University Rankings by Subject · What and How to Compare

Subject rankings are more useful than overall rankings for student decisions. A university ranked #200 overall may be #5 in a specific discipline. QS ranks 55 subjects across 5 broad areas. THE ranks 11 subject areas. Subject rankings use discipline-specific methodologies (citations per paper norms that account for different publication cultures across fields).

For example, ANU ranks #30 overall in QS but #3 globally in Philosophy, #5 in Anthropology, and #8 in Politics. A student choosing between ANU and a higher-ranked overall university (Melbourne, Sydney) for Political Science should favour ANU — the subject ranking captures what matters.

Always check subject rankings for your intended field. Never rely on overall rankings alone.