How universities choose non-school leaver applicants

Been out of school awhile? Whether you've been working, studying something else, or gaining life experience, universities have several ways to assess non-school leaver applicants. While the process is competitive, it's also designed to recognise different pathways into higher education.

Previous study

In general, the minimum entry requirement for a bachelor degree is a Year 12 qualification. However, some unis will accept a diploma or a Certificate III or IV instead.

If you've been to uni before, UAC will calculate a grade point average (GPA) from your completed course results. This allows unis to compare your achievements with that of applicants with similar qualifications.

No formal qualifications

Don't have recent Year 12 results or tertiary qualifications? Universities can assess you in a variety of ways, depending on your situation. For details, go to each institution profile on the UAC website, navigate to ‘Admission criteria and entry schemes’ and check the information under ‘Applicants with work and life experience’.

For example, the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) checks your critical thinking and writing skills to give unis a way to measure whether you're ready for university-level work.

You can also complete a tertiary preparation course at uni or TAFE, or a uni foundation program. If you successfully complete one of these pathway courses, a uni may guarantee you entry into a particular degree. You can apply for some of these courses through UAC. Use the pathway filter in the UAC course search to browse a range of entry-level courses.

Employment experience

Depending on the universities you are applying to, you might also be considered based on your work experience (including Australian Defence Force) or professional qualifications. Generally, only paid employment of one year or more will be assessed. Unpaid and voluntary work experience won’t be considered.

Additional requirements

Just like Year 12 applicants, non-school leavers still need to satisfy any additional course-specific selection criteria, like interviews, portfolios, auditions and applicant statements.

Why you won’t receive a selection rank

Because non-Year 12 applicants are assessed using varying criteria that can't easily be converted to a single number, there isn't a standardised selection rank that we can give you. Unless you’re applying based solely on your ATAR, don’t use the published lowest selection ranks for Year 12 students to gauge your chances of being selected, as you will be assessed through an entirely different process. However, you can use them to get an idea of how competitive entry to each course is likely to be.

If you’d like your secondary and/or tertiary results to be converted to a UAC rank, you can make this request (for a fee) via the Qualifications Assessment Service. Just be aware that unis use the UAC rank in different ways when assessing applications. For example, they can give different weightings to different qualifications, or use a UAC rank in combination with other selection criteria. Therefore, your UAC rank is not necessarily your final selection rank.

Understanding the competitive nature of selection

Remember that selection is competitive. Each uni and college sets its own bar for admission, and just meeting the minimum requirements doesn't guarantee you a spot. You need to compete against other eligible applicants for the available places.

Domestic undergraduate applicants can choose up to five course preferences in their UAC application. You can shuffle them around whenever you want – or replace them altogether – before each offer round. Take the time to understand what each course requires (especially if there are additional selection criteria) so that you can make smart decisions about where to apply.