University offers for WA’s year 12 graduates return to pre-COVID levels

Thousands of West Australian students received offers from the state’s five universities on Friday, with the number finally returning to pre-pandemic levels after a four-year slump.

Of the state’s year 12 graduates who applied to university, 93 per cent received an offer in the December round, compared to 89 per cent in 2022.

The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre received a total of 11,203 applications, nearly 2000 more than last year, with 10,387 offered a place.

Chief executive Andrew Crevald said this was mostly due to Murdoch and the University of Western Australia requiring all year 12s to apply through the centre this year.

However, the number of non-West Australian Certificate of Education applications through the centre decreased.

Including mature-aged students and interstate students, just over 84 per cent received an offer and 77 per cent had an offer for their first preference.

Curtin University offered the most places, followed by UWA. Credit: Andrew Quilty

“It’s good to see WACE student offers return to pre-pandemic levels, whilst the lower numbers of other applicants from previous years reflects what’s happening nationally,” Crevald said.

He encouraged students who did not receive an offer to look into why.

“For instance, if you still need to satisfy the English competency requirement and will be sitting the second-chance English test, that should address that requirement for most people,” Crevald said.

“But, if you don’t know why you didn’t get an offer, I recommend getting advice from your preferred universities, or from TISC, so you know what your options are.”

Applicants can rearrange preferences or add new courses to their preferences until January 14.

Year 12 students also received early offers to university throughout the year – something Education Minister Tony Buti has raised concerns about multiple times. 

“There is a major concern with early offers, particularly if they are unconditional,” he said.

“The universities tell me now there are conditions attached to those early offers, but that is something that we are in continued conversations with the tertiary sector of Western Australia about.

“We want to have an education system that caters for all the different students needs and wants, but it’s a system that will stand up to the rigours of preparing them for the future.”

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