An ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that shows how your Year 12 results rank against everyone your age in your state. An ATAR of 80 means you did better than about 80% of your age group, not that you scored 80%. Universities use it, along with adjustment factors and other criteria, to decide who gets an offer.
ATAR key facts
- ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank: a rank from 0.00 to 99.95 in steps of 0.05.
- An ATAR of 80 means you ranked ahead of about 80% of your age group.
- It is calculated by your state's admissions centre and means the same thing nationally.
- In 2025 about 163,600 students across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, NT and WA received one.
What ATAR stands for
ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. It replaced older state ranks: the UAI in NSW and the ACT, the ENTER in Victoria, the TER in South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, and, from 2020, the OP in Queensland. Every state except Queensland moved to the ATAR around 2009 and 2010.
A rank, not a mark
The ATAR does not add up marks out of 100. It places you in order against your whole age group, including people who left school before Year 12. It moves in steps of 0.05 from 0.00 to 99.95. Anything below 30 is usually reported as "30 or less". The top is 99.95, not 100, because a rank shows the share of people below you. See is the ATAR out of 100 for why.
Who calculates it
Your school and curriculum authority issue your subject results. Your state's tertiary admissions centre turns them into an ATAR:
- UAC for NSW and the ACT
- VTAC for Victoria
- QTAC for Queensland
- SATAC for South Australia and the Northern Territory
- TISC for Western Australia
- the University of Tasmania for Tasmania
Each state builds the ATAR from different subjects and rules, but the result is designed to mean the same thing everywhere. A 90 in Queensland is treated like a 90 in Victoria. The steps for every state are in how the ATAR is calculated.
How universities use it
For many courses, offers go to applicants whose selection rank is at or above the course's lowest selection rank that year. Your selection rank is your ATAR plus any adjustment factors (bonus points) the course gives you. Some courses also use interviews, portfolios, tests or prerequisites. See ATAR vs selection rank.
Not everyone gets in through the ATAR. The Mitchell Institute found that in 2023 about 63% of university admissions were based on the ATAR alone, 7% on the ATAR plus other criteria and 30% on other pathways.
Who gets an ATAR
You need to complete your state's ATAR requirements: the right number of eligible subjects, including English in most states. Not every Year 12 student takes the ATAR pathway. For example, VCE Vocational Major students and many vocational students do not receive one. In 2025 about 49,310 Victorian, 60,432 NSW, 30,167 Queensland, 13,469 SA and NT and 10,265 WA students received an ATAR.
What the ATAR is not
- Not a measure of you. It ranks one year of results for university selection. It says nothing about your character or future.
- Not permanent pressure. There are many routes to uni. See does the ATAR matter.
- Not your selection rank. Bonus points can lift your rank for a particular course above your ATAR.
The ATAR in each state at a glance
| State | Calculated by | Aggregate | Students with an ATAR (2025) | 2026 release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | UAC | Best 10 units, out of 500 | 60,432 | 16 December |
| Victoria | VTAC | Primary four + 10% of 5th and 6th | 49,310 | 10 December |
| Queensland | QTAC | Best 5 scaled results, out of 500 | 30,167 | 18 December |
| SA and NT | SATAC | 90 credits, out of 90 | 13,469 | Not announced |
| WA | TISC | Best 4 + bonus, out of 430 | 10,265 | 20 December (to confirm) |
| ACT | UAC | Best 3.6 | Not reported here | 16 December |
| Tasmania | University of Tasmania | Best 5 Level 3 or 4 results | Not reported here | Not announced |
ATAR myths
- "It is out of 100." The top is 99.95.
- "It is a percentage of marks." It is a rank against your age group.
- "Bonus points raise your ATAR." They raise your selection rank for a course, except WA's subject bonus, which is part of the ATAR.
- "Every Year 12 student gets one." Only students who complete the ATAR requirements receive one.
FAQ
What does ATAR mean?
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. It is a rank of your Year 12 results against your age group, used for university entry.
Is the ATAR Australia wide?
Yes. Each state calculates its own, but every state uses the same ATAR scale, and universities across Australia accept ATARs from any state.
Is QCE the same as ATAR?
No. The QCE is Queensland's Year 12 certificate. The ATAR is a separate rank that QTAC calculates for QCE students who meet the ATAR requirements. The same goes for the SACE, WACE, VCE and HSC.
Can you get 100 ATAR?
No. The highest ATAR is 99.95.
Does the ATAR define you?
No. It is one number used to sort university applications in one year. Plenty of people succeed with a lower ATAR or none.
When was the ATAR introduced?
Most states moved to the ATAR around 2009 and 2010. Queensland replaced the OP with the ATAR from 2020.