Which Australian Universities Beat the National Average in Q

The short answer is that several Australian universities beat the national average in QILT 2025, but the list changes depending on which indicator you look at. QILT, which stands for Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching, publishes survey results across multiple measures including teaching quality, student support, learning resources, skills development, peer engagement, and overall educational experience. A university can sit above the national average on one measure and below it on another, so a single overall verdict would hide useful detail.

This article uses the QILT 2025 Student Experience Survey results for undergraduates from universities. Every figure below is a point estimate from a sample survey, not a census, and each comes with a 90 percent confidence interval. The confidence interval tells you the range in which the true value is likely to sit. When comparing two universities, overlapping intervals mean the difference may not be statistically meaningful.

What Does the National Average Mean in QILT 2025

The national average in QILT is the benchmark calculated across all participating institutions for a given survey year and indicator. It is not a fixed number that applies to every course or every campus. When a university is described as above the national average, that description refers to the institution-level result for a specific indicator in a specific survey year.

For the 2025 Student Experience Survey, the results are expressed as the percentage of respondents who gave a positive rating. The data covers undergraduates from universities. The figures below are institution-level results, not individual student outcomes, and they are not rankings. A university may be above the national average on learning resources while sitting below it on peer engagement, which is why the indicator-by-indicator approach matters.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Teaching Quality and Engagement

Teaching Quality and Engagement measures how well teaching staff engage students and deliver clear, well-structured learning experiences. Several universities recorded results that place them above the national benchmark for this indicator in the 2025 survey.

Australian University of Theology recorded 98.7 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 96.3 to 99.3. This is the highest figure among the institutions in this dataset for this indicator. Avondale University recorded 91.2 percent, with an interval of 88.7 to 92.9. Bond University recorded 89.1 percent, with an interval of 87.4 to 90.5. Flinders University recorded 83.3 percent, with an interval of 82.4 to 84.1. Murdoch University recorded 83.3 percent, with an interval of 82.2 to 84.3. Federation University Australia recorded 82.9 percent, with an interval of 81.7 to 83.9. Deakin University recorded 82.1 percent, with an interval of 81.6 to 82.7. La Trobe University recorded 81.7 percent, with an interval of 81.0 to 82.3. Australian Catholic University recorded 81.4 percent, with an interval of 80.7 to 81.9. Edith Cowan University recorded 81.1 percent, with an interval of 80.2 to 82.0.

These figures are point estimates from a sample. The intervals show that some universities, such as Flinders and Murdoch, have overlapping ranges, meaning the difference between their results is not necessarily meaningful. The same caution applies when comparing any two institutions on this list.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Student Support and Services

Student Support and Services measures the quality of support students receive outside the classroom, including wellbeing services, academic advice, and administrative assistance. The 2025 results show a wide spread across universities.

Australian University of Theology recorded 94.9 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 90.3 to 97.1. Avondale University recorded 86.3 percent, with an interval of 83.1 to 88.7. Bond University recorded 84.6 percent, with an interval of 82.4 to 86.5. Federation University Australia recorded 78.8 percent, with an interval of 77.2 to 80.2. Edith Cowan University recorded 77.4 percent, with an interval of 76.2 to 78.6. Deakin University recorded 77.2 percent, with an interval of 76.4 to 77.9. Flinders University recorded 76.8 percent, with an interval of 75.5 to 78.1. Murdoch University recorded 75.6 percent, with an interval of 74.0 to 77.0.

A notable pattern is that the universities with the highest scores on this indicator are not necessarily the largest or most well-known institutions. The confidence intervals for several universities overlap, so the ordering should not be treated as a precise ranking. The key takeaway is that a university can perform strongly on support services even if its overall experience score is more moderate.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Learning Resources

Learning Resources measures access to libraries, digital materials, equipment, and other learning infrastructure. This indicator tends to produce higher scores across the sector than peer engagement, and the 2025 data reflects that pattern.

Australian University of Theology recorded 94.9 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 90.9 to 96.9. Bond University recorded 93.5 percent, with an interval of 92.1 to 94.5. Deakin University recorded 90.0 percent, with an interval of 89.5 to 90.4. Avondale University recorded 89.4 percent, with an interval of 86.5 to 91.4. Edith Cowan University recorded 87.3 percent, with an interval of 86.4 to 88.1. Murdoch University recorded 86.3 percent, with an interval of 85.2 to 87.3. Australian Catholic University recorded 85.7 percent, with an interval of 85.1 to 86.3. Flinders University recorded 85.2 percent, with an interval of 84.3 to 86.1. Macquarie University recorded 85.3 percent, with an interval of 84.8 to 85.8. Federation University Australia recorded 84.9 percent, with an interval of 83.6 to 86.0.

Learning resources is one of the indicators where the spread between the highest and lowest scores is relatively narrow compared to peer engagement. This means that many universities cluster close to the national average, and the difference between being above and below it can come down to a small margin.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Skills Development

Skills Development measures the extent to which students feel their course improved their skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. The 2025 results show strong performance from several institutions.

Bond University recorded 90.6 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 88.9 to 91.9. Australian University of Theology recorded 90.5 percent, with an interval of 86.6 to 92.9. Avondale University recorded 89.8 percent, with an interval of 87.1 to 91.7. Edith Cowan University recorded 84.8 percent, with an interval of 83.9 to 85.6. Australian Catholic University recorded 84.5 percent, with an interval of 83.9 to 85.1. Federation University Australia recorded 84.2 percent, with an interval of 83.1 to 85.3. Flinders University recorded 84.0 percent, with an interval of 83.0 to 84.8. Murdoch University recorded 83.5 percent, with an interval of 82.4 to 84.5. Deakin University recorded 83.2 percent, with an interval of 82.6 to 83.7. James Cook University recorded 81.6 percent, with an interval of 80.6 to 82.4.

Bond University and Australian University of Theology have overlapping confidence intervals on this indicator, so the difference between their point estimates is not statistically robust. The same applies to several other pairs on this list.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Peer Engagement

Peer Engagement measures the quality of interaction among students, including group work, social connection, and collaborative learning. This indicator consistently produces lower scores than other measures, and the 2025 data shows a very wide spread across universities.

Avondale University recorded 82.9 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 79.9 to 85.3. Bond University recorded 84.9 percent, with an interval of 83.1 to 86.5. Monash University recorded 69.7 percent, with an interval of 69.2 to 70.2. Flinders University recorded 67.5 percent, with an interval of 66.3 to 68.5. Murdoch University recorded 64.4 percent, with an interval of 63.0 to 65.7. Macquarie University recorded 63.2 percent, with an interval of 62.6 to 63.9. Australian University of Theology recorded 62.0 percent, with an interval of 56.8 to 66.8. James Cook University recorded 61.8 percent, with an interval of 60.8 to 62.9. Edith Cowan University recorded 59.4 percent, with an interval of 58.3 to 60.5. La Trobe University recorded 58.9 percent, with an interval of 58.1 to 59.7.

The gap between the highest and lowest scores on peer engagement is much larger than on learning resources. Some universities recorded scores in the mid-30s, such as Central Queensland University at 34.9 percent and Charles Darwin University at 35.8 percent, which sit well below the national average. This indicator shows the most variation across the sector, and it is also the one where the confidence intervals tend to be wider for smaller institutions.

Which Universities Beat the National Average on Overall Educational Experience

Overall Educational Experience is the summary measure that combines student responses across the experience indicators. It gives a single view of how students rate their overall time at the institution.

Australian University of Theology recorded 96.0 percent positive rating, with a 90 percent confidence interval of 93.0 to 97.4. Avondale University recorded 91.9 percent, with an interval of 89.4 to 93.4. Bond University recorded 87.0 percent, with an interval of 85.3 to 88.5. Deakin University recorded 80.6 percent, with an interval of 80.0 to 81.1. Australian Catholic University recorded 80.4 percent, with an interval of 79.8 to 81.0. Edith Cowan University recorded 80.0 percent, with an interval of 79.1 to 80.9. Federation University Australia recorded 79.8 percent, with an interval of 78.6 to 80.9. Murdoch University recorded 79.8 percent, with an interval of 78.6 to 80.9. Charles Sturt University recorded 79.8 percent, with an interval of 78.9 to 80.6. Flinders University recorded 78.7 percent, with an interval of 77.7 to 79.6.

A university that scores above the national average on overall experience may still have weak spots on individual indicators. For example, a university with a strong overall score could have a below-average peer engagement result. The overall measure is useful for a quick comparison, but the indicator breakdown gives a more complete picture.

How to Verify QILT 2025 Results on ComparED

The official public source for QILT data is the ComparED website, which is run by the Australian Government. ComparED allows you to search for a specific institution and view its results across multiple survey indicators and years. You can also compare up to four institutions side by side.

When using ComparED, you should check the survey year, the study level, and the indicator you are looking at. The figures in this article come from the 2025 Student Experience Survey for undergraduates from universities. If you select a different year or a different study level, the numbers will change. The site also provides a help section that explains how the data is processed and how to interpret confidence intervals.

The QILT website itself provides background on the surveys, including the Student Experience Survey, the Graduate Outcomes Survey, the Graduate Outcomes Survey Longitudinal, and the Employer Satisfaction Survey. Each survey has its own methodology and coverage. The data processing page explains how responses are weighted and how institution-level results are calculated.

What the Confidence Intervals Tell You

Every point estimate in QILT comes with a confidence interval. A 90 percent confidence interval means that if the survey were repeated many times, the true population value would fall within that range in 90 percent of cases. The interval width depends on the sample size and the variability of responses.

Smaller institutions often have wider intervals because their sample sizes are smaller. For example, Australian University of Theology has a peer engagement interval of 56.8 to 66.8, which is much wider than Monash University’s interval of 69.2 to 70.2. The wider interval means less precision, so the point estimate for the smaller institution should be treated with more caution.

When comparing two universities, you should look at whether their intervals overlap. If they do, the difference between their point estimates may not be statistically significant. This is why the indicator-by-indicator approach is more reliable than simply comparing point estimates without considering the intervals.

What QILT 2025 Does Not Tell You

QILT is a valuable source of information, but it has limits. The survey measures student experience, not teaching quality in an objective sense. It does not measure employment outcomes, salary levels, or graduate satisfaction with their career. Those are covered by separate QILT surveys, such as the Graduate Outcomes Survey and the Employer Satisfaction Survey.

QILT also does not rank universities. The data is presented as institution-level results, and any ordering you see in this article is based on the point estimates for a specific indicator. The confidence intervals mean that small differences between institutions should not be over-interpreted.

Finally, QILT results are self-reported by students. They reflect the perceptions of respondents in a given year, not an external assessment of quality. A university’s score can change from year to year, and a single year’s result should not be the only factor in your decision.

How to Use This Data in Your University Search

If you are comparing universities, the most useful approach is to identify the indicators that matter most to you. If you are a student who values close interaction with peers, peer engagement is the key indicator. If you are more concerned about access to learning materials, learning resources is the one to check.

You should also look at the trend over multiple years rather than a single year. A university that consistently scores above the national average on a given indicator is a more reliable signal than one that had a single strong year. ComparED allows you to view historical data, which makes this kind of trend analysis straightforward.

Remember that QILT results are institution-level, not course-level. A university with a strong overall result may have weaker performance in a specific discipline. If you are considering a particular course, you should look for course-level information where available, though QILT does not publish course-level breakdowns for all indicators.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is QILT the same as a university ranking?

No. QILT publishes survey results by indicator, not a single ranking. The data shows the percentage of students who gave a positive rating on each measure. A university can be above the national average on one indicator and below it on another.

What does above the national average mean in QILT?

It means the institution’s point estimate for a specific indicator in a specific survey year is higher than the national benchmark calculated across all participating institutions. The comparison is made indicator by indicator, not as a single overall score.

Are the QILT figures based on all students?

No. The figures come from a sample survey. The results are weighted to represent the population, but they are estimates, not exact counts. Each estimate has a confidence interval that shows the range of likely values.

Can I compare two universities directly using QILT?

You can compare their point estimates, but you should also check the confidence intervals. If the intervals overlap, the difference may not be statistically meaningful. ComparED allows side-by-side comparison of up to four institutions.

Where can I find the official QILT data?

The official sources are the QILT website and the ComparED website. Both are run by the Australian Government and provide public access to the survey results. The data processing page on QILT explains the methodology.

Which Australian Universities Beat the National Average in QILT 2025