As of 2015, La Trobe is currently in its third era.
First era: 1964–1989
thumb|right|Martin Building in autumn
La Trobe University was officially opened by the Victorian premier, Sir Henry Bolte, on 8 March 1967 at a ceremony that was attended by a number of dignitaries including former Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Menzies. Teaching commenced at the Bundoora campus in the first semester of that year, with some 500 students. Within four years, however, this format had all but broken down, with the collegiate ideal reduced to halls of residence and the schools becoming departmentalised. In 1987 the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences merged with the university. Lincoln House comprised professional training schools for occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech therapy, all of which were affiliated with the Victoria Institute of Colleges. Lincoln Institute thus became the university's Faculty of Health Sciences, offering several professional health science programs.
Second era: 1990–2014
The university established other professional schools, including its law school in 1992, which was previously a legal studies department established in 1972. In 2008, Victoria's second dentistry school was established at La Trobe. However, despite being a leading Australian university in professional health and biomedical sciences, La Trobe does not have a medical school. When planned and developed in the 1960s, there was strong expectation that La Trobe would eventually establish a medical school and a teaching hospital.
The Bendigo campus of La Trobe dates back to 1873: the Bendigo College of Advanced Education amalgamated with La Trobe University in 1991, completing a process that began in the late 1980s as part of the Dawkins reforms to higher education. During the merger process, a controversial issue erupted when the university's head office in Bundoora raised concerns about the academic standards at Bendigo CAE. This led to a public outcry in which Bendigo CAE students threatened the Bendigo Advertiser over publishing the matter in its newspapers. Several newspapers were burned in the protest.
The inclusion of the Wodonga Institute of Tertiary Education took place in the same year. The university continued to expand, with the opening of campuses in Shepperton (1994), Mildura (1996), the Research and Development Park at Bundoora and sites in the Melbourne CBD.
Funding and cutbacks
Higher education reforms by the Howard government allowed Australian universities to increase fees and take in a greater number of full-fee paying students. Despite a large student backlash, La Trobe took advantage of the reforms, increasing fees by 25% in 2005. Around the same time, the university suffered cutbacks in government funding, a problem experienced across most of the Australian higher education sector.
La Trobe lost funding disproportionately across its departments. For instance, the History Department at the university was once by far the largest of any institution in Australia; however, funding restrictions led to a significant reduction in its size. Similarly, in 1999, the Music Department was closed due to funding cuts; in 2004 the Geology Department was excised even though it had the highest graduate satisfaction rating in the country. The university's African Research Institute, the only major African studies centre in Australasia, was closed at the end of 2006. In 2008, the university cut the Philosophy and Religious Studies Program at the Bendigo campus, the change resulted in the stream only being taught as a minor.
In 2008, La Trobe was operating with a $1.46 million surplus but highlighted that by 2010 it would "review, and where appropriate, restructure all academic, administrative and committee structures" to deal with diminished student intakes, falling entrance marks, below-par scores on student satisfaction surveys and a decreasing proportion of national research funding. In an attempt to address these issues, the university made cut backs and restructured several courses under the direction of the Vice-Chancellor, John Dewar.
Third era: 2015–present
In 2015, La Trobe University committed to fully divest from fossil fuels, after a campaign by students and faculty. The university later committed in 2019 to become fully carbon neutral in its own operations by 2029.
COVID-19 pandemic
In 2020, La Trobe University had its operations substantially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, part of the Bundoora campus had to be closed for a deep clean after a student tested positive for the disease. The university remained open for a time, until the health advice from the Department of Health and Human Services indicated the university should close - although a limited number of courses eventually continued in a face-to-face teaching mode. Classes not run face-to-face were continued online.
This, combined with a reduction in international student enrolments, purportedly weakened the university's financial position - although the extent to which this occurred is debated. Reports circulated that La Trobe University risked exhausting its cash reserves unless a deal was with reached with financial institutions or the federal government but the university has stated that it was not at risk of insolvency. A range of measures were proposed or taken to improve the university's finances including voluntary redundancies, La Trobe had applied for access to the Australian government wage subsidy program, JobKeeper, but it was deemed ineligible.
Other steps taken by the university in response to the pandemic include: opening up new pathways for student enrolment that did not require an ATAR, removing failing grades from student transcripts and offering new short courses.
Campuses and buildings
Melbourne (Bundoora)
thumb|Moat and George Singer Building, La Trobe University Bundoora Campus
thumb|Health Sciences Building
thumb|Student hub
The Melbourne campus at Bundoora is the foundation campus of La Trobe and was officially opened in 1967 when La Trobe began operations. The campus is the main base of all La Trobe's main courses except education, pharmacy, and dentistry, all of which are based at Bendigo. Bundoora is the largest university campus in the Southern Hemisphere, encompassing , including the adjacent Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary.
Bundoora has around 22,000 students on campus and therefore has many facilities such as restaurants, bars, shops, banks and an art gallery. The main library on the campus, the Borchardt, has well over one million volumes.
The original main campus buildings were designed by Melbourne architecture firm, Yuncken Freeman in a utilitarian, Post-War International style. These buildings are connected by a series of raised walkways. La Trobe University has three on-campus residential colleges: Menzies, Glenn and Chisholm. These are complemented by the newer North and South Apartments, the self-contained Barnes Way and Waterdale Apartments and the University Lodge, which primarily serves postgraduate students.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, La Trobe University had developed plans to transform the Bundoora campus into a 'City of the Future', closely co-locating commercial, cultural and research facilities onto the site.
On-campus facilities
The Bundoora campus is home to the La Trobe University Medical Centre and La Trobe Private Hospital.
Bundoora also has sporting and recreation facilities such as an indoor pool, gyms, playing fields (including the Tony Sheehan Oval), and indoor stadiums. A-League franchise Melbourne City have constructed a $15 million training facility on the campus grounds. Prior to the construction of its new training facilities, the Essendon Football Club had trained at La Trobe University during the summer. Additionally the Sport Program exists to assist student athletes.
The university is also home to the Centre for Dialogue, an interdisciplinary research institution which delves into certain intercultural and inter-religious conflicts, both in the domestic setting and in international relations. In March 2009, the centre attracted controversy in hosting a lecture given by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005). Khatami emphasised the importance of dialogue between civilizations, especially in relation to quelling misunderstandings between the Islamic world and the West.
The Centre for Dialogue has also received attention for its leadership programme for young Muslims, implemented predominantly in Melbourne's northern suburbs.
Research and Development Park
The R&D Park opened in 1993, adjacent to the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus. Tenants include a branch of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, the Victorian State Forensic Centre, a Rio Tinto research centre, Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the Co-operative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, CAVAL, AgriBio and the Technical Enterprise Centre (a business incubator for new ventures in information technology, biotechnology and the life sciences).
Melbourne (CBD)
La Trobe has a city campus in the Melbourne central business district, on Collins Street. The campus delivers postgraduate courses for both domestic and international students.
Bouverie Centre
The Bouverie Centre (first known as the Collins Street Clinic) was established as a clinical mental health service for children and adolescents. In 1956, the centre was renamed the Bouverie Clinic following its relocation from Collins Street, in the CBD of Melbourne to Bouverie Street, Carlton. The Bouverie Centre made the transition from a child psychiatric clinic to the first family therapy centre in Australia in the mid-1970s. In 2007 the Bouverie Centre moved into a $5 million, state government-funded, purpose-built building at 8 Gardiner Street, Brunswick.
La Trobe University took over the management of the Bouverie Centre from the Mental Health Branch of the Victorian Department of Human Services, and added to Bouverie's name the subtitle Victoria's Family Institute. In the decades that followed, the range of clinical academic courses offered by Bouverie expanded and to date, the Centre delivers a number of Graduate Certificate programs, including the Graduate Certificate in Narrative Therapy; a program specifically tailored for professionals working with people impacted by Acquired Brain Injury seeking to enhance their skill and confidence in working with families, and the nationally recognised Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Workers. The centre's Master's level program and higher degree research program are a regular feature on the academic calendar.
The Bouverie Centre has over 40 staff, with clinical staff typically working across a number of different service areas.
Regional and interstate campuses
thumb|right|The Visual Arts Building at the Bendigo Campus
Bendigo
La Trobe Bendigo succeeded 118 years of tertiary education in the regional centre, which began with the Bendigo School of Mines in 1873.
La Trobe Bendigo was established in 1991, initially as the La Trobe University College of Northern Victoria (1991–1994). Between 1994 and 2005, La Trobe Bendigo's curriculum was operated by a multidisciplinary Faculty of Regional Development and was separate from that of Melbourne. Campuses could choose to offer individual courses from both Bundoora and Bendigo. This situation ceased in 2005 after the Bendigo campus was more tightly integrated into the Melbourne campus structure.
The main site of the Bendigo campus, near Edwards Road, was established in 1967 under the Bendigo Institute of Technology (1967–1976).
The Osbourne Street site was established in 1959 under the Bendigo Teacher's College (1926–73). It is now predominantly used for examination facilities and is home to the La Trobe University Bendigo Athletics Track. Some of the facilities used in the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games were located at La Trobe University Bendigo. There is also the associated Central Victorian Innovation Park, located on university land, which opened in December 2003.
Together these two sites near Edwards Road and Osbourne Street form the Flora Hill campus precinct. They were acquired by La Trobe University in 1991 after an amalgamation with the Bendigo College of Advanced Education (1976–1991).
There are two schools and an art centre in Bendigo:
- La Trobe Rural Health School
- La Trobe Tech School
- The La Trobe Art Institute is a contemporary art centre comprising galleries, a studio for residencies, and venues for hire to the public. The Institute is responsible for the university's seven art collections across all of the Victorian campuses.
Albury–Wodonga
La Trobe University's Albury–Wodonga Campus is located three kilometres from the centre of Wodonga on a site. South of the Murray River, the campus is located in Victoria, but within 10 kilometres of the NSW town of Albury and within 20 kilometres of Charles Sturt University's NSW-based Albury–Wodonga campus.
La Trobe University's presence in Albury–Wodonga began in 1991, within the facilities of the Wodonga Institute of TAFE. The Albury-Wodonga campus continues to share various resources with Wodonga TAFE, including the David Mann Library. This campus houses the faculties of education, health sciences, biology, business as well as the John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research and the Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems.
In 2020, the university announced plans to shift almost half of the courses offered at the campus online, while guaranteeing the campus would remain open.
Mildura
thumb|Mildura offices
The Mildura Campus was established in 1996, co-located with the main campus of the Sunraysia Institute of TAFE. These institutions and other tertiary education and research institutions on the site share various resources. A second Mildura City campus opened in 2006 in the old Mildura Cultivator offices, next to "Gallery 25", an art gallery which La Trobe became involved with a few years earlier.
Shepparton
The Shepparton campus was established in 1994. A new two-storey campus building at 210 Fryers Street, opposite the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE was opened in late 2010. Originally the revamped campus building was meant to open in early 2008, but funding delays pushed the project back.
Sydney
Located at 255 Elizabeth Street, near Hyde Park, the Sydney campus is centrally located and offers courses in business, accounting and informational technologies, as well as some bridging and enabling courses.
Partnerships and the e-campus
In 2007, the university announced plans to open "learning nodes" co-located with the Wangaratta and Seymour campuses of Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, and at the Swan Hill campus of Sunraysia Institute of TAFE.
La Trobe University also offers an "online" campus, where students can access and participate in classes online through the university's learning management system.
Former campuses
The Mount Buller campus of the University, which opened in 1997, closed at the end of 2006 due to low student numbers.
The Hotel and Conference Centre at Beechworth closed on 23 May 2011. This decision followed stakeholder consultation and feedback about the proposed closure from local businesses and the community. The Beechworth site was once home to the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1867 and later renamed "Mayday Hills Hospital". The hospital ceased operation in 1995.
Governance and structure
University council
The principal governing body of the university is the university council. The council is composed of the chancellor, the vice-chancellor, the chair of the academic board, three persons elected by and from the staff of the university, two persons elected by and from the enrolled students of the university, six persons appointed by the governor in council, one person appointed by the minister administering the act and six other persons appointed by the council.
Chancellor and vice-chancellor
The current chancellor and chair of the university council is John Brumby, since 29 March 2019.
The vice-chancellor is the chief executive officer of the university (Section 26 of the act) and is responsible to the council for the discharge of his or her powers, functions and duties. Theo Farrell was appointed to a 12-year term as vice-chancellor in February 2024. Farrell is a leading scholar of the Afghan and previously acted as strategic advisor to the UK government, the US-led command in Kabul and participated in track II peace talks with the Taliban. John Dewar, former provost of the University of Melbourne, was vice-chancellor of La Trobe University from January 2012 to January 2024. Dewar is an internationally known family law specialist and researcher.
Constituent schools
The university is made up of 10 schools, offering courses at all levels:
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment
- School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport
- School of Business
- School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Nursing and Midwifery
- School of Psychology and Public Health
- La Trobe Rural Health School
Academic profile
La Trobe University is a member of the Innovative Research Universities, an Australian group that collectively receives over $340 million in research grants.
La Trobe University has been confirmed as one of Australia's leading research universities, climbing to third in Victoria, based on the Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) 2012 report. La Trobe is the top ranked institution in the nation for research in microbiology and equal top with just one other university in biochemistry and cell biology and in veterinary sciences. Historical studies and archaeology were also both assessed at the top ranking.
The results are in line with the research investment strategy in research physical infrastructure such as the LIMS and AgriBio projects, and will inform further development of research concentration. This will be important to ensure further improvement in research quality and output in the university in line with the strategic plan.
In August 2019, the university announced the "Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship," which would provide an opportunity for a female researcher from India to contribute to her field via a four-year PhD degree in one of the following fields: health, sport, information technology, cyber security or engineering. Khan's Meer Foundation, which supports and empowers Women, is in recognition of the scholarship, which will provide an estimated $200,000 (AUD) worth of support to the student for a four-year research stay at La Trobe's Melbourne campus.
Research divisions
La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science
thumb|Molecular inspired windows at LIMS
The La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) is an interdisciplinary research institute based at the university. It contains research groups in life sciences (biochemistry and genetics), physical sciences (chemistry and physics), and applied sciences (pharmacy) and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in these areas through the School of Molecular Sciences. It also contains two biotech companies: Hexima and AdAlta. The institute is housed in three buildings: LIMS1 and LIMS2 in the centre of the university's main campus in Bundoora and the applied science building at the Bendigo campus.
Centre for Research on Language Diversity
The Centre for Research on Language Diversity is a research institute founded in 1998 by R. M. W. Dixon at the Australian National University under the name Research Centre for Linguistic Typology. It moved to La Trobe University in 2000.
Research facilities
AgriBio
thumb|Agribio building
thumb|upright|Agribio Atrium
In 2004 the Victorian Government identified a need to collocate its primary industries department's plant and animal science research capabilities with other research entities. It committed funds for this purpose in 2005 and committed to a joint venture with La Trobe University to construct a bioscience research centre at its Bundoora campus. A key objective of AgriBio is to facilitate science collaboration between the university and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (previously DEPI).
Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory
In 2011 the university, in conjunction with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences built the Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory (TAAL), based within the Department of Archaeology, Environment and Community Planning. The main aim and focus of research in the laboratory is promoting the use of magnetic methods of analysis (palaeomagnetism, rock magnetism, archaeomagnetic dating and magnetostratigraphy) for understanding the age, palaeoenvironmental/climate context and site formation history of archaeological and fossil sites. The laboratory also undertakes other research with the Department of Physics, including comparative work at the Australian Synchrotron.
In 2011 the laboratory was involved in dating the age of the new South African hominin species Australopithecus sediba, which was published in the journal "Science".
Galleries and collections
thumb|upright=1.4|David Myers Building
La Trobe began collecting artworks in the early 1960s before beginning construction on the main campus at Bundoora. In 2010 the Melbourne collection consisted of more than 3000 post-war contemporary Australian artworks valued at $17 million; the second largest university art collection in Victoria in terms of collection value.
The La Trobe University Museum of Art (LUMA), which was located at Glenn College, Melbourne campus, from 1990 to 2016, managed the University Art Collection. It hosted exhibitions, managed the sculpture park (which includes a controversial upside-down statue of Governor La Trobe by sculptor Charles Robb) was managed by LUMA., since the university entered into an educational partnership with the Islamic Museum of Australia, which included sponsoring the prize as well as the possibility of providing training in Islamic cultures for teachers, adding a new component to journalism courses and "work-integrated learning opportunities".
Academic reputation
In the 2024 Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities, which measures aggregate performance across the QS, THE and ARWU rankings, the university attained a position of #235 (16th nationally).
; National publications
In the Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking 2025, the university was tied #22 amongst Australian universities.
; Global publications
In the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (published 2025), the university attained a tied position of #233 (17th nationally).
In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 (published 2025), the university attained a position of #251–300 (tied 14–20th nationally).
In the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the university attained a position of #301–400 (tied 14–20th nationally).
In the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities, the university attained a tied position of #278 (tied 19th nationally).
In the CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024, the university attained a position of #458 (19th nationally).
Student outcomes
The Australian Government's QILT