Lismore Teachers College (pictured at right) commenced its first year on Monday 23 February 1970, after several years of negotiations that began in 1959. It had 151 students and primarily was a single purpose college. On 1st September 1971 Lismore Teachers College became a College of Advanced Education under the Higher Education Act 1969.
Southern Cross University is committed to providing educational opportunities for our diverse student body, in particular those from rural and regional communities. We aim to deliver inspirational teaching, innovative research and high quality and dynamic learning experiences to equip our students to be tomorrow's leaders, to live a life they value and be effective global citizens.
Southern Cross University conducts research in areas for which we are known for having excellence, which is readily scalable from a regional model to have impact at both the national and international level. We are known for having world leading expertise and infrastructure with our researchers contributing to solving real world problems around climate change, natural resource management, food security, health and wellbeing and social welfare.
At Southern Cross University it's all about our students and achieving excellence in teaching, learning and research. We are committed to providing inspirational learning experiences that equip our students to live a life they value and to be effective global citizens.It's about a working environment where we encourage a collaborative, open and transparent culture which supports diversity and family-friendly work practices. We support each other to act with integrity and demonstrative openness, respect, collaboration and trust.
Services and support
A range of on-campus accommodation options are available at four residential colleges across the Lismore and Coffs Harbour campuses. Apartments are modern and fully furnished, with their own kitchen, lounge, dining area and bathroom.
From providing access to online resources, study spaces and facilities, to giving one-on-one assistance with researching for assignments, Southern Cross University Library is here to help you with your studies.
The University's Computing Conditions of Use prohibit the use of University systems for activity not directly related to your research, study or administrative functions. Breach of these conditions may result in suspension from the network and network services or more serious disciplinary action.
The Southern Cross University Health Clinic provides a quality and dedicated health care service to our students, staff and the Lismore and Gold Coast communities.
The Clinic offers services in:
Southern Cross University offers services to help you find private rental off-campus (UniStays) or accommodations at one of our on-campus residential colleges (SCU Village).
On campus at SCU Village is exactly where you want to be! Imagine this – fully furnished apartments, no crowded buses to and from uni and a residential life program like no other. University life could not get any better (or any more convenient)!
Southern Cross University offers a wide range of sporting, recreational and cultural activities, with something for everyone.
To keep up to date on the latest UniLife news, events, opportunities, clubs and programs please ‘like’ UniLife on Facebook.
Campus sport
A fun, social sporting opportunity for the entire University community.
Elite student athletes
We support elite athletes so that they can balance their dual careers of training and competing at an elite level whilst undertaking their study.
Fitness centres
Our sport and fitness centres provide arrange of sporting facilities across the three campuses including 2 gyms, an aquatic centre, 2 indoor sports courts, and 2 sports field and 4 tennis courts.
Southern Cross University's Faculty of Education study pathways for early childhood, primary, secondary and higher education are all professionally recognised. Undergraduate courses are accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and the QLD College of Teachers (QCT) and are nationally recognised.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By Times Higher Education
Dropped 150 places compared to 2026
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 401 | 551 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
Climbed 4 places compared to 2026
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 576 | 638 | 634 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By U.S. News & World Report
Climbed 118 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 1132 | 1151 | 1033 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 6 reviews
Everything about study is perfect but too much expense, you will spend 100%
A close knit university, you get to know everyone really well which is really good during a honours year. The campus is small so it does lack some facilities like other uni's but the academic staff are truly passionate about what they teach and want to really get to know each of their students (you are more than just a number!).
I am really enjoying being an SCU student. The teachers are clear and communicate well, assignments are well structured with informative rubrics, and the university makes sure you know all the fun events that are going on. However, I am an online student studying with a science component. This means that I have to make my way to Lismore for a few days to complete science residentials, no matter where in Australia you study. So this can be a little inconvenient depending on where you are located. However, they are building up some labs in the Gold Coast Campus, which is 200m away from the airport, so that will make things easier for people. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and have fast-tracked my degree through online study whilst having plenty of time to work. I feel my classes are very informative and my teachers are knowledgable.
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