Your ATAR is your gateway to any number of university programs and career pathways. But which degrees can you enrol in with your specific ranking? Let’s explore what you can do with your ATAR.
Most UQ undergraduate programs show a minimum ATAR threshold as part of their entry requirements. But, if you’re not entirely sure which avenue you want to pursue, it might be helpful to get a broad idea of which doors are open to you with your ranking. So, with that in mind, here are some shortcuts based on the areas we get asked about most often.
Note: The ATAR entry thresholds in this article are based on UQ program entries in Semester 1, 2024. These will vary from year to year and at other universities, so please consider the numbers here as guides, not guarantees. You’ll also need to meet all other entry requirements for your chosen program.
Explore uni courses by ATAR:
- ATAR needed for law
- ATAR needed for medicine
- ATAR needed for nursing
- ATAR needed for teaching
- ATAR needed for psychology
- ATAR needed for engineering
- ATAR needed for physiotherapy
- ATAR needed for business management
- ATAR needed for marine biology
- ATAR needed for accounting
Looking for personalised guidance on what you can do with your ATAR? Come along to our ATAR Advice online event on 15 December to chat one-on-one with UQ Admissions staff.
What ATAR do you need for law?
For a UQ Bachelor of Laws (Honours), you'll likely need an ATAR of 97.50 or higher. This is also true for all dual degrees including a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) – except for a Bachelor of Humanities / Laws (Honours), which requires a 99.00 ATAR.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR do you need to be a lawyer?
If your ATAR is lower than 97.50, don’t give up on pursuing law just yet. A lower ATAR can still get you into many other programs, which may allow you to transfer to a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in your second year. You’ll just need to do well in your chosen program.
Learn more about taking a tertiary studies pathway if you didn’t get a high enough ATAR for your preferred program.
What ATAR is needed for medicine?
Wondering what ATAR you need to be a doctor? In theory, you need an ATAR of 95.00 or higher. But the full answer is a little more complicated.
The program you’ll need to study, the Doctor of Medicine, is a postgraduate program. So, while you can apply for provisional entry into this program during Year 12, you’ll have to complete an undergraduate degree before you progress into studying it. Getting your provisional application approved will come down to:
- your ATAR (you’ll want 95.00 or higher)
- your University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) score
- your interview performance (students are invited to interview based on their ATAR and UCAT results).
Then, your undergraduate degree will need to include the 2 prerequisite subjects for entry into the Doctor of Medicine:
- integrative cell and tissue biology
- systems physiology.
Some of the most relevant programs that cover these subjects as core requirements include:
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) – 80.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Biomedical Science – 80.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Nursing – 78.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Honours) – 82.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours) – 86.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Midwifery – 86.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) – 94.3 ATAR
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) – 98.45 ATAR
- Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) – 98.25 ATAR
- Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) – 99.00 ATAR.
These aren’t the only programs that allow you to study the prerequisite subjects, but they do include the subjects as core courses – so there’s no risk of missing them.
What ATAR is needed for nursing?
For a UQ Bachelor of Nursing, you'll likely need an ATAR of 78.00 or higher. You’ll also need to have studied General English, and it's strongly recommended that you study one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics in Year 12.
What ATAR is needed for midwifery?
The Bachelor of Midwifery is slightly more difficult to get into, requiring an ATAR of 86.00 or higher. To enrol in a dual Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery, you’ll likely need at least a 87.00 ATAR.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR is needed for teaching?
You can apply to UQ's Bachelor of Education (Primary) with an ATAR of 75.00 or higher. You’ll also need to have studied General English, and one of General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics in Year 12.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR is needed for teaching high school?
The UQ Bachelor of Education (Secondary) isn’t tied to a specific ATAR threshold. This is because it’s only offered as part of a dual degree (for example, alongside a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Mathematics). So, you’ll just need your ATAR to be above the minimum entry rank of the other degree you partner with your Bachelor of Education (Secondary).
What ATAR is needed for psychology?
The ATAR you need for psychology will depend on the specific program you’d like to study. If you’re interested in a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours), the ATAR you'll likely need to become a psychologist is 88.00 or higher (noting that to become a registered psychologist, you'll also need to complete postgraduate studies). However, if you’re more interested in being a counsellor or therapist, you might also consider the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) with an ATAR entry threshold of 75.00.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
Alternatively, both the Bachelor of Science (ATAR threshold 80.00) and Bachelor of Arts (70.00) offer a major in psychology, which can provide another pathway to a career in this field. This is especially handy if you’ve got your heart set on being a psychologist but didn’t quite get the required ATAR for studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours). With the right grades in your first year, you may even be able to upgrade to this program.
Learn more about taking a tertiary studies pathway if you didn’t get a high enough ATAR for your preferred program.
What ATAR is needed for engineering?
You’ll typically need an ATAR of 84.00 or higher to get into UQ’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). Some dual degrees including this program may require a higher ATAR, depending on the other degree. For example, you’ll want an ATAR of 92.00 for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) / Mathematics.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR is needed for physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy is one of the most competitive programs at UQ. The minimum ATAR accepted into the UQ Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) in 2024 was 98.45. You also need to have completed General English and one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics in Year 12.
Programs at UQ in this general area with a lower entry threshold include:
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) – 95.00 ATAR
- Bachelor of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences – 70.00 ATAR (this program is a great stepping stone towards a Master of Physiotherapy Studies and other related postgraduate degrees).
Both these programs also require you to complete the subjects listed above, with the Bachelor of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences also requiring one of General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics in addition. If you're wondering how to get into physiotherapy with a low ATAR, you could use these programs, amongst others, to take a tertiary studies pathway into the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours).
What ATAR do I need for business management?
The UQ Bachelor of Business Management typically requires a minimum ATAR of 74.00. You’ll also need to have studied General English and a maths subject in Year 12 (General Mathematics, Specialist Mathematics or Mathematical Methods). This program is available in a wide range of dual degrees as well – as long as you have the minimum required ATAR for the other program you’d like to pair it with.
Is your ATAR significantly higher than what you need for the Bachelor of Business Management? You may like to consider the Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours), which typically requires an ATAR of 94.00 or higher (and requires General English, as well as one of Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics).
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR do you need for marine biology?
At UQ, you can major in marine biology by studying:
- a Bachelor of Science – ATAR entry threshold of 80.00
- a Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) – ATAR entry threshold of 93.00.
To get into a Bachelor of Science, you also need to have studied General English, Mathematical Methods as well as one of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental science or Physics in Year 12.
For the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours), you need to have completed General English, Mathematical Methods and at least 2 of these subjects (including at least 1 in bold):
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Agricultural Science
- Earth and Environmental Science
- Specialist Mathematics.
Entry into programs is based on your adjusted ATAR (including any extra ATAR points you receive). Learn more about rank adjustments.
What ATAR is needed for accounting?
The UQ Bachelor of Commerce, which offers a major in accounting, usually requires an ATAR of 84.00 or higher. You’ll also need to have studied General English and Mathematical Methods in Year 12 to enrol in this program.
We’ve only skimmed the surface of the undergraduate programs available at UQ. If the degree you’d like to study hasn’t been covered, please feel free to find a UQ program and look for the ATAR entry threshold on the relevant program page. All the best with getting into your ideal program here at UQ!
