What ATAR Do You Need for a Finance Degree?
The real numbers behind every Australian finance degree — sorted by state, university tier, and competitiveness. Plus the maths scaling strategy that actually gets you over the line.
The ATAR you need for a finance degree in Australia typically ranges from 60.00 to 96.00 for 2026 entry, varying significantly by state and institution. Top-tier programs like UNSW’s Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) demand roughly 96.00, while the University of Melbourne sits at 92.00. Mid-tier universities like UTS and Macquarie sit between 80.00 and 85.00. Accessible options like Deakin, QUT, and Griffith offer finance majors from 60.00 to 72.00. The critical factor most students miss: finance is highly quantitative. Mathematical Methods is effectively mandatory for top-tier entry, and high scaling subjects are essential to clearing the 90+ hurdle.
The Finance Landscape in Australia
Finance is one of the most competitive and rewarding pathways in the Australian tertiary system. Unlike general business degrees, finance is heavily quantitative, focusing on capital markets, corporate valuation, investment theory, and risk modelling. It is the degree of choice for students targeting careers in investment banking, funds management, corporate advisory, and the Big 4 banks.
Because of the high salary ceilings associated with finance careers — particularly in investment banking and quantitative trading — demand for places in top-tier universities is intense. This drives the ATAR cut-offs up significantly. If you’re targeting the premium graduate programs, understanding the hierarchy of universities and their selection ranks is essential. You can compare this landscape with the broader ATAR requirements for Commerce to see how finance stacks up against accounting or management.
Degree Types: Commerce, Business, or Banking?
The enormous range in finance ATARs (60 to 96) exists because “finance” is rarely a standalone degree. It is usually a major studied within a broader degree type, and the degree you choose dictates the ATAR threshold.
B. Commerce (Finance)
- ATAR range: 80–96 (Highest tier)
- Offered by Group of Eight (Go8) universities.
- Highly quantitative; requires Mathematical Methods.
- The primary pipeline for investment banking and top-tier consulting.
- Best for: High-ATAR students targeting premium corporate finance roles.
B. Business (Finance)
- ATAR range: 60–88 (Mid to Low tier)
- Offered by technology and newer universities (UTS, QUT, RMIT).
- More applied focus; often accepts General Mathematics.
- Excellent pathway into retail banking, financial planning, and corporate roles.
- Best for: Students wanting practical corporate finance access with flexible entry.
B. Banking & Finance
- ATAR range: 70–85 (Specialised)
- Dedicated degrees offered by Monash and Macquarie.
- Focuses specifically on financial institutions, credit risk, and regulation.
- Excellent signal for commercial bank graduate programs.
- Best for: Students certain they want to work inside the banking sector. (See our Banking and Finance ATAR guide).
Double Degrees (Finance/Law, Finance/Eng)
- ATAR range: 90–99 (Elite tier)
- Combines finance with law, engineering, or computer science.
- ATAR reflects the combined competitiveness of both faculties.
- Adds 1–2 years but creates highly differentiated graduate profiles.
- Best for: Top-tier students wanting to enter quant finance, M&A law, or fintech.
ATAR Requirements by University — NSW & ACT
New South Wales hosts some of the most competitive finance programs in the country. UNSW and the University of Sydney are the primary feeders for Sydney’s massive financial district, driving ATAR requirements into the mid-90s.
| University | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSW | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~96.00 | Australia’s premier finance program. Top-30 globally. Primary IB pipeline. |
| University of Sydney | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~95.00 | Strong alternative to UNSW. Excellent corporate and markets links. |
| Macquarie University | B. Applied Finance | ~80.00–85.00 | Purpose-built finance degree. Strong actuarial and banking depth. |
| UTS | B. Business (Finance) | ~85.00 | Sydney CBD adjacency. Excellent practical placement program. |
| Macquarie University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~80.00 | More flexible than Applied Finance, same finance core. |
| Western Sydney Uni | B. Business (Finance) | ~70.00 | Accessible NSW pathway. Strong links to Western Sydney growth corridor. |
| ANU (ACT) | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~85.00 | Strong public policy and economics crossover. Canberra market links. |
| University of Canberra | B. Business (Finance) | ~65.00 | Highly accessible ACT pathway with good local industry ties. |
ATAR Requirements by University — Victoria
Victoria offers the widest spread of finance ATARs in the country. The University of Melbourne uses the “Melbourne Model” (B. Commerce), while Monash offers both a broad B. Commerce and a highly specialised B. Banking and Finance. For those looking at a broader scope, our ATAR for Business in Australia guide breaks down the alternative pathways.
| University | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uni of Melbourne | B. Commerce (Finance) | 92.00 | Guaranteed ATAR. Very strong markets and corporate finance recruiting. |
| Monash University | B. Banking & Finance | ~80.00 | Australia’s flagship dedicated banking degree. Clear signal to recruiters. |
| Monash University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~90.00 | Victoria’s most competitive commerce degree. High quantitative rigour. |
| RMIT | B. Business (Finance) | ~73.00 | Industry-focused. Excellent practical placement integration. |
| Deakin University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~65.00–70.00 | Highly accessible, accredited CPA/CA route. Flexible Cloud (online) delivery. |
| La Trobe | B. Business (Finance) | ~65.00 | Good regional and metropolitan footprint. Solid core finance curriculum. |
| Swinburne | B. Business (Finance) | ~60.00–65.00 | Among the most accessible finance pathways in metro Melbourne. |
ATAR Requirements by University — Queensland
Queensland’s finance education is dominated by UQ and QUT. The ATAR requirements are slightly more compressed than NSW or VIC, with a strong focus on industry placements to serve the booming Brisbane and resource sectors.
| University | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UQ | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~85.00 | Queensland’s premier finance program. Strong links to resource and corporate sectors. |
| QUT | B. Business (Finance) | ~72.00 | Exceptional Big 4 bank placement record. Highly applied curriculum. |
| Griffith University | B. Business (Finance) | ~68.00 | Accessible entry with strong focus on sustainable and ethical finance. |
| Bond University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~75.00 | Private university. 2-year fast-track option. Strong alumni network. |
ATAR Requirements by University — Western Australia & South Australia
WA and SA offer robust finance programs closely tied to local industries — particularly mining, energy, and superannuation funds. UWA uses a broad degree model similar to Melbourne, while Curtin and UniSA offer highly targeted, practical pathways.
| University | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UWA | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~80.00–85.00 | WA’s Go8 option. Assured entry pathway for high achievers. |
| Curtin University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~75.00 | Strong practical placement. Huge range of finance specialisations. |
| University of Adelaide | B. Finance | ~80.00 | SA’s Go8 option. Targeted finance degree with strong local Big 4 links. |
| UniSA | B. Business (Finance) | ~65.00–70.00 | Very accessible SA route. Strong industry data and analytics integration. |
The Maths Prerequisite & Scaling Strategy
If you want to study finance, mathematics is your most important subject in Year 12. Unlike marketing or HR, finance is a quantitative science. You will study financial mathematics, statistics, derivatives pricing, and econometrics.
How Scaling Impacts Your Finance ATAR
To achieve the 90+ ATAR required for top-tier finance, you need high-scaling subjects to pull your aggregate up. Finance-bound students should heavily weight their subject selection toward mathematics and hard sciences.
Here is how common finance-bound subjects scale in VCE and HSC:
Finance vs. Economics vs. Business Analytics
Students often conflate finance with adjacent business disciplines. While they share a common first-year core, they diverge rapidly in second year. Understanding these differences is crucial for choosing the right path.
If you’re interested in how these fields compare academically, you should read our detailed ATAR guide for Economics and ATAR guide for Business Analytics.
Choose Finance if…
- You are driven by corporate valuation, markets, and investment banking.
- You want to work in M&A, asset management, or corporate treasury.
- You enjoy applied mathematics (pricing, risk, returns).
- You want a direct pathway to CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) accreditation.
Choose Economics if…
- You are drawn to macro-trends, government policy, and central banking.
- You enjoy theoretical modelling and econometrics.
- You want to work for the RBA, Treasury, or economic consultancies.
- You prefer understanding the “why” of markets rather than the “how to trade”.
Choose Business Analytics if…
- You prefer programming (SQL, Python) and machine learning.
- You want to solve operational problems using data.
- You are targeting data scientist, insights, or quant analyst roles.
- You want a skill set that is highly transferable outside of finance.
Choose Broad Business if…
- Your ATAR sits below the 80-90 commerce threshold.
- You want to keep your options open to marketing, HR, or management.
- You prefer applied, vocational learning over theoretical models.
- You want to enter corporate finance through the Big 4 graduate programs.
