The University of Western Australia (UWA) has announced a significant shift in its admissions policy, lowering the minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) required for entry to many of its undergraduate courses.
New Threshold Opens Doors for More Students
From the 2026 academic year, UWA will reduce its advertised minimum ATAR cut-off from 75 to 70. This change brings the prestigious institution into line with the minimum entry ranks already set by Western Australia's other public universities: Curtin University, Murdoch University, and Edith Cowan University.
The new 70 ATAR threshold will apply to 23 Bachelor and combined degree programs. These include popular courses such as Arts, Business, Science, Environmental Design, Social Work, Nursing, Primary Education, International Relations, and Media and Communications.
Professor Guy Littlefair, UWA's Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience, stated the decision was grounded in solid research. "Our data indicates that students with an ATAR between 70 and 80 are highly capable of succeeding at university," he explained. "This adjustment is a recalibration based on evidence of student performance and the changing uptake of ATAR in secondary schools."
Responding to Changing Educational Landscape
The move comes as UWA, Western Australia's only member of the elite Group of Eight (Go8) universities, seeks to address a decline in first-preference applications from school leavers. It also responds to a broader trend where fewer Year 12 students are opting for an ATAR pathway.
In 2024, Western Australia's ATAR participation rate among school leavers was the lowest in the nation at just 27.4%. For context, a student achieving an ATAR of 70 last year would have needed to average scores of approximately 55% across four ATAR subjects.
Professor Littlefair emphasised the policy's role in promoting inclusivity. "This will open the door to many students who may not have previously considered applying to UWA based on their predicted ATAR," he said. "It will also help students from diverse backgrounds who may have faced systemic barriers to academic achievement while being academically capable."
Broader Initiatives for a More Flexible Future
The ATAR change is part of a wider strategic shift at UWA towards more flexible admissions. The university has also revealed it will become the first Go8 institution to offer work-integrated placements every year for students studying Arts, Commerce, and Science degrees.
Furthermore, UWA plans to introduce a suite of preparatory pathway programs for high school graduates and mature-age students in the second half of 2026.
These initiatives follow internal brand research by UWA, which found that some prospective students viewed the university as "elitist, aloof and standoffish" and were choosing to study elsewhere as a result. The lowering of the ATAR barrier is a direct effort to change that perception and make a UWA education more accessible to a broader range of capable students.
