Yes, an ATAR of 82 is generally considered a very strong performance, placing you in the top 20% of your age group and qualifying you for many university courses in fields like business, arts, and some sciences, though highly competitive degrees like medicine or law usually require 90+. A "good" ATAR is ultimately the one that gets you into your desired course, as requirements vary significantly.
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates a student's position relative to all the students in their age group (ie all 16 to 20 year olds in NSW). So, an ATAR of 80.00 means that you are 20 per cent from the top of your age group (not your Year 12 group).
Yes, an ATAR of 80 is very good, placing you in the top 20% of students and providing access to most university courses, though highly competitive degrees like Medicine or some specialized programs will require higher scores. It's a strong score that opens many doors across various fields such as business, science, and arts, offering significant flexibility for your tertiary education.
A respectable ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) depends on your goals, but generally, 80+ is very strong, getting you into most courses, while 90+ is excellent for competitive fields like Law or Medicine, with 70-79 being above average for many other degrees. Essentially, a "good" ATAR is the specific rank that unlocks entry to your desired university course, with higher ranks opening more selective options, but anything above 70-80 offers significant choices.
What is the ATAR for Medicine in NSW and Canberra? For students wishing to study medicine in New South Wales, they will need to achieve an ATAR above 90 and in most cases in the mid-90s or even higher.
The ATAR is a number from 0 and 99.95 in intervals of 0.05. The highest rank is 99.95, the next highest 99.90, and so on. The lowest automatically reported rank is 30.00, with ranks below 30.00 being reported as 'less than 30'. Find out more about how ATARs are calculated.
17.3% of the students received an ATAR of 90.00 or above, 34.6% received an ATAR of at least 80.00, 51.3% at least 70.00, and 66.8% at least 60.00. The median ATAR was 70.75, slightly lower than in 2024. The median ATAR for females was 71.60 whereas the median ATAR for males was 69.80.
Getting an 85 ATAR is challenging but achievable, placing you in the top 15% of students, requiring consistent, serious effort, good study habits, strong performance in school assessments (SACs), and effective exam preparation, going beyond average effort to stand out, especially in competitive cohorts where the median ATAR can be higher.
17.3% of students received an ATAR of 90.00 or above. 34.6% of students received an ATAR of at least 80.00. 51.3% of students received an ATAR of at least 70.00. The median ATAR this year was 70.75, slightly lower than in 2024 (71.55).
HSR – your high school rank at the end of grade 12 may need to be an ATAR of 99 or better for direct entry into medical school, but it is lower for some medical schools; click here for ATAR and entry requirements for every medical school in Australia in 2022.
ATAR 80-89: Very strong performance, qualifying for most courses in fields like business, science, and arts. ATAR 70-79: Slightly above average and acceptable for various courses in universities across Australia. ATAR 50-69: Meets entry for some tertiary education pathways and foundation programs.
The ATAR scores range between 0 and 99.95 in increments of 0.05. An ATAR of 80.00 means the student is in the top 20% of their cohort, while an ATAR of 99.00 means the student is in the top 1% of their cohort, and so on.
If you're in Year 12, you can enter the Doctor of Medicine through the provisional entry pathway. For provisional entry, you'll need: an adjusted ATAR 95 (or equivalent )
What ATAR is required for the Australian National University (ANU) Law Program? To gain admission to the Australian National University (ANU) Bachelor of Laws (Honours) program, you generally need an ATAR score of 97.0. Duration: 4 years (or 5-6 years in a combined degree).
A great ATAR is subjective but generally means scoring high enough for your desired course, with 90+ being excellent for competitive fields (Law, Medicine), 80-89 strong for most uni courses (Business, Science), and scores 70+ considered above average, while the highest possible is 99.95, indicating top-tier performance. Ultimately, a "great" ATAR is simply the score that unlocks your preferred university pathway.
Getting a low ATAR isn't the end of the world
Tertiary institutions including universities offer numerous alternative pathways specifically designed for students who didn't get the score they wanted or needed.
The hardest universities to get into in Australia are consistently the University of Sydney, UNSW (University of New South Wales), and the Australian National University (ANU), often cited with low acceptance rates (around 30-35%) and high ATAR cut-offs, especially for competitive courses like Medicine, Law, and Engineering. The University of Melbourne also ranks among the most difficult due to its strong reputation and rigorous entry standards, alongside other Go8 (Group of Eight) universities like UQ and Monash.
To be a top 1% student, you need a strategic, disciplined approach combining proactive learning (active recall, using external resources) with smart systems (organization, prioritizing tasks) and a growth mindset (seeking challenges, self-belief). Focus on deep understanding through methods like active recall (flashcards, practice questions) and generation (trying to solve problems before learning the solution), not just passive reading, while managing external factors like deadlines and distractions.
An ATAR of 80 or higher is considered very good. You will not only have more course choices but can also enrol in most degrees at almost any university in Australia.
Top Hardest Colleges To Get Into in the World
An ATAR of 80.00 places you in the top 20% of your age cohort. It is important to note that your ranking depends solely on your performance in the HSC.
While the system worked to unify the process for Australian school students to get into their preferred university courses, it has been under scrutiny from many students, principals, education authorities and teachers alike for putting too much emphasis on exams, as well as not recognising students' achievements and ...
In Australia in 2022: the proportion of the Year 12 population that met the requirements of a Senior Secondary Certificate or equivalent was 76.3% - a return to 2020 levels after increasing to 78.7% in 2021. Year 12 certification rates still show gaps by location.