What Is the Average ATAR?

Reviewed by Educatta's 97+ ATAR tutoring team. Checked against the latest TISC and SCSA information.

The average ATAR in Australia sits at around 70.00. Half of all students who receive an ATAR score sit above that number, and half below. In WA, the median lands in a similar range, though it shifts slightly from year to year depending on how the cohort performs.

That number matters less than people think. ATAR is a rank, not a mark out of 100. When parents ask whether their child is “above average,” the more useful question is: does their projected ATAR clear the cut-off for the course they want? Those are two very different questions, and this guide answers both.

We've covered how the ATAR is calculated in detail in our guide to how ATAR works. This article focuses specifically on averages, what they mean in practice, and the WA course cut-offs you actually need to know.

What Is the Average ATAR in Australia?

The national median ATAR is approximately 70.00. Because ATAR is a percentile rank, this is expected by design: 50% of students who receive an ATAR will score at or above the median, and 50% below.

A few things worth knowing about this number:

• Not every Year 12 student receives an ATAR. Students who don't take ATAR-eligible courses, or who don't meet the requirements, aren't included in the distribution. The cohort used to calculate the rank includes the full age group, but only those who complete ATAR courses get a reported score above 30.
• The average shifts slightly each year. TISC and its interstate equivalents recalibrate annually, so a 70.00 in one year is always the 70th percentile of that specific cohort, not a fixed benchmark.
• State averages differ marginally. WA's median sits close to the national figure, but scaling adjustments and subject choices mean it's never identical.

The takeaway: “average” in ATAR terms simply means “middle of the cohort.” It says nothing about effort, ability, or university prospects. It is a relative position, nothing more.

What Is the Average ATAR in WA?

The average ATAR in WA sits at approximately 70.00. This is consistent with the national median. Each year, TISC calculates the WA distribution from the full age-group cohort, meaning students who didn't sit ATAR courses are included in the denominator even though they don't receive a reported score.

A few WA-specific figures worth knowing:

• Around 75–80% of WA Year 12 students complete at least one ATAR course, but a smaller proportion sit enough courses to generate a reportable score above 30.
• The WA median has remained close to 70 for several years, though it edges up or down slightly depending on cohort size and subject participation rates.
• High-achieving schools (particularly selective and independent schools) push their internal medians well above the state average. Comparing yourself to your school cohort can be misleading for this reason. The rank that matters is against the whole state.

If you're trying to estimate where you sit: an ATAR above 70 puts you in the top half of all WA ATAR recipients. Above 80 puts you in the top 20%. Above 90, the top 10%.

ATAR Scores by Range: What Each Result Means

More useful than the national average is understanding what ATAR ranges typically look like across different university pathways. The table below gives a general picture for WA students.

Important: these are general ranges, not guarantees. Cut-offs change every year based on applicant numbers and demand. Always check TISC's published cut-offs for the current cycle.

ATAR Cut-Offs: What You Actually Need for WA Courses

Cut-off scores are the ATAR at which the last person was offered a place in a course in a given year. They're published by TISC after each admissions round and shift annually with demand.

The table below shows indicative 2025 cut-offs for popular WA courses. Use these as a guide, not a guarantee. Check the TISC website for the latest figures each year.

These figures are approximate and based on recent published cut-offs. Competitive courses like Medicine and Law regularly see cut-offs rise. Always verify directly with TISC or the relevant university.

What if you don't hit the cut-off?

Missing a cut-off isn't the end. Most WA universities offer enabling programs and bridging courses that lead into the same degree via a different entry point. Some courses accept portfolio or mature-age entry too. And if you want to resit, you can repeat WACE subjects to improve your scaled score. The pathway to your target course almost always exists, it sometimes just takes an extra step.

What Is a Good ATAR?

A good ATAR is one that opens the door to the course you want. That's genuinely it.

Chasing a number for its own sake, or because it sounds impressive, is one of the most common traps we see at Educatta. A student who needs a 75 to get into their target course and achieves an 80 has done everything right. A student who targets 99 without a specific reason for it is likely spreading effort unevenly across subjects.

Work backwards from your course, not forwards from a vague ambition. Look up the cut-off, add a 2–3 point buffer as a margin for safety, and build your study plan around that number.

From our experience tutoring 1,525+ WA students: the ones who hit their target reliably aren't always the highest-ability students. They're the ones who know their number, understand which subjects give them the best scaled return, and use their study time ruthlessly.

How Does WA Scaling Affect Your ATAR Score?

Scaling is the reason that a raw 75% in one subject can produce a higher ATAR contribution than a raw 80% in another. TISC adjusts marks for each WACE course to account for the fact that stronger students tend to cluster in certain subjects.

The practical effect: your ATAR doesn't directly reflect your school marks. Students are often surprised to find their ATAR is notably higher, or in some cases lower, than a straight average of their exam results would suggest.

A few things our tutors emphasise every year:

• Subject choice matters, but performance matters more. A good mark in a moderately scaled subject will always beat a poor mark in a heavily scaled one.
• Scaling changes annually. Don't rely on last year's rumours about which subjects ‘scale well.’ Check the most recent TISC Scaling Report.
• Your best four scaled scores form your TEA (Tertiary Entrance Aggregate). A weak fifth or sixth subject can't drag your TEA down, but it does cost study time.

For a full breakdown of how scaling works, read our guide to WACE scaling. If Maths Methods is one of your four courses, see how our tutors approach it mark-by-mark: Maths Methods tutoring.

Average ATAR in Australia vs WA: Is There a Difference?

The short answer: not significantly. WA uses the same percentile structure as every other state. An ATAR of 70.00 means roughly the same thing whether it was calculated by TISC in Perth, UAC in Sydney, or VTAC in Melbourne.

What does differ:

• The raw marks that produce a given ATAR vary by state, because each state has its own scaling methodology and subject offerings.
• Course cut-offs are set by individual universities, not by state. UWA sets its own cut-offs independently of, say, UNSW or Monash.
• If you're applying interstate, your WA ATAR is fully portable. A 90.00 from TISC means top 10% to any Australian university.

For WA students applying only to WA universities (UWA, Curtin, Murdoch, ECU, Notre Dame), the interstate comparison isn't relevant. Focus on the TISC cut-offs for your target courses.