Address: 2 George Street, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
Business, Law, Science and Engineering, Creative Industries, Education, Health, Architecture, Information Technology, Design
Queensland University of Technology, known as QUT, grew out of the Brisbane School of Arts, established in 1849. The Queensland Institute of Technology was formed in 1965, and the Queensland Parliament granted university status in 1988. QUT has operated under its present name since January 1989. In 1990 the Brisbane College of Advanced Education joined it, and this expanded the university to Kelvin Grove.
Two campuses carry most of the teaching. Gardens Point, the city campus, stands in the Brisbane central business district beside the Brisbane River. Business, Law, and Science and Engineering are based there. Kelvin Grove hosts Creative Industries, Education and Health. The university also runs a Canberra Executive Education Centre in Deakin. The Caboolture campus was transferred to the University of the Sunshine Coast on 8 January 2018.
The 2023 figures show a very large institution with 52,073 students. They include 37,487 undergraduates, 11,453 postgraduate coursework students, 2,339 postgraduate research students and 794 others. The staff counted 4,509 full-time equivalents, of whom 2,140 were academic and 2,369 administrative. These numbers place QUT among the largest universities in Queensland.
The fields of study reach from architecture, information technology and mathematics to communication, design and justice. The pairing of a city campus for business, law, science and engineering with a creative and health campus gives students a clear choice according to their career plans. The university describes itself as a university for the real world, and its courses often include work placements and projects with industry. Applicants should check the official pages for the placement options of each course.
For international students, Brisbane offers a sunny climate and a lower cost of living than Sydney or Melbourne, although housing costs have risen in recent years. Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff.
Applicants should compare the two main campuses before choosing a course, since the subjects are split between them. The page of each course on the official site gives the campus, the entry conditions and the duration. The Brisbane location puts students close to employers in business, law, engineering, health and the creative sectors, which suits the practical profile of the university.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Engineering, Finance, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Gardens Point campus beside the Brisbane River, Kelvin Grove campus, Canberra Executive Education Centre in Deakin.
Research:
Science and engineering, health, creative industries, business, law, information technology and design.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4509
Current students***:
52073
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
City campus in the Brisbane centre, 52,073 students, strong science, engineering and creative industries, links with industry.
Cons
Very large student body, two main campuses, competition in health and creative courses.
Best For
Students who want a career-oriented Brisbane university with city-centre teaching and strong industry links.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
Also strong in finance, industrial design and civil engineering, University of Technology Sydney makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution and also offers graduate certificate and graduate diploma programmes.
On content, University of South Australia and this university are close, as both teach finance, industrial design and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
RMIT University shares the core fields of this institution, namely finance, industrial design and civil engineering; it covers aerospace and electrical and electronics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 95,000 students against roughly 52,073 here.
Where this university leans on finance, life sciences and data analytics, Griffith University does the same, and it covers ecology and sustainability as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 44,427 students against roughly 52,073 here.
Swinburne University of Technology shares the core fields of this university, namely industrial design, robotics and life sciences; it covers astroscience and physics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 65,979 students against roughly 52,073 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on industrial design, civil engineering and life sciences is Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong, and it covers logistics and materials as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 33,900 students against roughly 52,073 here.
University of Central Florida, in the United States, takes a similar route through finance, life sciences and data analytics; it is slightly larger, at about 70,674 students against roughly 52,073 here, and is also a public institution.
Looking internationally, George Mason University in the United States is where finance, life sciences and data analytics get a comparable treatment; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers statistics and ecology and sustainability as well.
The closest overseas parallel on finance, industrial design and life sciences is Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, located in Saudi Arabia; it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
National Cheng Kung University offers an international parallel to this institution, with industrial design, civil engineering and life sciences as common ground; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers electrical and electronics and materials as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is QUT?
On the Gardens Point campus in the Brisbane centre, beside the Brisbane River, and on the Kelvin Grove campus.
When did it become a university?
In 1988, and it has operated under its present name since January 1989.
What are its roots?
The Brisbane School of Arts, established in 1849.
How many students does it have?
52,073 in 2023.
How many staff does it have?
4,509 full-time equivalents in 2023.
What is taught at Gardens Point?
Business, Law, and Science and Engineering.
What is taught at Kelvin Grove?
Creative Industries, Education and Health.
What happened to the Caboolture campus?
It was transferred to the University of the Sunshine Coast on 8 January 2018.
Does QUT have an office in Canberra?
Yes, the Canberra Executive Education Centre in Deakin.
What does it cost?
Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff.
Design Thinking, Engineering, Innovation, Research and Development, Robotics
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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