What Is a Good ATAR Score? The Honest Truth About Every Tier
From 70 to 99—exactly how “good” each ATAR actually is, what doors it opens, and why the answer surprises most students.
A “good” ATAR is entirely relative to your goals. For a student who wants to study arts or teaching, 70.00 is a good ATAR—well above the national average and sufficient for the majority of degrees. For a student aiming for Law at a Group of Eight university, 95.00 is the minimum “good” ATAR. The national average ATAR sits at approximately 70.00, meaning anyone above this is technically performing above average. However, because the ATAR is a rank, not a percentage, understanding what constitutes a “good” score requires looking at what each specific percentile actually unlocks in the real world.
for most degrees
for Go8 access
for nearly everything
for medicine & dentistry
top 1% of state
Average ATAR
The “Good ATAR” Is a Moving Target
The first thing you must internalise is that “good” is not an objective quality of the number itself. An ATAR of 80.00 has the exact same mathematical properties as a 70.00 or a 90.00—it is simply a percentile rank indicating your position in the state. To understand why different ATARs carry different weight, you first need to understand what the ATAR actually represents.
Consider two students:
Student A
- ATAR: 82.00
- Wants to study Nursing
- Cutoff for nursing at preferred uni: 70.00
- Outcome: Comfortably above the line.
Student B
- ATAR: 82.00
- Wants to study Law at a Go8 university
- Cutoff for law at preferred uni: 95.00
- Outcome: Well below the line.
Both students achieved the exact same ATAR, but one is thrilled and the other is disappointed. The ATAR itself is neutral—it is the course requirements that define whether it is “good” or “not good enough.”
Furthermore, the concept of “good” also changes depending on the year and the state. A 75 ATAR in a high-performing state like NSW might place you in the top 25%, while the same score in a lower-performing state might place you in the top 20%. The way the ATAR is calculated accounts for these state-by-state differences, which is why comparing raw scores across state lines without checking scaling data is misleading.
Is 70 ATAR Good?
Yes. An ATAR of 70.00 is a genuinely good score. It places you in the top 30% of your state, well above the national average of approximately 70.00. In practical terms, a 70 ATAR is sufficient for the vast majority of standard bachelor’s degrees in Australia.
What a 70 ATAR Unlocks
- Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science at most mid-tier universities
- Bachelor of Education (Primary or Secondary) at nearly all universities
- Bachelor of Business / Commerce at many institutions
- Bachelor of Design / Communication at most metropolitan universities
- Bachelor of IT / Computer Science at many institutions
- Many excellent career-focused courses with strong employment outcomes
The national average ATAR sits very close to 70. This means a 70 ATAR literally means you performed better than 70% of Year 12 students in your state. Being “average” in a system this competitive is a solid achievement, not a mediocre one.
Is 80 ATAR Good?
Yes, an ATAR of 80.00 is a very good score. It places you in the top 20% of the state and significantly expands the range of universities and courses available to you.
What an 80 ATAR Unlocks
- Bachelor of Engineering at most universities
- Bachelor of Design / Architecture at metropolitan campuses
- Bachelor of Science (Advanced Science, Biomedical Science) at most universities
- Many degrees at Go8 universities outside of the ultra-competitive programs
- Almost all degrees at ATAR-accessible universities
- Strong pathway for postgraduate study
An 80 ATAR is high enough that you don’t need to sacrifice subject enjoyment for scaling. You can afford to take a mix of subjects you are genuinely interested in alongside one or two high-scaling subjects. To understand exactly how this balance works, see our guide to the best subjects for a high ATAR score.
Is 85 ATAR Good?
Yes, an ATAR of 85.00 is an excellent score. It places you in the top 15% of the state and marks the transition from “good” to “highly competitive.” This is the threshold where you start unlocking the most competitive degrees in the country.
What an 85 ATAR Unlocks
- Law at most Go8 universities
- Bachelor of Advanced Science at Go8 universities
- Bachelor of Exercise Science / Sport Science at most universities >Bachelor of Psychological Science at top institutions
- Bachelor of Dental Science / Oral Health at most universities
- Honours pathways at several universities
Below 85, you will struggle to gain direct entry into Law, Advanced Science, and most health programs. Above 85, you are in the pool of students who will be considered for virtually every course in the country. The difference between 85 and 95 is often decided not by the ATAR itself, but by your UCAT, GAMSAT, or interview performance.
Is 90 ATAR Good?
Yes, an ATAR of 90.00 is an outstanding score. It places you in the top 10% of your state and meets the minimum published thresholds for almost every undergraduate degree in Australia.
What a 90 ATAR Unlocks
- Law at the University of Sydney and Monash
- Most Bachelor of Commerce programs at Go8 universities
- Bachelor of Engineering at UNSW, Monash, and UQ
- Direct-entry Psychology (Honours) at several universities
- Almost all Bachelor of Science degrees at any university
With a 90 ATAR, even if you fall just short of the published “Clearly In” for your first preference, your score is high enough to secure an offer for almost every other course you list. You have an enormous safety net.
Is 95 ATAR Good?
Yes, an ATAR of 95.00 is an elite score. It places you in the top 5% of your state and is the realistic floor for Australia’s most competitive direct-entry programs.
What a 95 ATAR Unlocks
A 95 ATAR does not guarantee an offer into medicine. Because universities use a multi-criteria selection process (ATAR + UCAT/GAMSAT + Interview), you can have a 95 ATAR and still miss out if your UCAT is weak or your interview is poor. The ATAR is the gatekeeper, not the entire admissions test.
Is 99 ATAR Good?
Yes, an ATAR of 99.00 is the pinnacle of academic achievement. It places you in the top 1% of your state and represents the absolute best academic performance in the country.
What a 99 ATAR Unlocks
- Automatic eligibility for every undergraduate course in Australia
- First-round interview offers for virtually all competitive programs
- Access to the most prestigious scholarships (like the Melbourne National Scholarship)
- The freedom to choose any course at any university in Australia
- A significant advantage in postgraduate applications (e.g., for graduate medicine)
Even a 99 ATAR does not guarantee an offer into courses like medicine. The UCAT and interview are independent hurdles. A student with a 99 ATAR and a weak UCAT can and does miss out on medicine. The ATAR gets you to the starting line; the UCAT and interview win the race.
How Scaling Affects Whether Your ATAR Is “Good”
Understanding how subject scaling works is the single most important strategic knowledge a student can have when deciding whether their ATAR will be “good.”
Scaling adjusts your raw subject scores based on how strong the entire cohort in that subject is. A 35 raw in a high-scaling subject like Specialist Mathematics might scale to a 42. The same 35 raw in a low-scaling subject might scale down to a 28. This means the student who took the harder subject gets a 14-point advantage over the student who took the easier one—despite having the same raw score.
High-Scaling Subjects (Boosts Your ATAR)
- Specialist Mathematics / Maths Ext 2
- Mathematical Methods / Maths Ext 1
- Physics
- Chemistry
- English Language / Literature
- These subjects add 3–10 points above your raw score.
Low-Scaling Subjects (Drags Your ATAR)
- Standard English
- Business Management / Legal Studies
- Health & Human Development
- Physical Education
- These can subtract 3–10 points from your raw score.
Take the highest-level subjects you can comfortably handle. A raw 30 in Specialist Maths will scale higher than a raw 40 in a low-scaling subject. However, if you are genuinely struggling in Specialist Maths, a raw 38 in a moderate-scaling subject is far better than a raw 22 in a high-scaling one. Always prioritise raw performance over scaling potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Takeaways
- 70.00 is a good ATAR for most standard degrees (teaching, business, IT, design) at a wide range of universities.
- 80.00 is a very good ATAR that opens the door to Go8 universities and most engineering, design, and advanced science degrees.
- 85.00 is an excellent ATAR that makes you competitive for Law, Advanced Science, and most health science programs.
- 90.00 is an outstanding ATAR that meets the minimum thresholds for almost every course in the country, including Law at the University of Sydney and Monash.
- 95.00 is an elite ATAR that is the realistic floor for direct-entry medicine and dentistry programs.
- 99.00 is the pinnacle ATAR, placing you in the top 1% of the state. It virtually guarantees entry into any course—but does not guarantee offers for quota-limited courses like medicine.
- Scaling has the final say. Even a “good” raw score in a low-scaling subject can result in a lower ATAR than a lower raw score in a high-scaling subject. Choose high-scaling subjects (Methods, Physics, Chemistry) if you can handle them.
Disclaimer: The concept of a “good” ATAR is subjective and entirely dependent on the courses you want to study. The tiers described in this article are general guidelines based on recent TAC data and should not be treated as absolute rules. Always verify the current “Clearly In” ATARs directly with the universities and through your state’s TAC. The national average ATAR fluctuates annually. This article does not constitute admissions advice.