A good ATAR is one that gets you into the course you want, so the honest answer depends on your goal. As a guide, the average ATAR among students who receive one is about 70, an ATAR of 80 puts you ahead of 80% of your age group, and 90 or above is a top result that about one in six NSW ATAR students reached in 2025.
Good ATAR key facts (2025)
- Victoria's average ATAR was 69.48.
- 17.3% of NSW ATAR students received 90.00 or more; in Queensland it was 24.98% of eligible students.
- An ATAR of 90.00 needed a VCE aggregate of 155.19, an HSC aggregate of about 370.7 and a SACE aggregate of 76.45.
- Offers use your selection rank, which can be higher than your ATAR.
What each ATAR means
| ATAR | What it means |
|---|---|
| 95 and above | Top 5% of your age group. Opens most courses, including the most competitive (some also need tests or interviews). |
| 90 | Top 10%. A very strong result for most degrees. |
| 80 | Ahead of 80% of your age group. Above average for ATAR students and enough for many degrees. |
| 70 | Close to the average ATAR student (Victoria's 2025 average was 69.48). |
| 60 | Below average for ATAR students but still ahead of 60% of your age group. Many degrees and pathway programs are open. |
| 50 | Ahead of half your age group. Diplomas, pathway colleges and some degrees are options. |
How many students reach each level (2025)
- NSW: 17.3% of ATAR students received 90.00 or above (UAC).
- Queensland: 24.98% of eligible students received 90.00 or above, 48.92% received 80.00 or above and 69.35% received 70.00 or above (QTAC).
- Victoria: the average ATAR was 69.48 (VTAC).
Queensland's shares look higher because only about half of Queensland's Year 12 students were ATAR-eligible, and the ATAR compares you with your whole age group. See the average ATAR.
Good for what?
The number that matters is the course's lowest selection rank: the lowest rank that received an offer last year. Your selection rank can be higher than your ATAR thanks to adjustment factors. So an ATAR of 75 can be "good" for a course with a lowest selection rank of 72, even if a friend calls 75 average. What ATAR do I need shows how to look up any course.
Is 80 a good ATAR?
Yes. You ranked ahead of about 80% of everyone your age, and you are above the average ATAR student in most states. Many degrees in arts, science, business, IT, education and nursing have lowest selection ranks at or below 80 at many universities. For official course figures, see ATAR for nursing, ATAR for law and ATAR for medicine.
Is 50 a good ATAR?
It is below average for ATAR students, but it still ranks you ahead of half your age group and keeps many doors open: diplomas that lead into second-year uni, pathway colleges, TAFE, and some degrees. Read getting into uni with a lower ATAR.
Set your own target
Pick the course, find its recent lowest selection rank, add a margin of a few points, then use the reverse ATAR calculator to see the scores you need.
What each ATAR took in 2025
| ATAR | VCE aggregate | HSC aggregate (of 500) | SACE aggregate (of 90) | WACE TEA (of 430) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.00 | 120.42 | 262.0 | 60.55 | about 216 |
| 80.00 | 135.65 | 313.8 | 68.25 | about 238 |
| 90.00 | 155.19 | 370.7 | 76.45 | about 270 |
| 95.00 | 169.85 | 404.6 | 81.45 | about 296 |
| 99.00 | 192.10 | 447.8 | 87.25 | about 349 |
Lowest aggregate for each ATAR in 2025, from VTAC, UAC, SATAC and TISC. Queensland publishes no TEA cut-offs.
How ATARs were spread across Queensland's eligible students is on {link:average-atar|the average ATAR} page.
Good ATAR myths
- "Anything under 90 is bad." Fewer than one in five NSW ATAR students reached 90 in 2025. Most courses take students well below it.
- "My ATAR decides my career." It decides first-round offers for some courses. Pathways, transfers and later study matter too. See {link:does-atar-matter|does the ATAR matter}.
- "The cut-off is fixed." Lowest selection ranks move every year with demand.
FAQ
What is considered a high ATAR?
90 and above is generally considered high: top 10% of your age group. 99 and above is the top 1%.
What does a 70 ATAR mean?
You ranked ahead of about 70% of your age group, close to the average for students who receive an ATAR.
Is it hard to get a 70 ATAR?
It takes solid results across your subjects. In Victoria in 2025 it needed a scaled aggregate of about 120, roughly a study score of 28 to 31 in every study, depending on how your studies scale.
What is a good ATAR score in Queensland?
The same scale applies. In 2025 about half of Queensland's ATAR-eligible students received 80 or above, so the middle of the Queensland range sits higher than in some states.
What is the best ATAR?
99.95, the maximum. Only a few dozen students in each large state get it each year.
Is 90 a good ATAR?
Yes. It is the top 10% of your age group. In 2025, 17.3% of NSW students who received an ATAR got 90 or more.