University of Melbourne Ranks Among World’s Best for Subject of Law

University of Melbourne has ranked 11th in the world for the subject of Law, rising two places in the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject, making it the highest ranked university in Australia for Law.

These rankings mirror earlier recognition of the University’s global standing, rising to 8th in the world for the subject of law in the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject.

Dean Michelle Foster said Melbourne Law School understood the responsibility it had to the next generation of lawyers to provide world-class legal education.

“Melbourne Law School hosts some of the world’s most impressive legal minds who are teaching the brightest Australian and international law students. It is fitting that their service to education and to the legal profession is recognised as world class” she said.

“We are facing increasing global challenges, and the legal profession has an important opportunity to lead in responding to threats to our climate and our democracies, and in ensuring that emerging digital technologies serve the public good. I am proud that my academic colleagues are equipping the next generation of lawyers with the expert knowledge and skills they will need to meet these challenges head on.”

The University of Melbourne has ranked in the top 20 globally in three broad subject areas and in the top 50 for the remaining two. 

The University of Melbourne’s Interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Glyn Davis AC said the results reflected the University’s commitment to excellence across all disciplines and its standing among the world’s leading universities.

“These rankings are a testament to our staff members and their dedication to transformational research and exceptional education,” Professor Davis said.

"Prospective students today face a choice that carries more weight than it perhaps ever has.

“We are facing a period of profound disruption, with artificial intelligence raising fundamental questions about the future of work. In this environment, consideration of where you study, and under whose guidance, is critically important.

“Our students benefit from a distinctive curriculum and breadth and depth of learning that prepares them to thrive in our rapidly changing world.” 

The rankings assess universities across the five broad subject areas: Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management.   

Institutions are evaluated on several key indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact.    

The University of Melbourne is the only Australian university ranked in the top 50 across all five broad subject areas in 2026 and leads nationally in 22 of the narrow subjects.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject methodology is available here.

For more information on the University of Melbourne’s performance in rankings, visit the Facts and Figures page on our website.