Australia's status in a new world-ranking system should be a confidence boost for CQUniversity international students who are about to complete their courses.

Around 30 international students who have been studying at Rockhampton Campus will attend CQUniversity's 'Going Home' ceremony on May 28.

International students gather for a 'Going Home' ceremony in 2011

They are from countries including Norway, the United States, Germany, Canada, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, India, Poland, China, the Philippines, Mauritius and Japan.

A new world ranking for higher education systems places Australia eighth, with a high output in graduates and research despite a lower input of resources.

Research authors at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, devised the ranking after checking the most recent data from 48 countries and territories, spread across 20 different measures.

The new ranking shows the US, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway lead Australia, with The Netherlands and Britain in 9th and 10th positions.