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ATAR cut-offs for Australian medicine and dentistry

2027 Entry · Live table · 16 schools

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is the principal academic ranking used in undergraduate medicine and dentistry admissions across Australia. This page explains what ATAR actually measures, how it differs from your selection rank once adjustment factors are applied, the four main adjustment schemes (Educational Access Scheme, Equity Access, Indigenous Access, Subject Adjustment Factors), and a live sortable table of every Australian undergraduate medicine and dentistry programme with its current ATAR cut-off, UCAT-ANZ threshold, and intake size — pulled directly from our school dataset and updated cycle to cycle.

What is the ATAR?

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a rank, not a mark — a number between 0 and 99.95 in 0.05 increments. It places each year-12 student against their age cohort (every Australian aged 16-21 in a given year, not just those who sat year 12). An ATAR of 99.00 means you outranked 99% of your age cohort. An ATAR of 99.95 is the maximum.

Each state and territory calculates ATAR slightly differently. NSW uses the HSC scaling system and UAC computes ATAR. Victoria uses VCE scaled study scores and VTAC computes ATAR. Queensland uses subject grades and QTAC computes ATAR. WA uses ATAR-eligible subjects via TISC. The result is comparable across states — a 99.00 in NSW means the same percentile rank as a 99.00 in WA — but the path to it differs.

Importantly, ATAR is not a percentage of marks. A raw average of 90% across your year-12 subjects does not produce an ATAR of 90. ATAR is purely positional. The scaling process compares your raw marks to the cohort distribution, then assigns the percentile rank.

ATAR vs selection rank — how cut-offs are calculated

Your raw ATAR is fixed. Your selection rank for a specific medical or dental programme is your ATAR plus any adjustment factors that programme awards you. Most medical school cut-offs published online refer to the selection rank, not the raw ATAR.

Selection rank formula

Selection rank = ATAR + Subject Adjustments + Access Adjustments + Pathway Adjustments

Maximum total adjustment is typically capped at +10 to +15 points per school. A raw ATAR of 94 with full adjustment factors can reach a selection rank of 99 — competitive at most undergraduate medicine schools.

Adjustments are applied at the school level, not centrally. The same applicant might have a 99 selection rank at School A (which awards Subject Adjustments for Chemistry) and a 96 selection rank at School B (which doesn't). Always check each school's adjustment policy before assuming an adjustment applies.

Cut-offs are published per school for the previous cycle's actual lowest-admitted selection rank. They are descriptive of what happened, not prescriptive of what will happen. The cycle ending 2026 produced the cut-offs shown in the table below; cut-offs for 2027 entry may rise or fall by 0.5 to 2.0 points depending on cohort size.

Adjustment schemes

Four adjustment families dominate Australian medicine selection ranks. Each is applied independently and stacks within the school's overall adjustment cap.

Subject Adjustment Factors (SAF)

Bonus points (typically 2-5) for high performance in relevant subjects — Chemistry, higher-level mathematics (Specialist Maths in VIC, Mathematics Extension 1 or 2 in NSW), Biology, Physics. Each school publishes its eligible subjects and points awarded.

Educational Access Scheme (EAS) / Equity Access Scheme

Bonus points (typically 5-10) for educational disadvantage — disrupted schooling, illness or disability, refugee or asylum-seeker status, financial hardship, English as an additional language. Apply through your state Tertiary Admissions Centre with supporting evidence.

Indigenous Access

Most Australian medical schools operate a dedicated Indigenous Entry Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants — bespoke selection rank thresholds (often 5-15 points below the standard cut-off), tailored interview, and dedicated support during medical school. Confirmation of identity required through approved processes.

Rural Pathway / Rural Admission Scheme

Bonus points or alternative quota for applicants from rural backgrounds (typically defined as 5+ years residence in MM2-7 areas before year 12). Some schools combine the Rural Pathway with Bonded Medical Program allocation; others run them separately.

Most schools cap total adjustment at 10-15 points. Below the cap, adjustments stack; above the cap, additional adjustments are unused. The cap matters — a raw ATAR of 85 with 15 points of adjustment lands at a selection rank of 99 (potentially competitive), but no further benefit accrues from a 16th point of adjustment.

Live ATAR cut-off table (2027 entry)

16 Australian undergraduate medicine and dentistry programmes with published ATAR cut-offs. Sort by clicking any column header. Click a school name to open the full how-to-get-in guide.

SchoolStateCourseATAR cut-offAdjustmentsUCAT-ANZIntake
AdelaideSAmedicineMinimum entry ATAR 90.00 (adjusted selection rank). Successful applicants typically ~99.75 (commonly cited; not officially published). Adelaide explicitly does not publish ATAR cut-offs.Wirltu Yarlu Aboriginal Education Access Pathway and at least 50% being school leavers from South Australia (Fraser's).Strong bonus-region effect: ~2730 SA applicants vs ~3140 interstate (2024-2026 entry on old /3600 scale; MedView aggregator consensus). ~410-point gap (~10th percentile) is the most material datapoint for SA applicants. Adelaide does not officially publish cut-offs. UCAT cognitive subtests drive interview shortlist; Situational Judgement used only as tiebreaker at the lowest rank.136 domestic places per year (Adelaide degree finder); ~600 applicants invited to interview annually. Admission offer weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT cognitive 20% + Interview 40%.
Adelaide DentalSAdentistryMinimum entry ATAR 90.00. Successful applicants typically ~98-99+ (Adelaide does not officially publish a cut-off).Wirltu Yarlu Access Pathway and Educational Access Scheme adjustments available.Same UCAT thresholds as for MBBS: ~2730 SA applicants / ~3140 interstate (old /3600 scale, 2024-2026 entry; MedView aggregator). Threshold then composite ranking — Admission weighting: Academic 40% + UCAT 20% + Interview 40%.38 domestic places annually, ~300 interviews (Adelaide degree finder; health.adelaide.edu.au). Bachelor of Oral Health separately offers 32 places + ~90 interviews.
BondQLDmedicineUndergraduate (Year 12): ATAR 96+ / IB 38+ / OP 1-3. Graduate: cumulative GPA ≥ 6.0/7.0 from recognised tertiary program.——Up to ~180 places/year across two intakes (May + September), 80% undergraduate / 20% graduate. Full-fee only — does NOT participate in BMP.
Charles Sturt (Rural)NSWmedicineATAR hurdle (JPM era 2024-2026): Metropolitan 95.50; Greater Western Sydney 93.50; Rural (RA2-5) 91.50.—JPM era: UCAT weighted at 100% for the interview-selection stage. Indicative UCAT cut-off for interview invitations (2024) ~3090 on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile).2024-2026 (JPM era): ~120 places combined with WSU. 2027 standalone CSU program: ~47 CSP places; ~80% rural-pathway, ~15-20 non-rural.
Charles Sturt DentalNSWdentistryCSU does not publish a minimum ATAR for BDS. Used in combination with UCAT and interview for final ranking.≥50% of places reserved for applicants with significant rural background or First Nation applicants.UCAT required for non-Indigenous applicants; First Nation applicants exempt. No published numerical cut-off — used to rank for interview alongside ATAR.Annual intake not publicly disclosed by CSU; aggregator estimates ~30-50 places/year (CSU BDS handbook). One of the sparsest publicly-available admissions datasets in the NSW/ACT cohort.
CurtinWAmedicineMinimum ATAR (WA applicants) 95.00 (inclusive of bonus points); minimum ATAR (non-WA applicants) 92.00. TISC 2025 (Dec 2024 round) for CUMBS: min rank n/a, lowest n/a — selection is NOT solely on ATAR.Rural Origin Pathway and Aboriginal entry adjustments available. ATSI applicants exempt from CASPer.No official Curtin-published cut-off. Curtin ranks total UCAT score, not a fixed threshold. Aggregator-derived competitive score ~2970 for local WA applicants (2024-2026 entry, old /3600 scale). Interview shortlist ratio 35 ATAR : 35 CASPer : 30 UCAT (per MedEntry / Curtin official Q&A — Fraser's 35:35:40 reporting is an error).2024 intake ~110 places (CSP + BMP combined). Curtin 2024 Domestic Admissions Guide.
Griffith DentalQLDdentistryBDHS school-leaver ATAR competitive floor 99.85 (GradReady cross-reference). 99+ effective.Rural priority via Educational Access adjustments; rural quotas not publicly disclosed for dentistry.No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith. 2022 cycle reported lowest threshold ~78th percentile; 2023+ realistic competitive range 90th+ percentile.2025 BDHS intake 69 admitted (QTAC). BDHS → DMD integrated pathway (3+2 years).
JCUQLDmedicine2024 intake: ATAR floor 89.4; Cairns median 97.95; Townsville median 97.60. Non-Year-12 GPA floor 5.75. Written application carries dominant weight over ATAR.——~150 CSP domestic + ~40 international per year. Mix of CSP, BMP, and Rural Access Scheme (NOT 100% MRBS — MRBS is a closed legacy scheme nationally).
La Trobe DentalVICdentistryATAR range 99.00-99.85 at Bendigo (selection rank floor with adjustments, to highest ATAR offered excluding adjustments). Confirmed via La Trobe FAQ + OzTREKK + MedView.Regional Benefits Program — ATAR-85 eligibility floor for rural applicants.—International intake 25 places (OzTREKK). Domestic intake not publicly disclosed by La Trobe.
MonashVICmedicineDirect Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45.Monash Access Scheme provides adjustment factors for applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds; rural pathway adjustment available. Indigenous applicants can be admitted with ATAR 50+ (or equivalent) via VTAC.Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase.Direct Entry (Clayton): ~264 domestic (234 + 30 ERC). Graduate Entry (Gippsland): ~70 domestic + 30 Rural End-to-End + ~30 international. Total combined ~390+ (Fraser's Monash MD 2027 guide).
Newcastle / JMPNSWmedicineATAR hurdle: Standard / metropolitan 94.30; Rural Bonus Scheme 85.00. Once met, ATAR no longer ranks — UCAT and interview drive ranking.Rural Bonus Scheme drops ATAR floor to 85; Educational Access Scheme adjustments.No published cut-off; first-stage interview selection is essentially 100% weighted on UCAT-ANZ after the ATAR hurdle is met. Lowest recorded UCAT for a JMP interview (non-rural, 2022/2023 cycle) ~95th percentile.~170 CSP per year across JMP (UoN + UNE combined), including ~48 BMP. International stream separate (AskUON: How many places are available in the JMP?).
TasmaniaTASmedicineNon-rural / non-Tasmanian: minimum 95, typical competitive 99.95. Rural or Tasmanian: minimum 95, typical competitive 99.45 (some sources 99.44). Flat since at least 2022.Tasmanian Rural Training Stream tier-prioritised entry; palawa Aboriginal Entry Pathway with flexible criteria.No fixed domestic threshold; 2025 indicative cut-off ~2530/2700 (5th decile; Matrix Education). Competitive range observed 70th-85th percentile UCAT total. International applicants need ≥50th percentile cognitive subtests.Total not publicly aggregated; estimated ~110-135 domestic (school-leaver) + 25 graduate. TRTS 20 places; Medical Research Stream ~12-13 within graduate intake.
UNSWNSWmedicineMinimum eligibility ATAR 96.00; competitive interview shortlist ~99.55; median offer-holder >99.60. Rural pathway minimum ~91.05.Rural Entry Scheme (ATAR ~91.05); HSC Plus and Educational Access Scheme bonuses.No official minimum; competitive 2024-cycle cut-off ~3060 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile) for non-rural local applicants. UCAT-ANZ feeds the pre-interview composite alongside ATAR.~189 domestic offers (~135 CSP + ~54 BMP) plus ~40-60 international = ~230-250 total annual cohort (Fraser's UNSW Undergraduate Medicine Guide).
UQ DentalQLDdentistry2026 entry: lowest rank offered 95.70 (unadjusted) → 99.00 (with adjustments); median rank offered 99.30 (unadjusted) → 99.95 (with adjustments); highest rank offered 99.95. ATAR floor 99.00 adjusted for QLD Year 12 — one of the highest in Australian dentistry.Rural Origin Pathway and Educational Access Scheme adjustments available — adjusted selection rank can be up to ~4.30 above unadjusted ATAR.Mandatory. All applicants at/above the ATAR floor are ranked directly on UCAT-ANZ aggregate — ATAR acts as a hurdle, not a differentiator. UCAT section scores may separate tied applicants. Discrete percentile cut not officially published; broadly cited as 89th percentile equivalent (GradReady summary).2025 intake: 75 admitted total (QTAC); ~60% international. International total program fee AUD $94,856.
UWAWAmedicineDirect Pathway: HAA / Broadway / Rural streams require ATAR 98 minimum; Indigenous Pathway via CAMDH ATAR 90. Underlying Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) UP056 TISC ranks: 92.00 minimum / lowest selected 96.65 (2024) → 97.50 (2025) — a +0.85 year-on-year tightening.CAMDH (Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health / Boola Boola Djinda) Indigenous Direct Pathway ATAR 90 (vs 98 standard). Rural Direct Pathway with rurality weighting.Direct Pathway only — competitive UCAT ~3000+ with effective cut-off ~2970 for local WA applicants (old /3600 scale; aggregator-derived). UCAT cut-off year-on-year not officially published.2027 cycle (Graduate): 74 CSP + 29 BMP + up to 40 international ≈ 143-145 domestic. Note: gradready reports ~103 domestic and Fraser's reports 143 — discrepancy likely reflects different counting bases (graduate-only vs combined Direct + Graduate). Direct Pathway via UP056 Bachelor of Biomedicine TISC ranks 96.65 (2024) → 97.50 (2025).
Western SydneyNSWmedicineHurdle ATAR: Metropolitan 95.50; Greater Western Sydney residents 93.50; Rural (RA2-5, 5+ consecutive or 10+ cumulative years) 91.50. Once met, ATAR no longer influences ranking.Greater Western Sydney pathway (93.50) and Rural Entry Admission Scheme (91.50) offer ATAR adjustment.No published cut-off; cohort-dependent. Indicative interview cut-off (2023/2024 cycles) ~3000 total on old /3600 scale (~90th percentile). UCAT-ANZ weighted at 25% of final offer ranking alongside 75% interview.~120 places total per year (CSP + BMP + ~20 international); specific split not published by WSU (WSU MD Enrolment Places page).

Cut-offs are the lowest selection rank admitted to standard pathway in the most recently published cycle. Rural Pathway, Indigenous Access, and EAS cohorts often admit at lower selection ranks — see each school's detail page for pathway-specific cut-offs.

ATAR vs UCAT-ANZ vs interview weighting

Each Australian undergraduate medical school weights ATAR, UCAT-ANZ, and the interview differently in the final ranking. The patterns:

  • UCAT-ANZ-dominant pre-interview (UNSW, Monash undergraduate). ATAR functions as a threshold gate; UCAT-ANZ drives the pre-interview ranking. Strong UCAT-ANZ matters more than the difference between a 99.50 and a 99.85 ATAR at these schools.
  • Balanced 50/50 pre-interview (Western Sydney, JCU). ATAR and UCAT-ANZ each carry roughly half the pre-interview weight. Weaknesses in one can be partially offset by strength in the other.
  • ATAR-heavy pre-interview (Adelaide, UTAS). ATAR drives the bulk of the pre-interview ranking. Above the UCAT-ANZ threshold, additional UCAT-ANZ points matter less than ATAR points.
  • Interview as binary gate. Most schools use the interview/MMI as a pass/fail with cohort-based ranking. Strong interview lifts you above similar-ranked applicants; weak interview eliminates you entirely.
  • Interview weighted into composite. Some schools (Monash undergraduate is the main example) build a final composite with interview as a percentage weight. Each interview station contributes to the composite explicitly.

Year-on-year ATAR trends

Australian undergraduate medicine ATAR cut-offs have been broadly stable over the last five cycles, with a few exceptions worth noting:

  • Top-tier programmes drifted up. UNSW, Monash undergraduate and Adelaide saw selection-rank cut-offs creep from ~98.5 in 2021 to ~99.0-99.5 in 2024-2025. Pandemic-era ATAR inflation contributed; demand for medicine remained high while supply was flat.
  • Newer and rural-mission programmes held steady. Curtin, WSU, JCU maintained selection-rank cut-offs in the 95-97 range across the period. Rural and BMP allocation absorbed a wider applicant base.
  • The /2700 UCAT scale change (2024) cleared the noise. Switching from the historical /3600 score to the /2700 cognitive scale forced schools to re-base their thresholds. Cohort-on-cohort comparisons across the change-year are unreliable.
  • Indigenous and Rural Pathway cut-offs are not directly comparable to standard pathway. Pathway-specific cut-offs reflect smaller cohort sizes and explicit equity adjustments, not lower expectations of capability.

Predicting future cut-offs is unreliable. Plan to be competitive at a selection rank 1-2 points above the previous cycle's cut-off to absorb normal year-on-year drift.

Compare Australian medical schools side by side

Use our comparison tool to put any two or three Australian medical or dental schools next to each other — ATAR, UCAT-ANZ, MMI format, intake size, post-interview chance.

Compare medical schools Browse all Australian schools

Frequently asked questions

Is ATAR a percentage of marks?
No. ATAR is a rank, not a mark. An ATAR of 99.00 means you ranked in the top 1% of your age cohort (not the top 1% of HSC/VCE candidates — the top 1% of all year-12-eligible students). The maximum is 99.95. Two students with the same raw marks in different states can receive slightly different ATARs because each state's scaling and calculation methodology differs.
What's the difference between ATAR and selection rank?
Your ATAR is your raw rank. Your selection rank for a specific course is your ATAR plus any adjustment factors that course awards you — for example +5 for the Educational Access Scheme, +3 for a relevant Subject Adjustment Factor, +10 for the Rural Pathway. Medical school cut-offs are usually quoted as selection ranks, not raw ATARs. A selection rank of 99.00 might mean a raw ATAR of 95.00 plus 4 points of adjustment.
What's the lowest ATAR I can apply to medicine with?
The lowest published selection-rank cut-offs at Australian undergraduate medicine schools sit around 90-93 (with adjustment factors) — typically at Rural Pathway and Indigenous Pathway entries. Standard pathway cut-offs are higher, usually 95-99. Below a raw ATAR of around 90, even with maximum adjustment, you're unlikely to be competitive at any standard pathway. Below 85, consider taking a different degree first and applying via graduate-entry GAMSAT.
When are ATAR results released?
ATAR is released in mid-December each year — typically the third week of December for most states. NSW releases on 13-15 December; VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS and ACT release in the same week. Medicine application offers follow ATAR release, with first-round offers in January and supplementary rounds through February.
How do I get adjustment factors for my ATAR?
Adjustment factors come from four main sources: Subject Adjustment Factors (typically 2-5 points for relevant subjects like Chemistry or higher-level mathematics), Educational Access Scheme bonuses for educational disadvantage, Rural Pathway bonuses for rural-origin applicants, and Indigenous Access bonuses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. Apply for adjustments through your state's Tertiary Admissions Centre (UAC, VTAC, QTAC, etc.) before the application deadline.
Can I get into medicine without ATAR?
Yes, via graduate entry. If you complete a bachelor degree first and sit GAMSAT, you can apply to any 4-year graduate-entry MD in Australia without an ATAR (your GPA replaces ATAR in the academic ranking). The dual-pathway schools (Monash, UWA) also offer graduate streams. Around 60% of Australian medical school places now go via the graduate pathway rather than direct ATAR-based entry.
How do schools weight ATAR vs UCAT-ANZ vs interview?
Each school publishes its own weighting. Typical weights for undergraduate medicine: pre-interview ranking weights ATAR 40-60% and UCAT-ANZ 40-60%, with the interview applied post-shortlist either as a binary threshold or weighted into a final composite. Some schools (Adelaide, JCU) weight ATAR more heavily; others (UNSW, Monash) weight UCAT-ANZ more heavily. Always check each school's published methodology.
Have ATAR cut-offs changed year-on-year?
Cut-offs flex year to year with the applicant pool size and the ATAR distribution in that cohort. Over the last five years, undergraduate medicine cut-offs have been broadly stable at 95-99, with small drift up at the most competitive programmes (Sydney undergraduate dentistry pathway, UNSW, Adelaide) and modest drift down at newer or rural-mission programmes. There is no consistent multi-year trend either up or down.
Are predicted ATARs used by medical schools?
Predicted ATARs (estimated by your school in year 12) are sometimes used at the application stage, but the binding decision is based on your actual ATAR after results release. Schools may issue conditional offers on predicted ATAR, with the offer firmed up once actual results come through. If your actual ATAR falls below the conditional offer, the offer is typically revoked unless you fall within an extenuating-circumstances pathway.

Related Australian admissions guides

Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 28 May 2026