What ATAR Do You Need for Banking and Finance?
State-by-state 2026 cut-offs for banking-focused degrees — from Monash’s dedicated Bachelor of Banking and Finance to the commerce routes into Australia’s Big 4 banks across NSW, VIC, QLD, and WA.
Last updated: July 2026 · Reviewed against current university admission data
The ATAR needed for banking and finance in Australia ranges from roughly 60.00 to 96.00 for 2026 entry, depending on your state and university choices. Monash University (VIC) offers the country’s best-known dedicated Bachelor of Banking and Finance at around 80.00. Premium commerce routes run through UNSW (~96.00) and Melbourne (92.00). Mid-tier options include Macquarie Applied Finance (80.00–85.00) and UTS (~85.00) in NSW. Accessible pathways exist in every state: QUT/RMIT (~66.00–75.00), Griffith/WSU/Deakin (~60.00–70.00). For the Big 4 banks’ graduate programs — the sector’s largest employers — any accredited finance-major degree qualifies, regardless of state.
Banking Careers: Two Very Different Worlds
‘Banking’ spans two job markets with almost nothing in common, and your ATAR strategy depends on which one you mean. Commercial and retail banking — CBA, Westpac, NAB, ANZ and the regionals — is Australia’s largest financial employer, running huge graduate programs across lending, risk, technology, product and operations. These programs recruit nationally from every accredited university and weight internships, grades and interviews far above institution brand.
Investment banking — Macquarie Group, the global bulge brackets, boutique advisory — is a tiny, prestige-driven market that concentrates recruiting at UNSW, Melbourne and Sydney, as covered honestly in our finance ATAR guide. If that’s your target, the 92–96 tier is the practical route. For everything else in banking, it isn’t.
State-Wise Banking and Finance ATAR Requirements (2026)
Admission scores and prerequisites are governed by state-based tertiary admissions centres: UAC (NSW/ACT), VTAC (Victoria), QTAC (Queensland), TISC (Western Australia), and SATAC (South Australia). Below are the indicative 2026 ATAR cut-offs for banking and finance degrees across major Australian states.
New South Wales (NSW) & Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
| University (NSW/ACT) | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNSW | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~96.00 | The investment-banking feeder — UNSW guide. |
| University of Sydney | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~95.00 | Prestige program with strong markets recruiting. |
| UTS | B. Business (Finance) | ~85.00 | Sydney CBD adjacency to every major bank’s head office. |
| Macquarie University | B. Applied Finance | ~80.00–85.00 | Purpose-built finance degree with banking depth. |
| Western Sydney Uni (WSU) | B. Business (Finance) | ~70.00–75.00 | Accessible pathway with strong local Big-4 placement. |
Victoria (VIC)
| University (VIC) | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | B. Commerce (Finance) | 92.00 | Guaranteed ATAR; strong markets recruiting. |
| Monash University | B. Banking & Finance | ~80.00 | Australia’s flagship dedicated banking degree — Monash guide. |
| RMIT | B. Business (Finance) | ~72.00–75.00 | Industry-focused, strong practical placement. |
| Deakin University | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~68.00–72.00 | Accessible, accredited banking pathways. |
Queensland (QLD)
| University (QLD) | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Queensland (UQ) | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~85.00 | Go8 option with strong corporate placement links. |
| QUT | B. Business (Finance) | ~72.00–75.00 | Strong Big-4-bank graduate placement records. |
| Griffith University | B. Business (Finance) | ~68.00–72.00 | Accessible, accredited banking pathways. |
Western Australia (WA) & South Australia (SA)
| University (WA/SA) | Degree | Indicative ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | B. Commerce (Finance) | ~80.00–85.00 | Go8 route for WA students, strong banking networks. |
| Curtin University | B. Commerce (Banking & Finance) | ~75.00–80.00 | Dedicated banking major, highly respected locally. |
| University of Adelaide | B. Finance | ~75.00–80.00 | Targeted finance degree with strong local Big-4 links. |
The Big 4 banks convert a large share of their graduate intake from prior interns and vacationers — and those internship programs are open to students from all universities, usually from second year. One completed banking internship outweighs 15 entry-ATAR points in graduate selection. Whatever program you enter, treat second-year internship applications as a core subject.
Prerequisites for Banking and Finance (2026 Entry)
English: mandatory across all states (English Standard, EAL, or equivalent).
Mathematics: Mathematical Methods (or HSC Advanced) required at Go8 hosts (UNSW, Melbourne, UQ) and strongly recommended everywhere — banking coursework covers financial mathematics, statistics and risk modelling.
Useful electives: Economics for context; anything data-related for the growing quant side of banking.
Stronger maths lifts both your capability and your ATAR through scaling — see the VCE scaling guide, QCE scaling guide, or HSC scaling guide, and test scenarios in the study score calculator.
Dedicated Banking Degree vs Finance Major
Monash-style dedicated degree
- Curriculum purpose-built around banking institutions, credit and risk.
- Clear signal to bank recruiters.
- Slightly narrower if you pivot away from banking.
- Entry ~80 — the sweet spot of signal vs accessibility.
Finance major in commerce/business
- Broader base — pivot-friendly toward corporate finance, funds, fintech.
- Available at every price point from ~60 to ~96.
- Banking depth via electives and internships instead.
- See the full finance guide for the landscape.
Both routes feed the same graduate programs. Adjacent comparisons: accounting (banks hire plenty of CA-track graduates) and economics (the RBA and bank research-desk route).
Frequently Asked Questions
What ATAR do I need for banking and finance in Australia?
Banking and finance ATAR requirements range from about 60.00 to 96.00 for 2026 entry, depending on the state. Monash’s dedicated Bachelor of Banking and Finance sits around 80.00, Macquarie’s Applied Finance 80.00–85.00, UTS around 85.00, with the premium commerce routes at UNSW (~96.00) and Melbourne (92.00). QUT, RMIT, Griffith, Western Sydney and Deakin offer finance majors from roughly 60.00 to 75.00.
Do banking ATAR requirements vary by state?
Yes, but only because universities set their own selection ranks through state admission centres (UAC, VTAC, QTAC, etc.). NSW offers a broad range from WSU (~70) to UNSW (~96), while Victoria offers Deakin (~70) up to Melbourne (92). The Big 4 banks recruit nationally, meaning a finance degree from any accredited Australian university is recognised nationwide.
What ATAR do I need to work at the Big 4 banks?
There’s no ATAR requirement — CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ recruit graduates from every accredited university based on grades, internships and interviews, not entry scores. Their internship programs (open from second year) convert heavily into graduate offers, so internship strategy matters far more than your Year 12 result.
Is Monash’s Bachelor of Banking and Finance good?
Yes — it’s Australia’s best-known dedicated banking degree, with a curriculum purpose-built around banking institutions, credit analysis and risk, at an accessible ~80.00 entry. It sends a clear signal to bank recruiters. The trade-off is slightly less flexibility than a general finance major if you later pivot away from banking.
What do banking graduates earn in Australia?
Big 4 bank graduate programs typically start at $65,000–$78,000 with structured progression; risk, treasury and product managers reach $110,000–$160,000 within a decade. Investment banking is the outlier, starting around $110,000–$150,000 including bonus but demanding Go8-concentrated entry and extreme hours.
Key Takeaways
- Banking pathways span 60 to 96 nationwide; Monash’s dedicated Banking & Finance degree (~80) is the signature program.
- State-wise options exist everywhere: from NSW’s UTS (~85) and WSU (~70) to QLD’s QUT (~72) and WA’s Curtin (~75).
- The Big 4 banks recruit from every accredited university — internships beat entry scores in their selection.
- Investment banking is the exception: UNSW/Melbourne/Sydney (92–96) dominate that pipeline — see the finance guide.
- Mathematical Methods is the key Year 12 subject, for both capability and scaling.
- Map your route with the ATAR calculator.
