Facts about ANU
Welcome to The Â鶹´«Ã½AV National University (ANU), one of the world’s great universities.
Since 1946, we’ve been a national resource on the world stage – a trusted intellectual powerhouse of research and education.
For two millennia, our campus and lands have been places for people to gather and share knowledge.
Everything ANU does today – from visionary teaching and internships to transformative research– is helping to solve tomorrow’s problems while advancing Australia’s and the Asia-Pacific region’s capability and position worldwide.
The Â鶹´«Ã½AV National University (ANU) acknowledges, celebrates and pays respect to the Ngambri and Ngunnawal people of the Canberra region and all First Nations Â鶹´«Ã½AVs on whose traditional lands we learn, meet and work. Their cultures are among the oldest continuing ones in human history.
Rankings
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A talented community
#34 university in the world1
#5 stars for student-to-staff ratio and staff qualifications in Australia2
#1 most international university in Australia3
#1 most employable graduates in Australia4
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Top 10 in the world in six disciplines 3
#1 in 13 academic disciplines in Australia5
Only Â鶹´«Ã½AV member of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU)
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Students from across Australia and 100 countries
10,252 undergraduate students
7,128 postgraduate students
A university in the heart of Canberra, the nation’s capital
Canberra’s beauty, accessibility and friendliness make it the perfect place to live and study.
- #1 most sustainable city in Australia 6
- #3 smartest city in the world 7
- 25% of people speak a language other than English 8
- 3 hours’ drive to Sydney
- 2 hours’ drive to the snow and the sea
- Short commute times by car, tram or bicycle
Six Nobel laureates
2011: Professor Brian Schmidt AC (Physics)
1996: Professor Rolf Zinkernagel AC
1996: Professor Peter Doherty AC (Medicine)
1994: Professor John C Harsanyi (Economics)
1963: Professor John Eccles AC (Medicine)
1945: Lord Howard Florey OM, ANU Chancellor 1965-68 (Medicine)
Policy leaders
ANU is a leader in public policy formation and debate. Our nation’s governments and those of neighbouring Asia-Pacific countries rely on us to comment on and contribute to policy matters confronting our region.
Our location in the nation’s capital and our focus on national policy issues makes us an invaluable resource for state and regional governments and the Â鶹´«Ã½AV parliament. ANU public policy expertise covers multiple disciplines and brings together leading initiatives, such as the Public Policy Fellows Program and Crawford School of Public Policy. The Crawford School works with the Â鶹´«Ã½AV Public Service to boost the expertise of policy practitioners and connects our world-leading academics with the policy development arms of government departments.
These experts have shaped policy in Australia and abroad while at ANU:
Professor Bruce Chapman AO(HECS)
Higher Education Contributions Scheme
Professor Glenn Withers AO
Immigration Points System
Professor Ross Garnaut AO
Garnaut Climate Change Review
Emeritus Professor Marian Sawer AO
Democratic Audit of Australia
Professor Peter Drysdale AM
Intellectual architect of APEC
Professor Margaret Thornton
Member Law Experts Group on the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill (Cth)
Professor Kim Rubenstein
Restructure of the Â鶹´«Ã½AV Citizenship Act 1948
Professor Warwick McKibbin AO
A number of global economic models, including the McKibbin-Sachs Global Model and the McKibbin-Wilcoxen Blueprint
Future makers
Some of the influential ANU alumni leading their fields around the world.
Syed Akbaruddin, India’s former permanent representative to the United Nations (2016–2020)
John Bryant, businessman, former CEO of Kellogg Company (2011–2017)
Datuk Dr Paul Chan, Malaysian academic, economic advisor and entrepreneur. Higher Education Learning Philosophy (HELP) co-founder, vice-chancellor and president, University of Malaysia.
Ronny Chieng, comedian and actor
Graham Farquhar AO, FAA, FRS, biophysicist, Senior Â鶹´«Ã½AV of the Year 2018
Hannah Gadsby, comedian, writer and actress
Stephen John Gageler AC, Justice of the High Court of Australia; former solicitor-general of Australia
Peter Garrett AM, musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician
Lieutenant General David Morrison AM (Retd.), Chief of Army 2011-2015, Â鶹´«Ã½AV of the Year 2016
Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa, Indonesian diplomat, former foreign affairs minister (2009–2014)
Sophia Hamblin Wang, Chief Operating Officer Mineral Carbonation International, carbon utilisation expert
Professor Mary O'Kane, Â鶹´«Ã½AV scientist and engineer, former vice-chancellor and president University of Adelaide (1996–2001)
Professor Marcia Langton AO, anthropologist and geographer. First ever (identified) Indigenous Honours graduate in Anthropology at ANU.
Michael Alexander McRobbie AO, Â鶹´«Ã½AV–American computer scientist; 18th president of Indiana University (2007–2021)
Annastacia Palaszczuk, 39th premier of Queensland
Mari Pangestu, Indonesian economist, managing director of development policy and partnerships, World Bank since 2020.
Thérèse Rein, entrepreneur and founder of Ingeus
Jennifer Robinson, human rights lawyer and barrister
Kevin Rudd AC, 26th prime minister of Australia
Susan Ryan AO, former Â鶹´«Ã½AV age discrimination and human rights commissioner
Rob Scott, Wesfarmers chief executive officer
Larry Sitsky AO, FAHA, Â鶹´«Ã½AV composer, pianist, music educator and scholar
Graham Tuckwell AO, businessman and philanthropist
Penny Williams PSM, diplomat, first female Â鶹´«Ã½AV ambassador to Indonesia
Prince Katsura Yoshihito, member of the Imperial House of Japan
1. QS World University Rankings 2023; 2. Good Universities Guide 2023; 3. Times Higher Education Rankings 2023; 4. Times Higher Education Global University Employability Rankings 2023–24; 5. QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023; 6. The World’s Most Sustainable Cities 2021; 7. IMD Smart City Index 2023; 8. Multicultural Canberra 2022;