Address: Balaclava Road, 2109 Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
Medicine and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering, Business, Arts
Macquarie University was founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government under the Macquarie University Act 1964, as the third university in the Sydney metropolitan area. It opened to students on 6 March 1967, with more students than the Australian Universities Commission had allowed for. It is named after Lachlan Macquarie, an early governor of the colony of New South Wales.
The main campus is in Macquarie Park, about 16 kilometres north-west of the centre of Sydney, on the site of semi-rural land in North Ryde. The campus, called Wallumattagal, has the postcode 2109. A single campus houses the faculties, the research centres and a hospital.
In 2023 the university had 44,015 students: 33,184 undergraduates, 8,785 postgraduates, 1,331 doctoral students and 715 in other categories. It employed 3,585 full-time equivalent staff, of whom 1,636 were academic and 1,948 administrative. Four units teach: the Faculty of Arts, the Macquarie Business School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Macquarie University Hospital opened on the campus in 2010 at a cost of 300 million dollars. It has 183 beds, 13 operating theatres and two cardiac and vascular angiography suites, and it is described as the first private not-for-profit teaching hospital on an Australian university campus. Students of medicine and health sciences train there alongside researchers.
Alumni include the politician Tanya Plibersek, the swimmer Ian Thorpe, the basketball player Lauren Jackson, the founding members of The Wiggles Anthony Field and Greg Page, the journalist Yalda Hakim, the businesswoman Catherine Livingstone and the scientist Cathy Foley. Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
In 2012 the university enrolled 9,802 students from Asia, one sign of its international reach. Other alumni include the sportswomen Holly Lincoln-Smith and Rachael Gunn, the scientists Barry Brook and Frank Duarte, the businessmen David Murray, Matt Barrie and David Leckie, and the politician Brad Hazzard. The campus has its own railway station and is set in parkland.
Domains taught:
Chemistry, Data Analytics, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Graduate Certificate, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Macquarie University Hospital on campus, Macquarie Business School, and exchange agreements with universities worldwide.
Research:
Medicine and health sciences, science and engineering, business, arts, with a private not-for-profit teaching hospital on the campus.
Famous Alumnis:
Tanya Plibersek, Ian Thorpe, Lauren Jackson, Catherine Livingstone, Cathy Foley, The Wiggles
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3585
Current students***:
44015
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Single parkland campus in Macquarie Park, university hospital on campus, rail link to the city, strong business and science.
Cons
Campus is about 16 kilometres from the Sydney CBD, high fees for international students, large classes.
Best For
Students seeking a campus university in Sydney with a hospital on site and strong business, health and science.
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Most Similar Schools Locally
University of New South Wales works in much the same fields, chiefly finance, chemistry and physics, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral, graduate certificate and mba, and is larger, enrolling about 82,300 students against roughly 44,015 here.
Where this university leans on finance, chemistry and physics, University of Sydney does the same, and it is larger, enrolling about 70,300 students against roughly 44,015 here, and is also a public institution.
On content, University of Technology Sydney and this institution are close, as both teach finance, mathematics and life sciences; it is slightly larger, at about 51,038 students against roughly 44,015 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of chemistry, physics and mathematics can consider Deakin University, and it also offers graduate diploma programmes and covers ecology and sustainability as well.
University of Adelaide follows much the same lines as this university, with chemistry, physics and mathematics as common ground, and it covers agriculture and food science as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 30,279 students against roughly 44,015 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Auckland brings a New Zealand setting to the same core fields, chemistry, physics and mathematics, and it also offers graduate diploma programmes and covers statistics as well.
Seen from abroad, Korea University (South Korea) is a close relative on subject matter, since finance, chemistry and physics are central to both, and it is private, whereas this institution is public, and does not run the graduate certificate programmes found here.
In South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand teaches much the same core subjects, finance, chemistry and physics, and it is also a public institution and does not run the graduate certificate programmes found here.
For a study option in Portugal with a comparable spread of finance, chemistry and physics, University of Porto is the reference point: it covers food science and civil engineering as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 30,640 students against roughly 44,015 here.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on finance, chemistry and physics is Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, and it does not run the graduate certificate programmes found here and covers statistics 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 Macquarie University?
In Macquarie Park, about 16 kilometres north-west of the centre of Sydney, New South Wales.
When was it founded?
In 1964, under the Macquarie University Act 1964.
When did it open to students?
On 6 March 1967.
Who is it named after?
Lachlan Macquarie, an early governor of the colony of New South Wales.
How many students does it have?
44,015 in 2023, including 33,184 undergraduates.
How many staff does it have?
3,585 full-time equivalent staff in 2023.
Which faculties does it have?
Arts, the Macquarie Business School, Medicine and Health Sciences, and Science and Engineering.
What is Macquarie University Hospital?
A hospital opened on the campus in 2010, described as the first private not-for-profit teaching hospital on an Australian university campus.
Which sports people studied there?
Ian Thorpe and Lauren Jackson, among others.
What does it cost?
Fees differ for domestic and international students. Check the current tariff.
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*: 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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