• Charles Sturt ranked first among all Australian universities for full-time employment
• More than 70 per cent of the University’s graduates live and work in regional Australia upon leaving the University
• The rankings are a result of quality teaching and facilities, according to the Charles Sturt Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

Charles Sturt University graduates continue to provide the skilled workforce regional Australia needs, with the 2026 Good Universities Guide revealing the University has again been ranked first for graduate employment.

Charles Sturt ranks first in the country for undergraduates who find full-time employment within four months of graduating with the highest per centage among all Australian universities.

According to the GUG, the University’s graduates have the second-highest starting median salary in the country at $75,100.

More than 70 per cent of Charles Sturt graduates live and work in regional Australia upon leaving the University, providing the skilled workforce regional communities desperately need: teachers, nurses, social workers, dentists, midwives, allied health professionals, doctors and vets.

Charles Sturt presently has more than 6,000 equivalent full-time students enrolled in these high-need courses.

Charles Sturt’s Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Graham Brown said the University is proud of its record as Australia’s graduate employment leader.

“Charles Sturt University’s ranking in the Good Universities Guide for undergraduate employment is a testament to the value of our courses and the quality of our teaching and facilities,” he said.

“Our students leave their courses equipped with hands-on experience and industry-leading knowledge. As such, they are sought after by employers.”

Professor Brown said the impressive ranking was achieved despite significant challenges.

“To be named Australia’s leading university for graduate employment at any time is a wonderful result, but to achieve this feat in the face of our current funding headwinds is truly remarkable,” Professor Brown said.

“Unfortunately, the current one-size-fits-all funding model for Australian universities means we are forced to run some of regional Australia’s most desperately needed courses at a loss, including medicine, dentistry and veterinary studies.

“This is not sustainable, especially when coupled with updated international student caps that will leave us with 1,400 fewer new international students each year than our pre-pandemic levels.

“For the sake of our students, staff, regional Australia's workforce and the prosperity of its communities, we will continue to seek equitable solutions to these problems.”

Despite these challenges, the 2026 GUG revealed that Charles Sturt led all Australian universities for full-time undergraduate employment in fields including:

• Law and paralegal studies (96 per cent)
• Nursing (95 per cent)
• Social Work (93 per cent)

The fields of study where Charles Sturt ranked in the top three universities nationally for undergraduate employment include:

• Business Management (91 per cent)
• Health Services and Support (90 per cent)
• Psychology (81 per cent)
• Agriculture and Environmental Studies (90 per cent)