia
UQ Brisbane City
Brisbane City· Australia
Campus Culture
UQ is home to a diverse and vibrant community of over 57,000 students, including a significant international cohort of more than 15,000 students from over 135 countries. The university is committed to fostering an inclusive environment, guided by its "Stretch" Reconciliation Action Plan and the "Queensland Commitment," which aims to remove barriers to education for Indigenous students and those from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds.
Student life is enriched by extensive cultural and sporting infrastructure. The St Lucia campus features Queensland’s largest multi-sport precinct, covering 35 hectares, alongside several museums, including the UQ Art Museum and the Anthropology Museum, which houses Australia’s largest university ethnographic collection. The university also supports its students through a substantial scholarship program, awarding over $16 million annually to assist with the costs of higher education.
Notable Alumni
The University of Queensland boasts a vast global alumni network exceeding 355,000 individuals residing across 190 countries. This extensive community reflects the university's international reach and long-standing history of academic excellence.
Graduates of the university are recognized as the most employable in the state of Queensland. Career outcomes are particularly strong for postgraduate students, with 92.5% finding employment shortly after completing their studies. Furthermore, coursework postgraduates typically see a significant salary increase of 33-36% within three years of graduation.
Rankings
UQ is consistently recognized as one of the world’s top 50 universities, holding a prestigious global reputation. In the 2026 TIME Magazine inaugural edition of the World’s Top Universities, it was named Australia’s best university and ranked 30th globally. Other major international rankings place the university at 42nd in the QS World University Rankings (2026) and 50th in the CWTS Leiden Ranking (2025).
Domestically, the university holds a dominant position, frequently ranking first in Queensland across a wide array of disciplines including Arts and Humanities, Life Sciences, Medicine, and Business. It is also the top recipient of Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellowships and Awards. In the 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia assessment, 100% of UQ’s research was rated at or above world standard.
Research
As a research-intensive powerhouse, UQ is home to six world-class research institutes, including the Institute for Molecular Bioscience and the Queensland Brain Institute. The university is ranked 37th globally for the performance of scientific papers and hosts sophisticated infrastructure such as high-field NMR spectrometers and the state’s only robotic sample storage for crystallography.
The university is a leader in innovation and commercialization through "UQ Ventures" and its commercial arms, UniQuest and JKTech. UQ has fostered the creation of 134 companies and manages over 240 active license agreements. A notable success includes the acquisition of the UQ-linked company ViceBio by Sanofi, representing the largest deal of its kind for an Australian university. These efforts have collectively generated $68.5 billion in gross product sales.