The University of Sydney was founded in 1850 as a public institution of higher education and describes itself as Australia’s first university. It is a public body operating under a New South Wales Act of Parliament, the University of Sydney Act 1989. The Senate is its highest governing authority. The Chancellor is David Thodey AO, and the Vice-Chancellor and President, appointed by the Senate as principal executive officer, is Professor Mark Scott AO.
Its academic units are four faculties (Arts and Social Sciences; Engineering; Medicine and Health; Science) and four schools (Architecture, Design and Planning; Business; Law; and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music). The 2025 annual report records 74,322 enrolments, 42,851 undergraduate and 31,471 postgraduate, of which 35,840 were international. Continuing and fixed-term staff numbered 10,524 in 2025.