The University of Sydney was founded in 1850 as a public institution of higher education.
The University has a vast history covering many aspects of intellectual, scientific and socio-political life in Australia. Below are pathways to explore our history.
The University was founded on two main principles — religious tolerance and the admission of students on academic merit. The first principle ensured students were admitted regardless of religious belief. The second, that students ‘matriculated’ to university by passing an academic examination.
Since our inception, we have believed in education for all and leadership that improves lives in all of the communities that we serve.The University of Sydney is currently ranked 4th in the world and 1st in Australia for graduate employability by the 2022 QS Graduate Employability Rankings. It is also consistently placed among the top 20 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024).