Charles Sturt University (CSU) has maintained the highest possible five-star ranking for graduate employment and graduate starting salaries in the 2007 edition of the Good Universities Guide. The highest ranking of five-stars was also secured because of the large number of international enrolments at the University.

 

The 2007 Australian Good Universities Guide was launched on Wednesday 16 August, and is widely available in Australia and overseas. Only the top 20 per cent of universities can be awarded a five-star rating in any one category.

 

The Good Universities Guide describes CSU as the largest regional university in the country with its five main campuses all set in “classic Australian countryside”, saying Albury’s Thurgoona Campus is “acclaimed for its environmentally-sensitive design”, while the Bathurst Campus features “restored heritage-listed buildings” which “sit alongside specialist facilities including nursing laboratories, a media centre and human-performance laboratory.”

 

Of Wagga Wagga, the Guide mentions the award-winning winery and cheese factory, the range of specialist laboratories for health studies and agricultural research, Olympic-standard equestrian centre, as well as the industry-standard television studio and editing suites.

 

The Guide praises CSU’s leadership in distance education programs. “CSU was one of the first universities in Australia to have its distance course supported online. It also claims the largest microwave telecommunications system at any Australian university.”

 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter said “the success of Charles Sturt University reflected in these national indicators supports the University’s work in building a strong course profile with the skill demands of Australia in mind, particularly professions that relate to inland Australia.

 

“This has driven our move into critical areas such as pharmacy, physiotherapy and most recently veterinary science and clinical sciences - a specialist pathway degree for medicine and dentistry - areas that are changing the face of our communities.” 

 

“The rankings reflect the excellent job and future education prospects that are available to our students at the end of their degree,” concluded Professor Goulter.