In This Article
- Comparing the basics
- Top overall rankings for Australian universities: QS World University Rankings
- Top global rankings for Australian MBAs: CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings
- Top rankings for Australian business and economics courses: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- Top rankings for Australian business schools: AFR BOSS Best Business School rankings
- Which online university is best for an MBA?
- Find the right path forward
Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses are gaining popularity due to their flexibility and accessibility. In today’s competitive job market, an MBA is a valuable differentiator that can open doors to management and senior executive roles while enhancing your skills for greater business success.
However, with numerous options available, how can prospective students choose the right program to align with their career aspirations? In this guide, we demystify the MBA ranking system and provide valuable insights to help you make an informed decision when it comes to applying for an MBA.
Here is our guide to MBA rankings in Australia.
Comparing the basics of an MBA
To choose the right MBA, you can compare the basics of various programs by focusing on the cost, on-campus requirements, duration and flexibility. These factors can help you determine which MBA suits your lifestyle and career goals. Here’s what each factor entails:
- Cost: Consider the total cost, including tuition and any additional fees.
- On-campus requirements: Determine if there are any mandatory on-campus activities and their location.
- Duration: Assess the program’s length, typically ranging from 12 to 24 months.
- Flexibility: Investigate the program’s flexibility to fit into your work and life responsibilities.
Once you’ve narrowed your options, the next step is to explore how each MBA program ranks compared to others on your shortlist.
The Australian MBA rankings conundrum
One challenge in selecting the right MBA program for you is the variation in rankings across different systems. There is no one ‘best’ MBA ranking system. You may find that the top program in one ranking may not even appear in another. You may also find that the ranking methodologies change from year to year, and what was reflected in last year’s results may be strikingly different to this year. To make sense of this, let’s explore four of the major ranking systems.
Top MBA rankings for Australian universities: QS World University Rankings
The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global MBA Rankings are considered a global indicator of the top MBA programs. For the 2027 rankings, data was collected from the QS Global Employer Survey, the QS Global Academic Survey and a survey completed by the business schools themselves. Institutions participating in the survey provided data on key quantitative indicators, including graduate earnings and class profile. This ranking offers insights into universities’ global MBA standing.
What is the QS measurement methodology?
The MBA programs are ranked in the following areas:
- Employer reputation: 35%
- Return on investment: 15%
- Alumni impact: 10%
- Academic reputation: 10%
- Graduate employment rate: 5%
- Payback month: 5%
- Entrepreneurship: 5%
- Research impact: 2.5%
- Staff with PhD: 2.5%
- Faculty gender ratio: 2.5%
- International faculty ratio: 2.5%
- International student ratio: 2.5%
- Student gender ratio: 2.5%
QS Global MBA Rankings 2027
| Global rank | University |
|---|---|
| 32 | University of New South Wales |
| 34 | University of Melbourne |
| 47 | University of Sydney |
| 111-120 | Macquarie University |
| 111-120 | University of Queensland |
| 141-150 | University of Technology Sydney |
| 151-160 | University of Western Australia |
| 171-180 | RMIT University |
| 181-190 | University of Wollongong |
| 191-200 | Griffith University |
| 251-300 | Curtin University |
| 251-300 | La Trobe University |
| 301+ | James Cook University |
| 301+ | University of Tasmania |
Top global rankings for Australian MBAs: CEO Magazine Global MBA Rankings
CEO Magazine targets business leaders and those who aspire to lead. The CEO Magazine Global MBA rankings cover MBA, Executive MBA and online MBA programs, most recently from 152 schools and 340 programs in 24 countries. Here, we look at the online MBA rankings for 2026.
What is the CEO Magazine measurement methodology?
According to CEO Magazine, online MBA programs are evaluated against six weighted pillars:
- Career development and outcomes: 10%
- Applied learning and industry integration: 30%
- Digital AI capability: 20%
- Alumni network and ecosystem activation: 10%
- Learning effectiveness: 20%
- Global mobility and development: 10%
2026 CEO Magazine Global Online MBA rankings
| Global rank | University |
|---|---|
| =8 | Macquarie University |
| 10 | Torrens University Australia (MBA On Demand) |
| 17 | Deakin University |
| =20 | Griffith University |
| =20 | Torrens University Australia (MBA and MBAA) |
| 24 | Australian Institute of Business |
| 25 | La Trobe University |
| =26 | Swinburne University of Technology |
| 27 | University of Wollongong |
| =33 | CQUniversity |
| =34 | CQUniversity (Hyperflexible MBA) |
| =36 | Flinders University |
| =38 | Victoria University |
| 44 | RMIT University |
Top rankings for Australian business and economics courses: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education is a weekly magazine in the UK. Originally published in 1971 as part of The Times newspaper, it became a magazine in 2008.
The brand’s university rankings, first reported in 2004, are global and released annually. MBA programs are not specifically graded, nor are online courses, but we can look at the ranking for Business and Economics subjects at Australian universities. The subjects used to create this ranking are:
- Business and management
- Accounting and finance
- Economics and econometrics
What is the Times Higher Education measurement methodology?
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings balance input across 18 performance indicators grouped into five areas. Those areas are teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.
The weightings for the business and economics ranking are:
- Teaching - the learning environment: 28.1%
- Research environment - volume, income and reputation: 31.6%
- Research quality - strength, influence and excellence: 25%
- International outlook - staff, students and research: 9%
- Industry - income and patents: 4%
Note: These pillars equal 97.7%. The remaining 2.3% is for a specific sub-metric within the teaching pillar that applies to the overall world university rankings, but not the business and economics subject ranking.
2026 Times Higher Education rankings for business and economics courses
| Global rank | University |
|---|---|
| 32 | University of Melbourne |
| 52 | University of Sydney |
| 56 | University of Queensland |
| 58 | Monash University |
| =70 | Australian National University |
| =88 | University of New South Wales |
| 101-125 | Adelaide University |
| 101-125 | Griffith University |
| 101-125 | Macquarie University |
| 126-150 | University of Technology Sydney |
| 150-175 | Swinburne University of Technology |
| 150-175 | University of Newcastle |
| 176-200 | RMIT University |
| 176-200 | University of Wollongong |
| 201-250 | Curtin University |
| 201-250 | Deakin University |
| 201-250 | Edith Cowan University |
| 201-250 | La Trobe University |
| 201-250 | Queensland University of Technology |
| 201-250 | University of Western Australia |
| 301-400 | Central Queensland University |
| 301-400 | Flinders University |
| 301-400 | James Cook University |
| 301-400 | University of Canberra |
| 301-400 | University of Southern Queensland |
| 301-400 | University of Tasmania |
| 301-400 | Western Sydney University |
| 401-500 | Australia Catholic University |
| 401-500 | Bond University |
| 401-500 | Charles Darwin University |
| 401-500 | University of Sunshine Coast |
| 401-500 | Victoria University |
| 501-600 | Murdoch University |
| 501-600 | Southern Cross University |
| 601-800 | Charles Sturt University |
| 601-800 | Federation University |
Top rankings for Australian business schools: AFR BOSS Best Business School rankings
The AFR BOSS Best Business Schools ranking (previously BOSS MBA rankings) is the only domestic system in Australia that ranks business schools. The rankings incorporate local metrics, such as student satisfaction, graduate salaries and employment outcomes, and source international data from globally respected university rankings, including the Times Higher Education (THE), Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
Last year, the AFR updated its methodology to remove outdated business school data and recognise those with accreditations from both the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).
In 2026, the teaching ranking has been separated into two equally weighted sub-categories.
What is the AFR BOSS measurement methodology?
The AFR BOSS organises data in four pillars:
- Teaching: 40%
- Student opinion: 20%
- External evaluation: 20%
- Research: 20%
- University reputation: 20%
- Career impact: 20%
The rankings look only at universities within Australia and the data captures postgraduate business and management studies only. The table below reveals the overall rankings for 2026.
2026 AFR BOSS Best Business School rankings
| Rank | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | University of Melbourne |
| 2 | University of New South Wales |
| 3 | University of Queensland |
| 4 | University of Sydney |
| 5 | Monash University |
| 6 | Deakin University |
| =7 | Adelaide University |
| =7 | University of Western Australia |
| 9 | Curtin University |
| =10 | Griffith University |
| =10 | University of Technology Sydney |
| 12 | Edith Cowan University |
| 13 | Queensland University of Technology |
| 14 | RMIT University |
| 15 | La Trobe University |
| 16 | Macquarie University |
| 17 | University of Newcastle |
| 18 | University of Wollongong |
| =19 | Bond University |
| =19 | Flinders University |
| =19 | James Cook University |
| =19 | Australian National University |
| 23 | Swinburne University of Technology |
| 24 | University of Canberra |
| 25 | Murdoch University |
| =26 | CQUniversity |
| =26 | University of Tasmania |
| =26 | Western Sydney University |
| =29 | Southern Cross University |
| =29 | University of Southern Queensland |
| =29 | Victoria University |
| 32 | Charles Sturt University |
| 33 | University of New England |
| 34 | Torrens University Australia |
Which university is best for an MBA?
Based on the four university ranking systems featured, the University of Melbourne stands out as the top choice for an MBA. Leading three out of four lists, the university’s consistent performance highlights the strength and quality of its business education. The institution offers a wide range of MBA programs tailored to business professionals at various career stages, including a full-time MBA, part-time MBA, executive MBA and senior executive MBA. For those who are looking for more flexibility to advance their studies, the university also provides an online MBA designed to accommodate busy schedules.
Accelerate your leadership and management development through MBS’s immersive, full-time MBA in Melbourne, combining 13 core subjects with six electives.
A flexible, top-ranked MBA with study options that make it easier than ever to get started.
Designed for experienced managers moving into senior leadership, the Executive MBA combines intensive residential learning with advanced study across strategy, finance, leadership and organisational decision-making.
Advance enterprise leadership through an 18-month executive MBA built around residential modules in Melbourne, Asia, Europe and the USA.
Complete a comprehensive MBA online, one subject at a time, designed for experienced professionals.
However, it’s important to consider your specific needs, career goals and personal preferences when choosing the right university to pursue your MBA. While Australian and global university ranking systems can help you navigate which universities and MBA programs rank against each other, there are several well-respected universities that offer high-quality MBA programs in Australia.
To determine which one is the best for you, consider factors such as program flexibility, cost, the level of student support provided, networking opportunities and how well the program aligns with your career aspirations.
Find the right path forward
These global and Australian MBA ranking systems are just one way of exploring the right path for you. You can check out individual MBA programs offered by top universities in Australia to find out if their format and curriculum align with your goals and needs.