University of Sydney
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of Sydney Featured Rankings
About University of Sydney
The wave of expansion of Homo sapiens out of its African birthplace reached the continent of Australia around 40,000 years ago, or more. However, the first visit of Europeans to the land down under did not occur until 1606, when the Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon made landfall at what is now the town of Weipa on the western shore of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland.
Several sightings and landings by other Dutch, as well as Spanish, explorers occurred over the next century and a half or so. However, it was not until 1770 that Captain James Cook claimed for the British crown the region surrounding an inlet along the southeast coast that he named Botany Bay, lying just south of modern Sydney. It was this event which led in short order to the continuous settlement of Australia by Europeans and other outsiders.
It is useful to remember, by way of comparison with the other schools on this list, that by the time the University of Sydney (the first Australian university) was founded in 1850, the British presence in the continent now universally and affectionately known as “Oz” was only about three quarters of a century old.
A lot has happened in that short time.
Today, the University of Sydney is a very large institution of higher learning serving more than 52,000 students and enjoying an endowment approaching the A$2 billion mark.
Sydney is connected to five Nobel Prize–winners in all, including:
- John Cornforth — chemistry
- Pioneering neuroscientist, John C. Eccles — physiology or medicine
- Economist John Harsanyi — economics
The University of Sydney has had a strong international presence in academic philosophy ever since the arrival of the Scottish-born philosopher John Anderson in the 1920s. Other distinguished Sydney-associated philosophers include:
- John Passmore
- John L. Mackie
- David M. Armstrong
- David Stove
- Charles B. Martin
- Peter Godfrey-Smith
Other famous University of Sydney–linked persons include:
- Physicist and chaos theory pioneer, Robert M. May
- Soprano, Joan Sutherland
- Poet, Les Murray
- Novelist, Howard Jacobson
- Noted feminist author, Germaine Greer
- Influential literary critic, Clive James
- Noted art critic and historian, Robert Hughes
- Sinologist and essayist, Simon Leys (Pierre Ryckmans)
- Film directors Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir, Phillip Noyce & Jane Campion
According to Wikipedia, The University of Sydney , also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six sandstone universities. It was one of the first universities in the world to admit students solely on academic merit, and opened their doors to women on the same basis as men. The university comprises eight academic faculties and university schools, through which it offers bachelor, master and doctoral degrees.
What Is University of Sydney Known For?
University of Sydney is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Medical
- Biology
- Political Science
- Communications
- Education
- Literature
- Law
- Business
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- History
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Religious Studies
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
University of Sydney's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Sydney's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of Sydney ranks #87 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
University of Sydney ranks #53 worldwide for influence in Medical.
University of Sydney ranks #101 worldwide for influence in Biology.
University of Sydney ranks #74 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
University of Sydney ranks #77 worldwide for influence in Communications.
University of Sydney ranks #86 worldwide for influence in Education.
University of Sydney ranks #85 worldwide for influence in Literature.
University of Sydney ranks #67 worldwide for influence in Law.
University of Sydney ranks #140 worldwide for influence in Business.
University of Sydney ranks #157 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
University of Sydney ranks #128 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
University of Sydney ranks #100 worldwide for influence in History.
University of Sydney ranks #100 worldwide for influence in Economics.
University of Sydney ranks #247 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
University of Sydney ranks #199 worldwide for influence in Physics.
University of Sydney ranks #141 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
University of Sydney ranks #81 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
University of Sydney ranks #175 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
University of Sydney ranks #87 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
University of Sydney ranks #192 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
University of Sydney ranks #121 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
University of Sydney ranks #59 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
University of Sydney ranks #142 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
University of Sydney ranks #58 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
Who Are University of Sydney's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Sydney's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Medical, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of University of Sydney's most famous alumni:
- John Harsanyi
- A Hungarian economist .
- Germaine Greer
- An Australian writer and public intellectual.
- Clive James
- An Australian writer, critic, and broadcaster .
- David Malet Armstrong
- An Australian philosopher .
- Steve Keen
- An Australian economist.
- Raymond Dart
- An Australian anatomist and anthropologist .
- John Cornforth
- An Australian-British chemist.
- Gough Whitlam
- An Australian politician, 21st Prime Minister of Australia .
- Robert Hughes
- An Australian critic, historian, and writer .
- Michael Kirby
- An Australian jurist and academic.
- V. Gordon Childe
- A British prehistorian archaeologist.
- Val Plumwood
- An Australian philosopher.
Who Are University of Sydney's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Sydney's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Medical, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of University of Sydney's most famous faculty:
- Michael Kölling
- A German computer scientist.
- Saul Newman
- An Australian political theorist.
- Ben Saul
- An Australian lawyer.
- Christopher D. Manning
- A Computer scientist.
- Tim Soutphommasane
- An Australian political theorist, human rights advocate and columnist.
- Geordie Williamson
- An Australian mathematician.
- Dacheng Tao
- A Computer science researcher, University of Sydney.
- Ahmar Mahboob
- A Pakistani linguist.
- Tom Switzer
- An Australian political writer.
- Bryan Gaensler
- An Australian astronomer.
- Heather Horst
- An American anthropologist.
- Marc Stears
- A British political theorist.
