Central Queensland University, CQU, is located in Central Queensland. CQUniversity Australia has witnessed good growth in student numbers, new courses, new campuses, infrastructure and reputation in recent years.

Originally founded in Rockhampton in 1967, as the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) Capricornia, it was granted full University status in 1992 and was named the University of Central Queensland. The University rebranded to CQUniversity in 2009 and now has more than 30 000 students. It has firmly established itself as one of the largest universities based in regional Australia, with campuses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne, Noosa, Perth, Rockhampton, Sydney and Townsville. Along with these campuses, the University also operates study centres in Biloela, Broome, Busselton, Karratha and Yeppoon, and delivers programs in Cooma, Geraldton and Port Pirie, thanks to partnerships with the respective university centres in those communities.

In 2014, CQUniversity merged with CQ TAFE bringing together more than 175 years of combined experience in the delivery of education and training and establishing Queensland’s first comprehensive, dual sector university. As a result, CQUniversity now delivers more than 300 education and training offerings, from short courses and certificates, through to undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees. Study areas include apprenticeships, trades and training, business, accounting and law, creative, performing and visual arts, education and humanities, engineering and built environment, health, information technology and digital media, psychology, social work and community services, science and environment, and work and study preparation. As a pioneer in the delivery of distance education, CQUniversity also continues to be a leader in this area with almost half of the current student cohort made up of students studying off-campus, many of whom are based in rural and remote areas.

CQUniversity is proud to be recognised as Australia’s most inclusive university with some of the highest ratios of students from disadvantaged, mature age, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and first-in-family backgrounds. This inclusive approach and commitment to access and participation mean the University defines itself by who it embraces, rather than who it excludes.

CQUniversity places a strong emphasis on social innovation and global outreach and fosters a number of key partnerships with communities, industry and government, both in Australia and overseas. This commitment to engagement and social advancement has led to CQUniversity being recognised as Australia’s first and only Changemaker Campus by Ashoka U, an exclusive global social innovation group made up of only 40 education institutions across the world.

CQUniversity’s unique vision for diversity, outreach, engagement, research, learning and teaching, and inclusiveness, combined with its growth aspirations and continued expansion of student success, research excellence, social innovation and community engagement, has led to it being recognised within the top 800 universities in the world by the prestigious Times Higher Education World Rankings, and among the world’s best ‘young universities’ by both the Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings.

CQUNIVERSITY AT A GLANCE

• Recognised among the top 800 universities worldwide by the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2022.
• Recognised within the world’s top 650 universities by QS World University Rankings 2022.
• Ranked as one of the world’s best universities under 50 years of age by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings 2021.
• Five stars for full-time employment, starting salary, postgraduate starting salaries and skills development, social equity and first generation, The Good Universities Guide 2020