2023 Winner of Sustainability Champion - Student, Green Gown Awards

Bachelor of Environmental Management student, Fien Van den Steen, won the Sustainability Champion - Student Award from the Australian Campuses Towards Sustainability for her 'outstanding focus on inclusivity and accessibility' and her commitment to positive change.

2023 Winner of Highly Commended ACTS Green Gown Award

UniSC's Thompson Institute was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Creating Impact category for its Alliance for Suicide Prevention - Sunshine Coast.

2023 Finalist of ACTS Green Gown Award

UniSC's Thompson Institute was a top three finalist in the Benefitting Society category for its EMERALD community wellbeing project.

2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

The University was the top ranked Queensland university in the global scheme that assess universities' performance in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. UniSC's performance included the following rankings:

• Overall Impact Ranking: equal 29th of 1,591 universities worldwide (top 2%), with a score of 92.9 out of 100
• SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: 3rd of 702 institutions worldwide
• SDG 14 - Life Below Water: equal 11th of 502 institutions worldwide
• SDG 15 - Life on Land: 23rd of 586 institutions worldwide
• SDG 13 - Climate Action: 28th out of 735 institutions worldwide
• SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing: 46th out of 1,218 institutions worldwide
• SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:  64th out of 674 institutions worldwide
• SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals: equal 71st out of 1,625 institutions worldwide
• SDG 2 - Zero Hunger: 101-200th out of 647 institutions worldwide
• SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: 201-300th out of 910 institutions worldwide

2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

The University was the top ranked Queensland university in the global scheme that assess universities' performance in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. UniSC's performance included the following rankings:

• Overall Impact Ranking: equal 31st of 1,406 universities worldwide, with a score of 93.6 out of 100
• SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: 5th of 634 institutions worldwide
• SDG 15 - Life on Land: equal 18th of 521 institutions worldwide
• SDG 14 - Life Below Water: 19th of 452 institutions worldwide
• SDG 13 - Climate Action: 22nd out of 674 institutions worldwide
• SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals: 27th out of 1,438 institutions worldwide
• SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:  48th out of 604 institutions worldwide
• SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing: 101-200th out of 1,101 institutions worldwide

2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

The University was the top ranked Queensland university in the global scheme that assess universities' performance in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. UniSC's performance included the following rankings:

• Overall Impact Ranking: 26th of 1,115 universities worldwide, with a score of 92.1 out of 100
• SDG 14 - Life Below Water: 3rd of 379 institutions worldwide
• SDG 15 - Life on Land: 5th of 402 institutions worldwide
• SDG 17 - Partnership for the Goals: 12th out of 1,154 institutions worldwide
• SDG 13 - Climate Action: equal 45th out of 566 institutions worldwide
• SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing: 101-200th out of 871 institutions worldwide

2019 Winner of Out of the Box category, Global District Energy Climate Awards

The University was awarded the Out of the Box category, along with partner Veolia, for the partnership's 'water battery' project featuring over 6,000 solar panels and a 4.5-megalitre thermal energy storage tank.

2019 Winner of Practitioner of the Year, Clever Campus Awards

The UniSC Manager of Infrastructure and Energy was selected as Practitioner of the Year in Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association's Clever Campus Awards for the work he did to bring the Energy Efficiency through Innovation project to fruition.

2019 Winner of Award of Excellence (Staff), Green Gown Awards

The UniSC Manager of Infrastructure and Energy won the Award of Excellence, Staff, from the Australian Campuses Towards Sustainability for his work on the Sunshine Coast campus' water battery project.

2017 Winner of Highly Commended ACTS Green Gown Award

The University was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Creating Impact Award for its Recycled Water — Creating Conservation Impacts.

2017 Winner of Highly Commended ACTS Green Gown Award

The University was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Creating Impact Award for its Recycled Water — Creating Conservation Impacts.

2016 Winner of Highly Commended Premier's Sustainability Award

Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award

The University was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award for its efforts in smart utility management.

2016 Finalist of Premier's Sustainability Award

Top three finalist in the Minister's Award for Leadership in Sustainability Category

The University was a top three finalist in the Minister's Award for Leadership in Sustainability Category for its institutional sustainability initiatives.

2016 Finalist of ACTS Green Gown Award

Top three finalist in the Award for Facilities and Services Category

Now in their seventh year, the Green Gown Awards are quickly being established as the most prestigious recognition of sustainability best practice within the tertiary education sector in Australasia. UniSC was a top three finalist for is Water Refill Campus initiative in the Facilities and Services category.

2015 Winner of Highly Commended ACTS Green Gown Award

Award for Facilities and Services Category

UniSC was awarded a Highly Commended Award for its Water Refill Campus initiative in the Facilities and Services category.

2015 Winner of 2 x Highly Commended Awards in the Premier's Sustainability Awards

Minister's Award for Leadership in Sustainability Category

The University was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Minister's Award for Leadership in Sustainability category for its Water Refill Campus initiative.

Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award

The University was awarded the Highly Commended Award in the Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award for its Waste Recovery Program.

2014 Winner of ACTS Green Gown Award

Award for Carbon Reduction

The University won the 2014 ACTS Green Gown Award for Carbon Reduction based on its Integrated Waste Management System. This system has seen, on average, a 75% reduction in general waste going into landfill and is instead now going into other streams of organic, paper or recyclables.

2013 Sunshine Coast Council Good Recycler Awards

Award for 'Institution' Category

The University of the Sunshine Coast won its category of the Sunshine Coast Council’s inaugural Good Recycler Awards.

UniSC won the 'Institution' category for its ongoing rollout of a multiple bin recycling system across the Sippy Downs campus and the introduction of a large composting machine for organic waste.

2013 Premier's Sustainability Awards

'Leadership in Sustainability' Finalist

UniSC has been formally recognised as a Queensland leader in sustainability. The University was one of three finalists from 42 nominees. At the awards event, UniSC was praised for its long-term approach to sustainability, which has involved making the environment a primary consideration at every stage of its development.

Urban Development Institute of Australia (Queensland)

Wildcard Award Winner for ‘Significant Contribution to the Industry and Community’

"The university stands out because it has encouraged creative and individualistic architectural flair, with each development stage adding a different dimension and personality to the campus. Each building is distinctive and a monument to environmentally sustainable design. Creative application of the Sunshine Coast style of architecture has created a modern and memorable institution."

"USC (UniSC) has a distinct ‘sense of place’, which has been achieved through sensitivity to the needs of the regional ecosystem, as well as meeting the needs of campus staff, students and the wider community."

- UDIA (Qld) President Matthew Wallace

2012 EnviroDevelopment accreditation

In 2012 UniSC became the first university in Australia to gain full EnviroDevelopment accreditation from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) for sustainability outcomes across six categories—ecosystems, waste, energy, material, water and community.

1997-2001 Awards for Sustainable Architecture

USC Library

• Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Sir Zelman Cowen Award 1997, Commendation for Public Buildings

Building I

• Maroochy Excellence in Building and Planning Awards 1998, Energy Efficiency
• Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Environmental Award 1998

Building D

• Maroochy Excellence in Building and Planning Awards 1999, Green Building and Energy Conservation
• Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Queensland Chapter Environment Award 1999
• Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Sir Zelman Cowen Award 1999, Commendation for Public Buildings

Innovation Centre

• Energy Efficient Green Building Shire 2002, Silver Merit
• Environment Award and the Public Building Award 2001, Grand Prix Award

Building C

• The Harry S Marks Award for Sustainable Architecture