The universities that are the hardest to get into may not be delivering the best experience or employment outcomes for their students, new research shows.

Students at the University of NSW, Sydney University, the University of Melbourne and the University of Western Australia have some of the highest entrance scores in Australia, according to this year's Good Universities Guide.

The Good Universities Guide ranked Bond University at number one for overall experience, followed by Notre Dame and Edith Cowan University. Credit:Robert Peet

However, none of these universities are in the guide's top 10 for staff qualifications or overall experience, which measures engagement, resources, skills development, support and teaching quality.

All four scored below the national average for overall experience and nationally, UNSW, Sydney and UWA ranked among the bottom seven in this category.