Key takeaways
- UNSW Sydney is first in Australia and 19th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027, the only Australian university in the top 20, and 79th in THE 2026.
- Mineral and Mining Engineering is 3rd in the world and 1st in Australia in the QS 2026 subject rankings, and UNSW leads Australia in Engineering and Technology for the ninth year.
- English requirements vary by faculty: IELTS 6.5 for engineering and science, 7.0 for business and law, with no band below 6.0, and the test must be within two years.
- 2026 indicative first-year fees: AUD 61,500 for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and AUD 56,500 for the Bachelor of Commerce; the application fee is AUD 150.
- Ma’aden’s employment-linked scholarship on the Waaid pathway sends students to UNSW in five engineering fields with a 90 per cent school average, 85 per cent Qudurat and Tahsili, and IELTS 5.5.
In this article
UNSW Sydney (the University of New South Wales, جامعة نيو ساوث ويلز) is a public university in Sydney that became Australia’s number one and 19th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027, according to the university’s announcement and ABC News (18 June 2026). It is known for engineering, mining and business, and it is the Australian destination of Ma’aden’s employment-linked scholarship. Here is the profile: courses, rankings, entry and English requirements, fees and Saudi scholarship pathways.
Where is UNSW and how big is it?
The main campus is in Kensington, Sydney, where the engineering and commerce programs in this article are taught, according to program pages such as the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). Times Higher Education lists 47,144 students, about 44 per cent from outside Australia (as at the 2026 rankings). The academic year runs in three terms (Term 1, 2 and 3), and most programs admit students in all three, according to program pages.
How is UNSW ranked?
| Ranking | Position | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | 19th in the world, first in Australia, the only Australian university in the top 20 | UNSW and ABC News (18 June 2026) |
| QS 2027: employment outcomes and sustainability | First in Australia on both indicators | UNSW (June 2026) |
| THE World University Rankings 2026 | 79th | Times Higher Education |
| QS Subject Rankings 2026: Mineral and Mining Engineering | 3rd in the world, 1st in Australia | UNSW (March 2026) |
The university reports that it topped Australia in the broad Engineering and Technology area for the ninth year running and placed 39 subjects in the global top 100 in QS 2026, according to the same announcement.
What are UNSW’s strongest subjects?
Engineering and mining
Mineral and Mining Engineering is the university’s highest-ranked subject: 3rd in the world in QS 2026 according to UNSW, and 2nd in the world in QS 2025 according to the university (21 March 2025). Alongside it in QS 2026: Petroleum Engineering 13th, Civil and Structural Engineering =22nd, Electrical and Electronic Engineering 29th and Materials Science =31st. The Master of Engineering (Mining) page states UNSW is first in Australia and 33rd globally for Engineering and Technology in QS 2026.
Business and law
Law is =13th in the world, Accounting and Finance 29th, Marketing =43rd and Business and Management 48th in QS 2026, according to UNSW.
Science, architecture and psychology
Environmental Sciences =25th, Psychology 26th, Architecture and Built Environment 33rd, Geophysics =33rd and Geology 34th in QS 2026, according to the same announcement.
What are the entry requirements for UNSW?
English language requirement
The minimum depends on the faculty, according to the UNSW English language requirements page:
| Level and faculty | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT | PTE Academic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Engineering, Science, Medicine and Health, Arts, Design and Architecture | 6.5, no band below 6.0 | 90 (Engineering: writing 23, other sections 22) | 64, no section below 54 |
| Undergraduate: Business, Law and Justice | 7.0, no band below 6.0 | 94 (Business: writing 25, other sections 23) | 65, no section below 54 |
| Postgraduate coursework: most faculties | 6.5, no band below 6.0 | 90 | 64 |
| Postgraduate coursework: Business and Law | 7.0, no band below 6.0 | 94 | 65 |
The same page requires the test to be dated on or after 1 January two years before a Term 1 start. The English requirement for the Australian student visa (subclass 500) is separate from the university’s, according to the student visa guide.
Academic requirement and applying
The Saudi secondary school certificate is listed among the accepted secondary qualifications in the 2027 international undergraduate entry table; the score required varies by program, and the table warns that actual requirements may be higher or lower than published. For Medicine, all international applicants must sit the ISAT or UCAT ANZ, according to the same table. You apply directly through the UNSW Applicant Portal or through an authorised agent, according to the how to apply page, and an online application costs AUD 150 according to the fees page.
Offers are released in rounds. For Term 1 2027, according to the admissions page: completed-application deadlines of 14 May, 16 July, 20 August and 24 September 2026, with offers released on 13 August, 10 September, 15 October and 19 November 2026 respectively. The page notes that some 2026 intakes are at capacity and that applications for all 2027 intakes are open.
What KD does here: we help you choose a program that fits your scholarship pathway, prepare the file and follow the application through to the offer. Admission support is free for students enrolling in scholarship-program fields at universities approved by the Saudi Ministry of Education. Start with the application form.
How much does UNSW cost?
Tuition is calculated on the courses you enrol in rather than the program, and each program page shows an indicative first-year fee, according to the fees page. Examples of 2026 indicative first-year international fees:
| Program | Duration | 2026 indicative first-year fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) | 4 years | AUD 61,500 | UNSW |
| Bachelor of Commerce | 3 years | AUD 56,500 | UNSW |
| Master of Engineering (Mining Engineering) | 2 years | AUD 61,000 | UNSW |
| Master of Commerce | 1.7 years | AUD 62,000 | UNSW |
Fees are reviewed annually and exclude textbooks and accommodation. Add the student visa charge, from AUD 2,500 since 1 July 2026 according to Study Australia. For a government-sponsored or Ma’aden-sponsored student, tuition is paid by the sponsor under its rules.
Is UNSW part of the Saudi scholarship programs?
Ma’aden’s employment-linked scholarship
On 19 July 2026 the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources opened registration for the Ma’aden Employment-Linked Scholarship Program (برنامج الابتعاث المبتدئ بالتوظيف) under the Waaid pathway (مسار واعد) of the King Salman Scholarship Program, for bachelor study at the Colorado School of Mines and UNSW, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The UNSW fields in the announcement: mining engineering, geological energy and underground storage engineering, electrical engineering (systems and control), robotics and mechatronics engineering, and environmental engineering. Registration ran from 19 July to 2 August 2026.
Program details on the Waaid pathway page (as read on 14 September 2026): 5 years of study, with conditions of Saudi nationality, a secondary school average of at least 90 per cent, a General Aptitude Test (Qudurat) score of at least 85 per cent, an Achievement Test (Tahsili) score of at least 85 per cent, and English of at least IELTS 5.5 with writing no lower than 5.5 and no skill below 5, or TOEFL iBT 65, plus passing Ma’aden’s own selection criteria. The page currently shows the application window as closed, so watch it for a new round.
King Salman Scholarship Program and the Cultural Scholarship
The program’s Australia page lists 21 institutions, and UNSW appears in the program through the Ma’aden programs on the Waaid pathway page, so check the institution list for your pathway and field before applying. General conditions include full-time study and a maximum age of 30 for bachelor applicants except on the Al-Rowad pathway, according to the conditions page. All pathways are explained in our guide to Saudi scholarship programs and the Al-Rowad pathway article.
The Cultural Scholarship Program (برنامج الابتعاث الثقافي) lists 278 institutions in 15 countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency (7 August 2024); check the Ministry of Culture’s current list for UNSW and your field.
How do you apply to UNSW, step by step?
- Choose the program and term, and confirm the university and field are on the list of your target pathway.
- Gather your documents: certificate and transcript, passport, and an English test at the score your faculty requires.
- Apply through the Applicant Portal or an authorised agent before the round deadline, and pay the AUD 150 application fee.
- When the offer arrives, accept it before the round’s acceptance deadline and obtain your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
- Apply for the student visa, complete the scholarship formalities with your sponsor, then arrange accommodation in Sydney.
The full sequence is in our step-by-step guide.
UNSW is a natural choice for an engineering, mining or business student who wants Australia’s top university in QS 2027 and the gateway to the Ma’aden program. Send your transcripts through the application form or contact us and we will review your chances in the right program and round.
Frequently asked questions
UNSW Sydney is 19th in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and first in Australia for the first time, the only Australian university in the top 20. In THE World University Rankings 2026 it is 79th. Rankings change every year, so check the current edition.
Mineral and Mining Engineering, 3rd in the world and 1st in Australia in QS 2026, alongside Petroleum Engineering 13th, Law =13th, Civil and Structural Engineering =22nd and Accounting and Finance 29th. UNSW has led Australia in Engineering and Technology for nine consecutive years.
It depends on the faculty: 6.5 with no band below 6.0 for Engineering, Science, Medicine and Arts, and 7.0 with no band below 6.0 for Business and Law, at both undergraduate and postgraduate coursework level. TOEFL iBT 90 or 94 and PTE 64 or 65 are accepted depending on the faculty.
Indicative first-year fees for 2026: AUD 61,500 for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), AUD 56,500 for the Bachelor of Commerce, AUD 61,000 for the Master of Engineering (Mining) and AUD 62,000 for the Master of Commerce. Fees are calculated per course and reviewed annually.
According to the Waaid pathway page: Saudi nationality, a secondary school average of at least 90 per cent, Qudurat and Tahsili scores of at least 85 per cent, IELTS 5.5 with writing no lower than 5.5 and no skill below 5 or TOEFL iBT 65, and passing Ma’aden’s selection criteria. Study lasts 5 years; the latest round ran from 19 July to 2 August 2026.
Five bachelor programs, according to the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announcement of 19 July 2026: mining engineering, geological energy and underground storage engineering, electrical engineering (systems and control), robotics and mechatronics engineering, and environmental engineering.
The year has three terms and most programs admit in all three. Apply through the UNSW Applicant Portal or an authorised agent with an AUD 150 fee; offers are released in rounds. For Term 1 2027, completed-application deadlines are 14 May, 16 July, 20 August and 24 September 2026.
Official sources
- UNSW claims Australia’s top spot for the first time in preeminent world university rankings — UNSW Sydney
- 39 UNSW subjects in global top 100 — UNSW Sydney
- UNSW Minerals and Mining Engineering and Petroleum Engineering ranked in global top 10 — UNSW Sydney
- English language requirements — UNSW Sydney
- International student admissions — UNSW Sydney
- Fees — UNSW Sydney
- Undergraduate entry requirements for 2027 (international) — UNSW Sydney
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) — UNSW Sydney
- Master of Engineering (Mining Engineering) — UNSW Sydney
- UNSW Sydney | World University Rankings — Times Higher Education
- وزارة الصناعة والثروة المعدنية تعلن بدء التقديم على برنامج الابتعاث المبتدئ بالتوظيف في شركة معادن — وكالة الأنباء السعودية
- مسار واعد | برنامج خادم الحرمين الشريفين للابتعاث — وزارة التعليم
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Last updated: 14 September 2026. Fees and requirements change; always confirm with the official source before deciding.
