Australia's dropout rates vary by education level, with recent data showing around 20-25% of domestic university students not completing degrees, while about 20% of teenagers leave school before Year 12, though retention rates fluctuate with public schools seeing higher rates than private ones. Key factors like cost of living, academic struggles, and student well-being contribute to these figures, with First Nations students, remote learners, and those from low SES backgrounds facing higher risks.
In other words, just over 20% of 2022 domestic students deferred or dropped out of higher education in 2023. This is a slight improvement in retention from 2021 students, where 76% of students who didn't complete in 2021, continued their education in 2022.
No, Australia is not 90% white; while a large majority identify with European ancestry (around 76-80% in recent years), a significant and growing portion identifies as Asian, African, Middle Eastern, or Indigenous, making it a highly multicultural nation with diverse ethnic backgrounds, not overwhelmingly white. Recent census data shows European ancestry (English, Irish, etc.) makes up a large chunk, but Asian ancestries are also substantial, with over 17% Asian population and around 3.8% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, per the 2021 census data from Wikipedia.
Most of the universities in Australia will consider anywhere between 70 and 84 score as a Distinction which is equivalent to A in the states.
The overall status dropout rate decreased from 7.0 percent in 2012 to 5.3 percent in 2022.
In fact, according to a study from ResumeGenius, 23% regret going to college. 22% would choose a higher-paying job, and 13% would've chosen a skilled trade or no-degree career.
The states with the highest percentage of students not graduating on time were New Mexico (28.9%) and Oregon (23.3%).
Yes, a 5.0 GPA in Australia is considered good, representing a solid "Credit" average (around 65-74%) and above the general student average, making it a strong foundation for most jobs or further study, though aiming for a 6.0+ (Distinction) is better for highly competitive fields like Medicine or Law. A 5.0 means you're meeting expectations well, but higher GPAs unlock more opportunities.
A 70% is often a B or a C, depending heavily on the grading system, but in many US systems it's a low C or C-, while in Australia, 70-74% is typically a Distinction (D), and 60-69% is a Credit (C). It's crucial to check your specific school or country's scale, as 70% can range from a solid pass to a high B or low Distinction.
Distinction: much like a First at undergraduate level, a Distinction is awarded when you achieve a percentage grade of 70% and above. Merit: you'll be awarded a Merit if you achieve a grade average between 60-69%. Pass: a pass is awarded when you receive a grade average between 50-59%.
Once you've been in Australia for, well, an hour, you'll notice that nearly every word has an 'o' on the end of it. This is because for some weird reason Australians like to shorten every word and then add a vowel to the end of it… e.g. “bottle-o” (Bottle shop / off license) “servo” (garage / service station).
Ladies in Black is a 2018 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford.
Around 40-45% of Australians, which is over 9 million people, have less than $1,000 in savings, with many having zero or very little buffer for unexpected expenses due to high cost-of-living pressures, though figures vary slightly by survey date and methodology. Some research shows nearly 40% of adults (about 8.3 million) and a significant chunk, like 43%, have under $1,000, with some having virtually nothing saved.
📚 The 10 Most Educated Countries in the World (2025) Based on tertiary education attainment among adults (ages 25–64) As of 2025, Canada leads the world in education, with 63% of its adult population holding a post-secondary qualification — the highest among OECD nations.
Dropping out of high school is almost never a smart decision, because it leads to numerous negative professional and personal consequences.
You'll usually need to receive a letter grade between A and D to pass a class, often the numerical equivalent of 65 percent or higher. Receiving an F—which stands for “fail”—indicates that you did not pass the class. The cutoff to receive an F is usually 64 percent.
To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1580 SAT or a 36 ACT. You should also have a 4.2 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.
While most students would love to adorn their applications with a 4.0, the fact is that the majority of college-bound students leave high school with a GPA that's less than perfect. Fortunately, a 3.5 GPA will make you a strong candidate at many colleges, including some highly selective schools.
For students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) or honors courses, the GPA can actually exceed the 4.0 mark. If your school uses an unweighted GPA system, the highest GPA you can get is a 4.0.
A 4.0 GPA, representing perfect scores (all As or High Distinctions) in a U.S. system, generally translates to an extremely high ATAR, often in the 99.00 to 99.95 range, indicating you are in the top 1% of your cohort, though conversion isn't exact as ATAR reflects overall ranking. It's more about achieving the highest possible academic results rather than a direct formula, but expect top-tier ATARs for top-tier GPAs.
Typically, high schools that use weighted GPAs opt for the 0-5 scale that makes 5.0 the highest possible grade. A GPA higher than 5.0 is rare, but school point systems are occasionally structured so that students taking advanced classes can rack up bonus points.
Michael Dell: $140 billion (£104bn)
Michael Dell started his computer company in his University of Texas dorm room and later dropped out of college to focus all his efforts on the business.
There isn't one single #1 hardest school, as rankings fluctuate, but Harvard University, Stanford University, MIT, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) consistently appear at the very top of lists for lowest acceptance rates (often below 4-5%), requiring exceptional academic performance and unique qualifications from applicants. Caltech is often noted for its intense focus on STEM and tiny class sizes, while Harvard remains the most famous symbol of extreme selectivity.
Yes, 60% at a UK university is generally the start of a 2:1 (Upper Second-Class Honours), though some universities might classify 60-69% as a 2:1 and 50-59% as a 2:2, meaning a 60% average falls right at the boundary, sometimes considered a strong 2:2 or a low 2:1, depending on specific university rules and rounding.