University of Southern Queensland

The University of Southern Queensland is a public research university based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, the sixth largest city in the Australian state of Queensland Founded in 1967 after a successful campaign by the local Darling Downs community, the university is a founding member of the Regional Universities Network. The main Toowoomba campus occupies a large area of south-western Toowoomba in the suburb of Darling Heights. Campuses in Ipswich and Springfield also exist, with the university-owned Queensland College of Wine Tourism being home to a study hub in Stanthorpe The university also owns and operates the Mount Kent Observatory, which is the only professional astronomical research observatory in Queensland. The Ravensbourne Field Studies Centre and a Brisbane City industry hub are also operated by the university. The university has also partnered with the Canterbury Institute of Technology to offer the Sydney Education Centre. Through twelve schools, the university offers a variety of associate, bachelor, master, doctoral, and higher doctorate degrees The university operates three research institutes and nine research centres which focus on a wide range of business, agricultural, scientific, environmental, and technological issues. Recent notable research includes the discovery of Gliese 12 b, an Earth-like planet 40 light years away making it the closest located to date. The University of Southern Queensland consistently ranks among the top 400 universities worldwide. In the 2025 US News Best Global Universities rankings, it is positioned at 304th. In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, the University of Southern Queensland holds the 396th spot. In the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, it is placed within the 301-350 range.