The hardest university degrees to get into, and the ones where ATARs are falling

In-demand university degrees, including business, commerce and arts, are becoming easier to enter, an analysis of admission data over 10 years of the most popular courses reveals.

However, most students still need raw ATARs above 99 for sought-after degrees, including law, at some top universities.

The ATAR cut-off for the most applied for non-medical degree in NSW, bachelor of business at University of Technology Sydney, has fallen from 90 in 2015 to 85 this year.

Arts at Sydney University required an ATAR of 80.05 this year, down from 82.5 10 years ago, while commerce dropped two points in the same period. The cut-offs can include up to 10 bonus points added to a student’s raw ATAR.

The degrees in the 100 most popular courses, based on first preferences, with ATAR cut-offs above 99 this year included combined law degrees at Sydney University and UNSW, physiotherapy, clinical optometry and actuarial studies. The ATARs for these degrees have remained steady or risen in 10 years.

Sydney University and UNSW also do not offer bonus points for some of these degrees, except for factors including disadvantage and equity.

The most competitive degrees to enter, medicine, do not list ATAR cut-offs as they also rely on tests and interviews to determine admissions.

While most degrees outside the most sought-after courses have trended downwards over 10 years, some are becoming more competitive.

The cut-off for diagnostic radiography at Sydney University rose from 94.4 in 2015 to 97 this year, while occupational therapy and speech pathology rose by about one point.

At UNSW, the cut-off for many engineering degrees rose from between one and three ATAR points compared to 2015, with most in the low 90s.

At UTS, the cut-off for bachelor of science (applied physics) rose almost nine points to 80.4 and the bachelor of molecular biotechnology rose 10 points to 85 between 2015 and this year.

University Admissions Centre interim managing director Kim Paino said ATAR fluctuations were driven by supply and demand.

“If there are many students [applying for a course] who have done exceptionally well, year 12s with their ATARs, that inevitably leads to high selection ranks for those courses and particularly those that are constrained on the supply side, like medicine,” she said.

She said the explosion of early offers over the past decade may have led to a reduction in cut-offs, but said ATARs at the higher end had generally not changed.

Lofty law ambitions

Milly Simpson has been accepted into commerce/law at Sydney University. Credit: James Brickwood

Milly Simpson, a Wenona School graduate who topped the state in modern history, was shocked when she received her ATAR of 99.65. She’s been accepted into her dream course: a law and commerce double degree at Sydney University, which had a cut-off of 99.5.

“The school always told us to aim high for our preferences … so I put that there not really thinking it would be a possibility, but just in case,” Simpson said.

She had also been considering moving to Brisbane to study finance and economics at Queensland University because their program gave bonus points to students studying extension mathematics.

An in-demand degree

Jashan Jagal received an ATAR of 99.85 and plans to take on actuarial studies.

Girraween High graduate Jashan Jagal, who received an ATAR of 99.85, found the university admissions process “honestly pretty stressful” and struggled to list his preferences.

“It took me a couple of months. I was initially considering medicine, dentistry, maths by itself. I was always inclined to aim for the highest ATAR courses,” he said.

Jagal decided on actuarial studies at UNSW, which had a round one cut-off of 99 – up from 97 10 years ago. It is a highly competitive mathematics-centred business degree that focuses on the measurements and management of risk.

“I’m really looking forward to going to societies and networking events.”

The medical student

Rebecca Colwell has been accepted into medicine at Sydney University.

Rebecca Colwell’s dream after finishing the HSC was to study medicine – anywhere. Receiving a perfect ATAR of 99.95 made that dream a reality.

She has been accepted into a combined bachelor of science and doctor of medicine at the University of Sydney.

“I applied to unis in other states … But of course, no one really expects to get 99.95,” the SCEGGS Darlinghurst graduate said.

“I was very happy with how it ended up.”

US aspirations

Recent HSC graduate Satvik Prasad hopes to study in the US.

Normanhurst Boys High graduate Satvik Prasad, who also earned an ATAR of 99.95, has been accepted into electrical engineering at UNSW, which has a cut-off of 95.55.

But his sights are really set on the top US universities. “The academics are more rigorous, you get more breadth compared to Australia. There’s more research. Also there’s a much bigger job market, more opportunities,” Prasad said.

“I’m excited to explore the world, and meet lots of new people. It’ll be a big step up.”

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