Bond University has been listed in the prestigious global top 20 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings of the Best Small Universities in the World, thanks to its personalised teaching philosophy and outstanding student experience which translates to extraordinary student satisfaction ratings.
The private, not-for-profit Gold Coast university placed number 20 in the global ranking which acknowledges those universities with an unparalleled reputation for delivering personalised learning, developing close relationships between students and their teachers, and creating an environment that fosters a strong sense of community.
The Best Small Universities list is topped by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) which is also ranked this year as the second best overall university in the world (behind Oxford). Bond University is the only university in the southern hemisphere to be included in the list in the global top 20.
Bond University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, said the ranking was recognition of Bond's never-ending and priority focus on the student and their learning experience, which set it apart from many other universities both in Australia and internationally.
"Our point of difference has always been creating an environment that focuses on a personalised approach to learning and a student’s education, so that each and every student has the opportunity to realise their ambition; and this global ranking is recognition that we are delivering on our promise," he said.
"There are some truly outstanding universities in this list and we are quite humbled to be included in such company. For one of Australia’s youngest universities we have come a long way in a very short period of time."
Bond was also recently ranked as Australia’s number one university for student experience for the 11th consecutive year in the 2017 Good Universities Guide.
Bond University business student Alice Ringelstein said she chose to study at Bond because of its smaller size, which enabled her to spend more one-on-one time with her teachers and gain the most out of her experience.
"The small class sizes at Bond have given me the opportunity to participate in stimulating discussions, ask relevant questions and my teachers actually know my name," said Alice.
"It is rare for there to be more than 10 or so students in a tutorial, meaning that the teachers have become real mentors, not just advisors.”
"This individual attention is a direct result of Bond being a small university; there is simply no way I would have had this relationship with my teachers at a larger university."
Times Higher Education student editor Seet Bhardwa said many students were drawn to the community-like feel that small universities provide.
"The Best Small Universities in the World for 2017 highlights that small universities provide high student satisfaction and good working relationships between students and their professors," she said.
"Speaking to students from small universities, it is clear that they really enjoy attending a university with a more close-knit learning environment.”
"It is important to provide students with a definitive ranking of the world’s best small universities. The more information we can provide students on the different types of universities there are, the clearer a picture they can gain about the best institution for them.”
The criteria for inclusion in the rankings require the university to be listed in the renowned Times Higher Education’s (THE) overall World University Rankings for 2016-2017; have a comprehensive approach to education as defined by possessing expertise across at least four broad subject areas; and be small as defined by no more than 5,000 students.
THE World University Rankings take into account performance across five key areas - teaching, research, citations, international outlook and industry income - and are based on the input of more than 50 leading figures in the higher education sector across 15 countries.