Distinctive, progressive and transformational
Macquarie University was established in 1964 as a bold experiment in higher education. Built to break from traditions and work in tandem with industry, we strive for the extraordinary by challenging convention and embracing different views.
Led by our academics and researchers, we continue our pioneering approach – from inventing Wi-Fi with the CSIRO, to enhancing graduate employability through personalised degrees and degrees co-designed with industry.
In recognition of the Aboriginal country on which Macquarie University is situated, our main campus in Macquarie Park is known as the Wallumattagal Campus.
Top 1% of unis in the world
QS Rankings 2024, Times Higher Education Rankings 2024
100% of research world standard
2-digit level: Excellence in Research for Australia
#175 in the world
Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2024
300+ global companies
On campus + Connect Macquarie Park Innovation District
Australia’s most radical and unconventional university
Founded in 1964, Macquarie University was a pioneer in many fields, including our open admissions procedures, student choice, semester and grading systems, small group teaching and academic self-appraisal.
Most of these practices are now widespread, but at the time, they were undeniably pioneering.
Choosing the name for Sydney’s third metropolitan university came down to two different schools of thought: those who wanted to commemorate a great Australian figure in education and those who preferred a geographical name.
In 1964, the NSW State Cabinet chose in favour of naming the University after a prominent Australian. In the end, Governor Lachlan Macquarie was chosen ahead of suggestions which included WC Wentworth and Sir Henry Parkes.
Learn more about Lachlan Macquarie’s influence on Australia, and his life and background. Visit Macquarie University’s Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Archive, which provides transcripts, artefacts, images and historical details of the lives of the Macquaries between 1761 and 1835.
The arms of the University shall be on a field vert, the Macquarie lighthouse tower, masoned proper, in chief the star Sirius, or Motto: And gladly teche.
“Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede.
Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,
And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;
Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,
And gladly wolde he lerne
and gladly teche.”
(from the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer c. 1400)
Macquarie Lighthouse and HMS Sirius
The Macquarie Lighthouse was the first lighthouse built in Australia. Shortly after the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Governor Phillip ordered a flagstaff be erected to signal the approach of supply ships bound for Sydney Cove.
A beacon, fired firstly by wood and later by coal, was built in 1791 to guide vessels to the harbour entrance by night, becoming Australia’s first marine light. This beacon, tended by convicts, guided shipping for the next 25 years.
On 13 July 1816, Governor Lachlan Macquarie laid the foundation stone of the new lighthouse. The lighthouse was to be the first of many significant works by the convict architect Francis Greenway.
The present building is a replica built in 1880 by Colonial Architect James Barnet. However, the original building was not demolished until 1883, so, for a time, Sydney’s South Head boasted two almost identical lighthouses standing side by side.
The first lighthouse keeper was Robert Watson, after whom nearby Watson’s Bay was named. He had been quartermaster aboard HMS Sirius in the First Fleet.
Wallumattagal Campus
In 2022, Macquarie University’s main campus in Macquarie Park adopted a new name – Wallumattagal Campus – to recognise the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the University is situated, the Wallumattagal Clan of the Dharug Nation.
The name change recognises that First Nations peoples have a spiritual, social, cultural and economic relationship with their traditional lands and waters – and acknowledges their contribution to sustaining our local environments, education and culture for thousands of years.
While only 50 years young, Macquarie has risen to be a progressive and influential institution both locally and internationally. Our campus brings together 40,000 students and 2000 staff in one thriving hub of discovery.
A place of inspiration
Uniquely located in the heart of Australia’s largest high-tech precinct, Macquarie brings together 40,000 students and 2000 staff in one thriving hub of discovery. Our campus spans 126 hectares, with open green space that gives our community the freedom to think and grow.
More than AU$1 billion has recently been invested in our facilities and infrastructure so our students and staff can thrive in an environment that is inspiring and switched on to the latest digital technologies.
With more than 300 leading companies located on or around the Macquarie campus, our students are able to tap into industry connections that give them an edge in their future careers, while our staff has access to outstanding research and innovation opportunities with some of the world’s leading organizations.
Renowned for excellence
While only 50 years young, Macquarie has risen to be a progressive and influential institution both locally and internationally.
Ranked among the top two percent of universities in the world and with a 5-star QS rating, Macquarie is considered one of the world’s best universities, producing graduates that are among the most sought-after professionals in the world.
With a strong tradition of innovation and exploration, we continue to break new ground, ranking among the top 100 institutions in the world for accounting and finance; communication, cultural and media; Earth and marine sciences; education; English language and literature; geography; law; linguistics and psychology.
A proud tradition of discovery
Macquarie is bold and innovative. Unconstrained by tradition, we take a pioneering approach to research. Such an approach is largely responsible for our enviable reputation for research excellence – 100 percent of our research is ranked at world standard or above and more than 100 of our researchers are ranked in the top one percent of researchers in the world.
Our framework for the future – world-leading research with world-changing impact – is brought to life by renowned researchers whose audacious solutions to issues of global significance are benefiting the world we live in.
Looking to the future, we have developed five research priorities – healthy people, resilient societies, prosperous economies, secure planet, and innovative technologies – that provide a focal point for the cross-disciplinary research approach that is at the heart of our ethos.
First-class facilities
Over AU$1 billion has recently been invested in our facilities and infrastructure so our students and staff can thrive in an environment that is inspiring and switched on to the latest digital technologies. Some of our outstanding facilities include:
- Australia’s first and only private, not-for-profit hospital on a university campus
- Australian Hearing Hub
- global headquarters of Cochlear
- state-of-the-art library featuring robotic book storage and retrieval system
- sport and aquatic center
- on-campus railway station.
Macquarie is a university of service and engagement:
We serve and engage our students and staff through transformative learning and life experiences
We serve and engage the world through discovery, dissemination of knowledge and ideas, innovation and deep partnerships.
Vision
We aspire to be:
- A destination of choice for students and staff who share our values
- Deeply connected with our stakeholders and partners, and known for this globally
- Ranked among the highest performing research universities of Australia and, for key disciplines, to be recognised globally for our pre-eminence
- Known across Australia and beyond as custodians of a remarkable university campus that blends the vibrancy of a cosmopolitan university village with a setting of Australian natural bushland.
We rank among the world’s best universities
Macquarie University is recognised globally as a leading university with a strong tradition of innovation and exploration.
Top 1% of universities
World university rankings (QS, 2023 and THE, 2024)
#8 in Aus: Employment outcomes
QS World University Rankings, 2024
100% of research
Rated at world standard or above (ERA)
Macquarie is ranked #10 in Australia and #130 in the world
(QS World University Rankings, 2024)
Macquarie is ranked #10 in Australia and #175 in the world
(Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2024)
Macquarie is ranked #1 in the world for Life Below Water, #4 for Clean Water and Sanitation, in the top 20 for 5 categories and #39 overall
(Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, 2023)
Subject and research rankings
We’re internationally recognised for our subject rankings, with three ranked in the top 50 globally and six in the top 100 (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024). We’re also the first to offer a global research collaboration pathway via our Master of Research.
#1 Sydney, teaching & resources
QILT, Student Experience Survey 2022
Best employability program
Bachelor of Arts (2020 AFR Higher Education Awards)
Australia’s leading institution
11 disciplines (The Australian 2023 Research Magazine)
Master of Marketing ranked #1 in Australia and #28 in the world
(QS Business Master's Rankings, 2024)
Master of Applied Finance ranked #2 in Australia and #39 in the world
(QS Business Master's Rankings, 2024)
Master of Management ranked #2 in Australia and #71 in the world
(QS Business Master's Rankings, 2024)
Master of Business Analytics ranked #2 in Australia and top 80 in the world
(QS Business Master's Rankings, 2024)
