Getting Into University Without an ATAR (or With a Low ATAR)
You can get into uni without an ATAR, and it’s more common than most people realise. Researchers writing in The Conversation point out that more students enter university without an ATAR than with one. The best route depends on your age, whether you’re still at school and how soon you want to start your degree.
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Still in Year 12? Check these first
Some offers arrive before ATARs come out. Through UAC’s Schools Recommendation Schemes, for example, this year’s offers will be released on 12 November. If illness, hardship or other circumstances affected your Year 11 or 12 studies, equity schemes such as EAS in NSW or SEAS in Victoria can help you get an offer even if your ATAR is below the cut-off.
Five ways to get into uni without an ATAR
1. An enabling course
An enabling program is a preparation course run by a university. These courses are free for domestic students (the government now calls them FEE-FREE Uni Ready courses), and there are around 48 of them across Australia. Passing one usually lets you enrol straight into a degree. To find them, search your university’s website for “enabling” or “tertiary preparation.”
2. TAFE or VET study
Universities consider qualifications such as a Certificate IV, a diploma or an advanced diploma. Some even guarantee entry. QUT, for instance, guarantees a nursing offer to applicants with an AQF diploma, and UniSQ guarantees an engineering place to students who complete a Certificate IV. A TAFE pathway also gives you a practical qualification if you change your mind about university.
3. Single subjects through Open Universities Australia
OUA doesn’t ask for an ATAR for its open enrolment subjects. Pass a few and you can use them to apply for a degree. You can pay for these subjects with FEE-HELP, but unlike enabling courses, they aren’t free.
4. The STAT test
STAT is a two-hour aptitude test with 70 multiple-choice questions, and current Year 12 students can’t use it. Age rules vary by university. UTS requires you to be 20 by 1 March of your start year, while the University of Sydney accepts applicants aged 18 by 31 July who sit both STAT sections. Some courses don’t accept STAT at all. UTS, for example, excludes Law.
5. A diploma that leads into a degree
Many universities run diplomas that lead straight into second year of a degree. Griffith’s Diploma of Psychological Science had an entry threshold of 60 for 2026 and guarantees entry into second year of its psychology degree once you finish. Monash College offers a similar route into Monash Engineering.
Which route suits you?
If you’ve just finished school and want to start next year, consider an enabling course or a diploma. If you already know your degree and want the time to count towards it, a diploma or OUA subjects make the most sense. If you’re old enough to sit STAT (18 or 20 depending on the university), it can be the quickest route, as long as your course accepts it. If you’re missing a maths background, enabling courses often include maths.
Hypothetical example: an 18-year-old who finished school without an ATAR wants a business degree. They could take OUA business subjects online this year, then transfer into the degree with credit, rather than waiting until they’re old enough to use STAT at universities with a 20-plus age rule.
Common mistakes
Students often choose a pathway without checking it’s accepted for their target course. Prerequisites still apply when you enter through a pathway, so confirm them too. Another mistake is planning around STAT while you’re a school leaver who isn’t yet eligible.
The Bottom Line
Getting into uni without an ATAR comes down to matching the right route to your situation. Before enrolling in any pathway, check that it’s accepted for your degree and that you’ll meet the prerequisites. If you’re still in Year 12, use our ATAR calculator to see whether you need a backup plan, then read up on the options above before results day.
