Assessing ATAR: New research shows many pathways to university

New research from Victoria University’s (VU) Mitchell Institute shows the ATAR (the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) plays a smaller and more uneven role in university admissions than many students and their families might think. 

The report, Assessing the ATAR: Exploring the use of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), finds that while the ATAR may loom large in public debate, its real use in university admissions varies depending on where individuals live, the university they apply to, and the course they select. 

In 2023, half of all domestic undergraduate students starting a bachelor’s degree were not recent school leavers, meaning the ATAR was not relevant to their admission. 

Even among those who were recent school leavers, three in 10 were admitted to university without ATAR being considered. 

The research also found significant variation across the country when it comes to the ATAR. In 2024: 

• 64% of Australian Year 12 students received an ATAR
• 79% of Year 12s in New South Wales,
• 38% in Western Australia (with take-up of ATAR declining in Western Australia and Victoria in recent years). 

The use of ATAR in admissions also varies greatly between universities – from almost 100 per cent of school leaver admissions being made on the basis of ATAR at one university, to only around 10 per cent at another. 

ATAR-only admissions were most common in Engineering and Natural and Physical Sciences (72 per cent). While courses in Creative Arts, Education and Agriculture had the lowest proportion of admissions made solely on ATAR (41–43 per cent). 

The Mitchell Institute hopes the insights in the report provide much-needed clarity for policymakers, the university sector, schools and students. 

Mitchell Institute Director Professor Peter Hurley, said the findings highlight the need for clearer information for young people and their families navigating Year 12. 

“The ATAR is often treated as if it decides everything, but our analysis shows it applies much less often than people think. Three in ten school-leaver admissions were made on a basis other than ATAR. Students deserve clear information about what the ATAR means, how it will be used, and about the full range of pathways available to them,” Professor Hurley said.