7 Oct 2024

ATAR Scores for Uni Courses (2025)

ATAR requirements by course for every university in Australia.

Male uni student leaping in triumph

Let's see what the different universities in Australia set as the ATAR course requirements for school leavers. These are the minimum ATAR scores Year 12 students need to achieve to automatically qualify for admission into bachelor degree programs.

Indicative ATAR Scores by Course (2025)

University Arts Business STEM State
Australian Catholic University 59 59 59 AUS
Australian National University 80 80 80 ACT
Avondale University 60 60 — NSW
Bond University 70 70 70 QLD
Charles Darwin University 50 50 62 NT
Charles Sturt University 55 55 65 NSW
CQUniversity 60 60 68 QLD
Curtin University 70 70 70 WA
Deakin University 56 70 60 VIC
Edith Cowan University 70 70 70 WA
Federation University Australia 50 50 60 VIC
Flinders University 60 60 60 SA
Griffith University 63 63 63 QLD
James Cook University 51 51 59 QLD
La Trobe University 60 55 70 VIC
Macquarie University 75 75 75 NSW
Monash University 70 75 75 VIC
Murdoch University 70 70 70 WA
QUT 70 79 70 QLD
RMIT University 75 65 70 VIC
Southern Cross University 60 60 60 NSW
Swinburne 60 60 70 VIC
Torrens University Australia 60 60 60 AUS
University of Adelaide 65 65 65 SA
University of Canberra 60 60 60 ACT
University of Melbourne 88 93 85 VIC
University of New England 73 73 73 NSW
UNSW Sydney 80 93 80 NSW
University of Newcastle 62 65 62 NSW
University of Notre Dame 68 — 70 WA
University of Queensland 75 87 79 QLD
University of South Australia 60 66 62 SA
UniSQ 59 59 63 QLD
University of Sydney 80 95 80 NSW
University of Tasmania 65 50 52 TAS
UTS 72 85 76 NSW
University of the Sunshine Coast 55 55 55 QLD
University of Western Australia 80 80 80 WA
University of Wollongong 70 70 75 NSW
Victoria University 50 50 50 VIC
Western Sydney University 60 65 65 NSW
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What the ATAR List Shows

The highest ATAR cut-offs are for courses such as Business at Sydney Uni, Arts at Melbourne Uni, and Science at UNSW. These minimums may be lower than for other programs since we're focusing on mainstream degrees.

At the other end of the spectrum, ATAR requirements approach 50 or disappear altogether for some of Australia's regional universities. An ATAR of 50 indicates that no minimum ATAR is set. The lowest ATAR cut-offs are for unis such as Federation University Australia, James Cook University, and Charles Darwin University.

Related: Highest ATAR Courses

About ATAR Course Entry Requirements

Each university sets its own minimum ATAR scores. ATAR, or Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, is calculated based on your HSC results.

Your weakest subjects may be excluded in ranking computations. Grades are also scaled according to course difficulty, taking into account the average ability of students doing each subject.

Most universities follow a similar approach for high-school leavers. Your ATAR score plays a key role in getting into your preferred course. ATAR cutoffs vary widely. Prestigious city-based universities tend to have higher requirements, while regional and less competitive institutions have lower thresholds.

Understanding ATAR in Australia

Australian students are given an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) shortly after completing a 2-year Higher School Certificate. It is a score out of 100, combining grades and subjects to determine each person's rank.

A good ATAR score is 80 or better. If you achieve an ATAR of 80, it means you performed better than 80 per cent of students – you’re in the top 20 per cent! However, an ATAR of 70 will also qualify you for many uni courses.

How Your ATAR is Used

A high ATAR is like a golden ticket for getting into university courses. Pre-admission interviews or tests are rarely used in Australia, and most courses have few or loose requirements regarding specific high school subjects. In short, ATARs rule.

Early in the admissions process, universities publish ATAR cut-offs for each course. These indicate the scores required for guaranteed admission. The final cut-off may be lowered if there are spare places, especially if the initial ATAR cut-off was above 70. Your score can also effectively increase if the university offers adjustment factors (bonus points).

The ATAR cut-offs shown in the table demonstrate how difficult it is to gain entry to various universities. The list covers popular bachelor degrees, such as arts, business/commerce, and science or engineering. The top ranked universities, where demand exceeds supply, set the highest ATARs. Less competitive universities may use ATARs to establish basic academic entry requirements.

Acceptance Rates

The acceptance rate of an Australian university is defined as the percentage of students eligible for university study who can gain entry into their preferred degree program. Australian Universities considers any school leaver with an ATAR of 50 or more as a potential uni student.

University Acceptance Rate ATAR (avg) State
Australian Catholic University 82% 59 AUS
Australian National University 40% 80 ACT
Avondale University 80% 60 NSW
Bond University 60% 70 QLD
Charles Darwin University 92% 54 NT
Charles Sturt University 83% 58 NSW
CQUniversity 75% 63 QLD
Curtin University 60% 70 WA
Deakin University 76% 62 VIC
Edith Cowan University 60% 70 WA
Federation University Australia 93% 53 VIC
Flinders University 80% 60 SA
Griffith University 74% 63 QLD
James Cook University 93% 54 QLD
La Trobe University 77% 62 VIC
Macquarie University 50% 75 NSW
Monash University 53% 73 VIC
Murdoch University 60% 70 WA
QUT 54% 73 QLD
RMIT University 60% 70 VIC
Southern Cross University 80% 60 NSW
Swinburne 73% 63 VIC
Torrens University Australia 80% 60 AUS
UniSQ 79% 60 QLD
University of Adelaide 70% 65 SA
University of Canberra 80% 60 ACT
University of Melbourne 23% 89 VIC
University of New England 54% 73 NSW
University of Newcastle 74% 63 NSW
University of Notre Dame 62% 69 WA
University of Queensland 39% 80 QLD
University of South Australia 75% 63 SA
University of Sydney 30% 85 NSW
University of Tasmania 89% 56 TAS
University of the Sunshine Coast 90% 55 QLD
University of Western Australia 40% 80 WA
University of Wollongong 57% 72 NSW
UNSW Sydney 31% 84 NSW
UTS 45% 78 NSW
Victoria University 100% 50 VIC
Western Sydney University 73% 63 NSW
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The acceptance rate is 100 minus the average ATAR, all divided by 50. Hence, a uni with a minimum ATAR of 50 effectively has a 100% acceptance rate. A uni with an ATAR threshold of 75 has a 50% acceptance rate, with half of prospective students meeting the entry requirement.

Alternative Entry Pathways

If you're concerned about not meeting the ATAR requirements, several alternative pathways available. Options such as TAFE courses, uni foundation programs, and recognition of prior learning are viable routes.

Lerna Courses advises, "Don’t let a low ATAR score or no ATAR hold you back from your goal of attending university" (Source: How to Get Into Uni Without an ATAR). Students have multiple opportunities for higher education, regardless of their ATAR scores.

Related: No ATAR Uni Courses

For International Students

International students need to meet similar course entry requirements to Australian students. The main difference is the need to demonstrate English language proficiency.

To be admitted to an undergraduate course, international students typically must have a grade point average in their home country that matches or exceeds the standard set for Australian students. Universities list these requirements by course and country on their websites.

More on ATAR Scores