La Trobe University has performed strongly in the prestigious 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, continuing to be placed among leading universities globally.
Computer Science has for the first time entered the world’s top 250 after improvements in research quality, industry and international outlook indicators.
Psychology and Law have returned to the top 175, while Arts and Humanities has also moved up, returning to the top 250 band. Law has ranked third in Victoria for four consecutive years.
La Trobe Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the University’s ranking in 10 out of 11 subjects was evidence of its talented and dedicated staff, and their ongoing commitment to high-impact research.
Professor Farrell said the result in Computer Science also underscored La Trobe’s determination to be a global leader in AI‑driven innovation.
“Our investment in cutting‑edge computing infrastructure and industry partnerships is positioning us — and our students — at the forefront of the AI revolution,” Professor Farrell said.
“As global demand for AI capability accelerates, our strong performance sends a clear message to students, researchers and industry partners: La Trobe is a place where AI talent is nurtured and AI leveraged to drive innovation and impact.”
Professor Wenny Rahayu, Dean of La Trobe's School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, said the University's focus on accelerating AI research for impact had played a key role in enhancing both the quality and societal impact of research outputs.
“Through the successful establishment of the Cisco–La Trobe Centre for AI and IoT and ACAMI [the Australian Centre for AI in Medical Innovation], in collaboration with both Cisco and NVIDIA, we have not only strengthened our impact-driven AI research, but have also enhanced workforce development in this area through industry-focused programs and courses for our students,” Professor Rahayu said.
Computer Science is now ranked fourth in Victoria. In other La Trobe results, Medical and Health is in the top 175 and has remained third in Victoria since 2019. Life Sciences is in the top 200. Business and Economics, Social Sciences and Education remained in the top 250.
The rankings continue a strong performance by La Trobe in Times Higher Education (THE) rankings.
The University’s overall ranking remained within the THE World University Rankings 250-300 band for the fourth consecutive year in 2026, despite increased competition from a record 2191 universities featured in the global ranking. Across Australia, La Trobe retained its rank of 14th out of 37 universities.
Full results for the are 2026 THE World University Rankings by Subject available on the THE website.
About the THE rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject is designed to evaluate universities across 11 subject areas. Using 18 performance indicators categorised under five core pillars, THE provides a comprehensive view of academic and research excellence. The methodology is carefully adjusted for each subject, ensuring fairness and accuracy by considering field-specific research cultures and publication practices.
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