Where does your ATAR rank in your state?

Your ATAR is already a percentile rank against your entire age cohort, including all 18-year-olds in your state whether or not they completed Year 12 or received an ATAR. However, among ATAR-eligible students only, those who completed the necessary subjects to receive an ATAR, your position within the group is different. Since ATAR-eligible students are a higher-performing subset of the age cohort, an ATAR of 80 (which means better than 80% of all 18-year-olds) corresponds to approximately the 67th to 69th percentile among ATAR-eligible students in NSW according to UAC 2024 data. This distinction matters when comparing yourself to university applicants, because your competition for course offers is other ATAR-eligible students, not the entire age cohort. This calculator shows both figures so you understand your position in both contexts. (Source: UAC. ATAR Distribution and Cutoff Data 2024. uac.edu.au.)

Your raw ATAR is calculated directly from your scaled subject results. An adjusted ATAR includes bonus points added by individual universities for specific applicant characteristics: regional/rural school attendance (typically 2-5 points), educational disadvantage, subject-specific bonuses, and elite athlete status. Adjustment points vary by university and programme and are used for selection purposes only.

An ATAR of 70 is slightly above the national median and opens a substantial range of university courses. At Group of Eight universities, 70 typically meets the minimum for arts, humanities, and some science degrees. At Australian Technology Network universities (UTS, RMIT, Curtin, QUT), an ATAR of 70 is competitive for most courses except high-demand programmes.

First, review your preferences before the change-of-preference deadline. Second, investigate ATAR adjustment schemes. Third, consider pathway programmes: most universities offer diplomas or associate degrees that articulate directly into the second year of a related bachelor's degree. Fourth, explore early entry or school recommendation schemes. Gap year and reapplication is also a valid path.

An ATAR of 70 is above average among ATAR-eligible students. UAC 2024 data shows that 70 sits at approximately the 50th percentile of students who received an ATAR, meaning you achieved better than half of all ATAR recipients. However, this understates your position in the full age cohort because approximately 30-40% of school leavers do not receive an ATAR at all, meaning a 70 places you in roughly the top 35% of the entire age group. In practical terms, an ATAR of 70 provides access to a wide range of undergraduate courses at regional universities, ATN institutions, and several Go8 programmes in fields like arts, social science, education, and some science streams. It does not provide direct access to medicine, law, dentistry, or high-demand commerce programmes at Go8 universities, but these are accessible via alternative entry pathways.

Yes, significantly. Most university merit scholarships for incoming students have explicit ATAR requirements. The most generous scholarships, often covering significant portions of tuition or providing residential scholarships, typically require ATARs of 95 or above. Mid-tier merit scholarships commonly require 90+. Many universities also offer equity scholarships based on circumstances rather than ATAR, and these do not have the same entry requirements. Indigenous scholarships, regional scholarships, and scholarships for students from disadvantaged backgrounds are primarily need-based rather than academically selective. If your ATAR is in the 90+ range, it is worth reviewing every institution you are considering for scholarship eligibility, many students leave significant scholarship money on the table simply because they did not apply. Scholarship deadlines often differ from admission deadlines.

Nursing ATAR cutoffs typically range from 55-78 depending on the institution and state. Regional and some metropolitan universities accept from 55-65. Most ATN and metropolitan universities cluster between 65-75. Some Go8 nursing programmes have cutoffs up to 78. Unlike medicine, nursing courses are available at a broad range of ATARs because the profession's workforce demand means institutions keep admission accessible. Nursing is also a common destination for students using alternative entry pathways, pathway programmes, TAFE diplomas in nursing, and bridging courses can lead into Bachelor of Nursing programmes at many institutions without an ATAR competitive with the direct entry cutoff. Check the specific institution's current published cutoff, as these shift with annual demand.

State-level ATAR distributions differ modestly but measurably. Victoria tends to have the highest median ATAR among ATAR-eligible students at approximately 70, partly because Victoria has a slightly higher ATAR eligibility rate among Year 12 students. Tasmania tends to have the lowest median at approximately 66, reflecting a smaller and more varied cohort. NSW, the largest state, sits close to the national median at approximately 69. Queensland's distribution shifted when the state transitioned from the OP (Overall Position) system to the ATAR in 2020 and is still stabilising. Western Australia and South Australia fall in the middle at approximately 69. These differences are small (3 to 4 ATAR points between the highest and lowest state medians) and are accounted for in the statistical moderation process that makes ATARs comparable across states for interstate university applications. When comparing your ATAR to students in another state, compare the percentile rank rather than the raw number. (Source: UAC, VTAC, QTAC, TISC, SATAC. ATAR Distribution Data 2024.)

ATAR release dates are set by each state's tertiary admissions centre and typically fall in mid-to-late December. In NSW and the ACT, UAC releases ATARs approximately one week after HSC results, usually around December 14 to 16. In Victoria, VTAC releases ATARs on the same day as VCE results, typically December 12 to 14. Queensland (QTAC), Western Australia (TISC), South Australia and the Northern Territory (SATAC), and Tasmania all release in mid-December. Results are delivered online through each state's TAC portal in the early morning, typically between 7am and 9am AEDT. The change-of-preference deadline follows approximately 2 to 3 weeks after ATAR release, giving students time to adjust their university preferences based on their actual results. Round 1 offers are then made in mid-to-late January. If your ATAR is lower than expected, use the time between results release and the change-of-preference deadline to review and update your preferences. (Source: UAC, VTAC, QTAC, TISC, SATAC. ATAR Release Schedules 2024.)

The ATAR is calculated nationally on the same 0 to 99.95 scale in all states and territories and is designed to be comparable across state borders. However, the underlying school curriculum and assessment methods differ by state: NSW uses the HSC, Victoria uses the VCE, Queensland uses the QCE (with external exams reintroduced in 2020), Western Australia uses WACE, South Australia uses SACE, and Tasmania uses TCE. Each state's subject marks are scaled and moderated independently, and the results are then converted to the national ATAR scale by the ATAR Technical Advisory Group. The process is designed so that an ATAR of 85 in NSW represents the same achievement level as an ATAR of 85 in Victoria. For interstate university applications, TACs accept ATARs from all states as equivalent. The main practical difference students notice is in subject scaling: which subjects scale up or down varies by state because it depends on the state's specific student cohort performance in that subject. (Source: ATAR Technical Advisory Group. ATAR Moderation and Scaling Framework. 2024.)