After a year of intense study and final exams, tens of thousands of high school graduates across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Their Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks (ATARs) for the 2024 Higher School Certificate (HSC) were released this morning.
ATARs Released: The Key Numbers
The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) made the scores available to 60,432 eligible students on Thursday. This crucial number, which determines university eligibility, represents a student's rank relative to their peers across the state. The calculation considers both performance within a student's own school cohort and against all other students, with additional scaling applied based on the perceived difficulty of their chosen subjects.
This year's data reveals a median ATAR of 70.75, marking a slight decrease from the previous year. More than half of all students achieved a rank of at least 70. A significant 34.6 per cent of students scored 80 or above, while an impressive 17.3 per cent reached the lofty heights of 90 or higher.
Top Achievers and Gender Breakdown
The coveted top rank of 99.95 was awarded to 53 students. This elite group consisted of 19 female and 34 male students. While males dominated the very peak, the overall median score tells a different story. The median ATAR for all female students was 71.65, compared to 69.8 for males.
These ranks are the golden ticket for university applications, with competitive courses like medicine, law, and STEM fields setting high benchmarks. For instance, UNSW's bachelor of laws program last year accepted students with an average ATAR of 98.3.
Pathways and Next Steps for Graduates
UAC's chief strategy and engagement officer, Kim Paino, congratulated students on reaching this major milestone. She emphasised that an ATAR is just one part of a student's story and that numerous pathways into higher education exist.
"As you think about what comes next, remember there are many different pathways to university, and your ATAR is just one part of the story," Paino said. "Whatever your goals, you don't have to navigate them alone."
For those aiming to start university next year, the immediate task is to finalise course preferences. Students have been urged to lock in their selections through UAC by 11.59pm on Thursday to be considered in the main offer rounds.
