Two West Australian universities have been ranked among the best in the world, following the release of the results from the Academic Ranking of World Universities study on Tuesday morning.
The study is conducted by the independent ShanghaiRanking Consultancy group, and their methodology took into consideration 40 different indicators to determine the performance of nearly 1200 research universities around the world.
The new figures saw both Curtin University and the University of Western Australia climb higher on the international ranking ladder.
UWA recorded a rise from 96th in 2016 to 91st, and was ranked fifth on a national scale.
UWA Vice-Chancellor Dawn Freshwater said the jump was a significant achievement for the university.
"This is an incredible achievement for a university, which is relatively young by world standards and which was founded thanks to the determination and generosity of the people of Western Australia. UWA has grown and continues to be ranked as one of the world's best universities," she said.
"These results demonstrate that we are an internationally reputed research-intensive university, which is delivering world-class outcomes not only for our students, but also for our broad range of stakeholders.
"This scale up the ranking aligns with our active strategy to attract new talent to the UWA community, as we position the University for further future success."
Curtin University also recorded a significant shift in their ranking, rising from the 201-300 band to the 151-200 band.
The institution also ranked 9th on a national scale.
Curtin's vice chancellor Deborah Terry said the institution was estimated to be 180th worldwide.
"Curtin continues to rise year on year in the rankings, and we are committed to continuing on the upward trajectory," she said.
"The University is now placed in the top one per cent of universities worldwide and this incredible achievement is evidence that our drive for excellence in research is having a significant impact on our global reputation.
"Curtin's focus on improving the quality of our faculty staff, with more Curtin researchers identified as Highly Cited Researchers, and increased research output in particular publications in Nature and Science since 2013, have all contributed to the University's performance in the ARWU."
The improvement in ranking comes after the university cut jobs and wages in November last year.
Staff were told a post-boom economy had affected research and contract income across the university, resulting in a 2016 budget deficit.
A number of staff were made redundant, and a 2.5 per cent wage cut was predicted for the next four years.
Murdoch University ranked in the 701-800 band, while Edith Cowan University and the University of Notre Dame did not feature in the rankings.
The highest ranking Australian institution was the University of Melbourne, which was ranked first nationally and 34th overall.
The top 10 universities in Australia
- The University of Melbourne
- The University of Queensland
- Monash University
- University of Sydney
- The University of Western Australia
- The Australian National University
- The University of Adelaide
- The University of New South Wales
- Curtin University
- Macquarie University
The top 10 universities internationally
- Harvard University
- Stanford University
- University of Cambridge
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- University of California, Berkeley
- Princeton University
- University of Oxford
- Columbia University
- California Institute of Technology
- University of Chicago