What’s a Good ATAR?

A “good” ATAR is simply one that gets you into the course you want – there is no universal cut-off. For context, the ATAR is a percentile rank from 0 to 99.95, so an ATAR of 80 places you above about 80% of your Year 12 age group, 90 puts you in the top 10%, and 95 in the top 5%. The 2025 median ATAR in Victoria was 70.70. So an above-average ATAR is roughly 70+, a strong one 80+, and a highly competitive one 90+ – but the only number that truly matters is the one your course requires. (Source: VTAC.)

What the ATAR actually measures

The ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) is a percentile rank, not a score out of 100. It runs from 0.00 to 99.95 in 0.05 increments (anything below 30 is reported as “less than 30”) and ranks you against your Year 12 age group. Read how the VCE ATAR works.

What each ATAR level means

• 99.95 – the top of the state.
• 99.00 – top 1% of your age group.
• 95.00 – top 5%.
• 90.00 – top 10%.
• 80.00 – top 20%.
• ~70.00 – around the median (the 2025 median was 70.70).

So what’s a good ATAR for you?

It depends entirely on your goal. Many courses admit students in the 60-80 range, while highly competitive courses such as medicine and law often need 95+. The smart move is to work backwards from your course’s requirement rather than chase a number for its own sake. See what ATAR do I need for how course requirements actually work.

How to lift your ATAR

Your ATAR is built from your scaled study scores, and the biggest levers are your English result and your best three other subjects (see how the aggregate is calculated). Strong, consistent study scores in subjects you are genuinely good at beat chasing “high-scaling” subjects you will struggle in. A tutor builds exactly that consistency – your first 30-minute lesson is free.

Written by Haobo Zhang (98 ATAR, University of Melbourne Biomedicine), founder of HZ Tutoring. Updated June 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average ATAR?

The 2025 median ATAR in Victoria was 70.70 (VTAC), so around 70 is mid-range.

Is an ATAR of 80 good?

Yes. An 80 places you in roughly the top 20% of your age group and meets the entry requirement for a wide range of university courses.

What is the highest possible ATAR?

99.95. ATARs are reported from 99.95 down to 30.00 in 0.05 steps; below 30 is shown as ‘less than 30’.

Is 70 a good ATAR?

It is around the state median and is enough for many courses. Whether it is ‘good’ depends on the specific course you are aiming for.