Address: Parramatta campus, Cnr James Ruse Drive and Victoria Road, Rydalmere NSW 2116, Australia
Health, Science, Social Sciences, Psychology, Built Environment Architecture and Industrial Design, Computer Data and Mathematical Sciences, Engineering
Western Sydney University is a public research university in Greater Western Sydney, in New South Wales. Its present form dates from 1 January 1989, when it was created under the University of Western Sydney Act 1988. It was known as the University of Western Sydney from 1989 to 2015 and took its present name on 30 August 2015.
The Parramatta campus was established on the site of the Female Orphan School, founded in 1813, at the eastern end of Parramatta, near Rydalmere. It now houses the Whitlam Institute. A Parramatta City campus was announced in 2014 as an extension. The university lists campuses at Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Surabaya in Indonesia. Other sites include Sydney City, opened in 2017, Bankstown City, officially opened in December 2022, and Nirimba in the Blacktown area.
In 2023 the university counted 47,197 students: 36,279 undergraduates, 7,067 in postgraduate coursework, 1,366 in postgraduate research and 2,485 in other categories. The staff totalled 3,278 and the budget was 1.12 billion Australian dollars. For international students, the tuition in 2025 ranged from 24,840 to 40,440 Australian dollars a year for award programs of at least one year.
Nine schools were replaced in January 2020 by seven: Health; Science; Social Sciences; Psychology; Built Environment, Architecture and Industrial Design; Computer, Data and Mathematical Sciences; and Engineering. A central Graduate Research School also exists. The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment opened in 2012 with a grant of 40 million Australian dollars.
The rankings are mixed. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 placed the university first in the world for the fourth consecutive year. QS 2026 gave the 400th place, and Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 the 301 to 350 band. The Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023 recorded full-time employment for 74.7 percent of undergraduates and 87.4 percent of postgraduates. The chancellor is Jennifer Westacott and the vice-chancellor George Williams. Check the current tariff.
Students should check which campus hosts their programme, since the sites are spread across a large metropolitan area. The Hawkesbury campus is linked to environmental and agricultural research, and the city campuses serve working students. Read the official pages for entry rules, pathways and scholarships before applying.
Domains taught:
Civil Engineering, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Life Sciences, Software Engineering, Statistics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Campuses at Bankstown, Blacktown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Surabaya, Sydney City campus.
Research:
Environment, health, social sciences, computing and data, engineering and the built environment.
Famous Alumnis:
N/A
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3278
Current students***:
47197
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Ranked first in the world in the THE Impact Rankings 2025, many campuses in Greater Western Sydney, 47,197 students, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment.
Cons
Campuses spread over a large metropolitan area, travel between sites, lower position in world rankings than older universities.
Best For
Students who want a socially engaged, sustainability-oriented university in Greater Western Sydney.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
A good alternative in the same country is University of Newcastle Australia, which likewise covers civil engineering, ecology and sustainability and life sciences; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Another national school that puts civil engineering, ecology and sustainability and life sciences at the centre is University of Wollongong, and it covers materials as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 31,908 students against roughly 47,197 here.
University of Technology Sydney is the closest domestic counterpart for civil engineering, life sciences and data analytics; it covers finance and industrial design as well, and has almost the same size, at about 51,038 students.
Also strong in ecology and sustainability, life sciences and data analytics, Griffith University makes a sensible second look at home; it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Think of Queensland University of Technology when civil engineering, life sciences and data analytics is the priority: it has almost the same size, at about 52,073 students, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Beyond national borders, George Mason University stands out as a comparable school for statistics, ecology and sustainability and life sciences; it is slightly smaller, at about 39,638 students against roughly 47,197 here, and is also a public institution.
Seen from abroad, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong) is a close relative on subject matter, since civil engineering, life sciences and data analytics are central to both, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Laval University in Canada pursues a similar profile in ecology and sustainability, life sciences and data analytics, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers finance and agriculture as well.
On content, University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and this university are close, as both teach civil engineering, life sciences and data analytics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers finance and astroscience as well.
On content, Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and this university are close, as both teach ecology and sustainability, life sciences and data analytics; it is smaller, enrolling about 20,939 students against roughly 47,197 here, and is also a public institution.
*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 Western Sydney University?
In Greater Western Sydney, with its Parramatta campus at Rydalmere.
When was it created?
On 1 January 1989, under the University of Western Sydney Act 1988.
When did it take its present name?
On 30 August 2015.
How many students does it have?
47,197 in 2023.
How many schools does it have?
Seven, since January 2020.
Does it have a campus abroad?
Yes, in Surabaya, Indonesia.
How is it placed in the THE Impact Rankings 2025?
First in the world.
What is the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment?
A research institute opened in 2012 with a grant of 40 million Australian dollars.
Who is the vice-chancellor?
George Williams, since July 2024.
What does it cost?
Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff.
Engineering, Environment, Innovation, Research and Development, Sustainable Development
*: 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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