Most popular university degrees in Victoria

LOOKING for a dose of degree inspiration? These were some of the most popular courses in Victoria in 2017, based on applicant numbers.

Medicine and science were among the most popular choices in 2017.

THERE are times in life when following the status quo isn’t necessarily the best option. When perms were all the rage, it probably would have been a good time to sit back and think, “Would a frizzy ringlet mullet really look good on me?” before committing to a lifetime of wedding photo regret.

Similarly, when Melburnians started drinking avocado lattes, that was probably the time to quit coffee. Or flee the state.

But sometimes there’s a reason things are popular.

Spotify and spaghetti bolognese and road trips around Spain are always going to have mass appeal. Why? Because they’re the best.

This couldn’t be truer for university degrees.

Vocational courses such as teaching, nursing and paramedicine, as well as academic studies in Arts, Business and Science have long been at the top of university most popular lists.

Every year, these faculties receive thousands of applications, and for good reason: they’re what students want to study.

So if mass appeal is a predictor of quality, here’s a guide to eight of the most popular courses in 2017, based on the number of applicants.

Nursing is still one of the most popular degrees by volume of applicants.

NURSING

This is one of the most popular degrees by far, ranking among the top four most applied for courses at six of Victoria’s biggest universities. It came in at numero uno at Australian Catholic University, Federation University and Victoria University.

ARTS

Arts is a perennial favourite, with study areas including humanities, social sciences, foreign affairs and communications. The University of Melbourne has the largest Arts faculty, receiving more than 7800 applicants in 2017. Monash is a close second with just over 7300 across its Caulfield and Clayton campuses.

HEALTH SCIENCES

This is a growing field of science that focuses on the promotion of good health and wellbeing across the community, with graduates often working in fields such as health promotion, nutrition, marketing or policy development. La Trobe and Deakin universities are the favourites for this degree.

Teaching proves a strong option.

TEACHING

Like nursing, teaching has been a popular vocational degree for decades. It ranked among the most popular courses at Victoria University, Deakin University, Federation University and Australian Catholic University.

BIOMEDICINE

High entry requirements — a minimum ATAR of 96 for Melbourne and 94 for Monash — have not impacted the popularity of biomedical science degrees. This field of study is about understanding disease — how it occurs, how to prevent it and even how to cure it.

Business is good for university commerce students.

BUSINESS

La Trobe, Monash, RMIT, Victoria University and Melbourne are leading the charge when it comes to their business degrees. Melbourne’s commerce course had more than 4700 applicants last year. It was also the most popular choice at Swinburne and RMIT.

Choosing the right course is almost as hard as the degree itself.

SCIENCE

This was the most popular course in Victoria last year, attracting more than 9600 applications at University of Melbourne. You would think given the popularity that it would have been near impossible to gain entry, but students were twice as likely to get into Science at Melbourne, with a 34 per cent acceptance rate, compared to 16 per cent at Monash — which had more than 6000 applications.

Build a healthy career with a degree in building and construction.

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

It might not have been the most applied for field, but Building and Construction was certainly one of the biggest degrees at RMIT. The university offered more places for this course than any other in 2016, with an acceptance rate of 57 per cent. Thank you, construction boom.