University pathways · 2026 edition
Where do Australian private school graduates go to university?
The Group of 8, ATAR cutoffs for Medicine + Law + Engineering, and the city-by-city patterns that dominate destinations for private-school cohorts. Pair this with each school's published results page for the per-school picture.
Key takeaways
- The Group of 8 (G8) is the standard reference set for "top tier" Australian universities — they enrol roughly 25% of all domestic undergraduates but receive a disproportionate share of private-school graduates.
- Medicine direct-entry pathways at G8 universities cap ATAR at 99.95 and almost always require UCAT + interview on top.
- Geographic patterns dominate: Sydney private schools send ~70% of graduates to USYD or UNSW; Melbourne private schools split between UMelb and Monash; UWA dominates in WA.
- For school-specific destination breakdowns, refer to each school's annual report or "results" page — most independents publish a destinations summary alongside ATAR results each February.
The Group of 8
Australia's research-intensive universities
The G8 represents the eight oldest research-intensive Australian universities. International rankings (QS 2025) shown.
| University | State | Founded | QS 2025 rank | Medicine ATAR cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Sydney | NSW | 1850 | #18 | 99.95 |
| UNSW Sydney | NSW | 1949 | #19 | 99.95 |
| University of Melbourne | VIC | 1853 | #13 | 99.95 |
| Monash University | VIC | 1958 | #37 | 99.95 |
| Australian National University | ACT | 1946 | #30 | — |
| University of Queensland | QLD | 1909 | #40 | 99.95 |
| University of Western Australia | WA | 1911 | #77 | 99.95 |
| University of Adelaide | SA | 1874 | #82 | 99.95 |
Course cutoffs
2026 ATAR cutoffs at G8 universities
Indicative cutoffs from UAC + state TAC offer rounds. Many high-demand courses use ATAR + portfolio + interview — ATAR alone is necessary but not sufficient.
| Course | Typical ATAR | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine (UMAT/UCAT pathway) | 99.95 | Most G8s require ATAR + UCAT + interview. Direct-entry MD limited cohorts. |
| Law (combined Bachelor) | 98–99.95 | Sydney + UNSW Bachelor of Laws among the highest cutoffs. |
| Engineering (selective programs) | 95–99 | Aerospace at USYD/UNSW + chemical at UMelb at the top of range. |
| Commerce (G8) | 92–98 | UMelb Commerce + UNSW Co-op among most competitive. |
| Bachelor of Philosophy / scholarship streams | 99–99.95 | ANU PhB + USYD Dalyell among the most prestigious entry points. |
| Veterinary Science | 95–99 | Limited national cohort, USYD + UMelb leading. |
| Architecture | 88–95 | UMelb + USYD strongest internationally ranked programs. |
| Bachelor of Arts (G8) | 78–95 | Wide range — UMelb + USYD top-ranked nationally. |
Geographic patterns
Where graduates head, by city
Aggregate destination patterns for private-school graduates by capital city. Patterns are well-documented across years of UAC + state offer data.
Sydney
University of Sydney + UNSW
~70% of independent-school graduates
Strongest cross-state flow to ANU, UMelb, UQ for top achievers.
Melbourne
University of Melbourne + Monash
~75% of independent-school graduates
Strong IB cohort flows to international universities; UMelb Commerce + Medicine the marquee programs.
Brisbane
University of Queensland + QUT
~70% of independent-school graduates
Strong intra-state pull; cross-state flow to UNSW + USYD for the top decile.
Perth
University of Western Australia + Curtin
~75% of independent-school graduates
UWA dominates; geographical isolation reduces cross-state flow.
Adelaide
University of Adelaide + UniSA + Flinders
~70% of independent-school graduates
IB cohort flows to UMelb + UQ; selective Medicine cohort to UAdel.
Canberra
Australian National University
~50% of independent-school graduates
High cross-state flow to USYD + UMelb; ANU strongest in research streams (PhB, Honours).
Per-school destinations
Where to find school-specific destination data
Most Australian independent schools publish an annual destinations summary alongside their ATAR results, typically in February or in the headmaster's annual report. Look for:
- "Top destination universities" with offer percentages
- Group of 8 offer rate
- Medicine, Law, Engineering, Veterinary Science, Dentistry offers (counts)
- International offers — Oxbridge, Ivy League, McGill, Edinburgh, NUS, HKU
- Scholarship + early-entry pathway acceptances
Each school's provider page on this site links directly to the school's own results page, where this data is published. Per-school destinations data may be aggregated into this site in a future release subject to data acquisition + verification.