Statistics

Undergraduate first preferences and offers by broad field of study (2016-2024)

31 May 2023

Undergraduate applicants can select up to five course preferences in their application for tertiary study. International applicants can select up to six. Their first preference is the course they would most like to study, their second preference their second choice and so on.

Following is information on first preferences of applicants for undergraduate study by broad field of study, percentage of first preferences, total offers made and divided by gender.

2024

Data for the 2023-24 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students, Health was the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture. This trend was the same for non-Year 12 applicants.

For international applicants, the most popular field of study was Society and Culture, followed by Management and Commerce.

2023

Data for the 2022-23 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students, once again, Society and culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – remained the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants, once again, it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants, the trend also remained the same as the previous admissions period with the most popular field of study remaining Management and Commerce, followed by Society and Culture.

2022

Data for the 2021-22 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students, once again, Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – remained the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants, once again, it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the trend also remained the same as the previous admissions period with the most popular field of study remaining Management and Commerce, followed by Society and Culture.

2021

Data for the 2020-21 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – remained the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study by far, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the most popular broad field of study was Management and Commerce, followed by Society and Culture.

2020

Data for the 2019-20 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – remained the most popular field of study, followed closely by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study by far, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the most popular broad field of study was Society and Culture, followed by Management and Commerce.

2019

Data for the 2018-19 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – remained the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the most popular broad field of study was Management and Commerce, followed by Engineering and Related Technologies and Society and Culture.

Note: The 2018-19 admissions cycle was shorter than previous admission cycles. It ran from 1 August 2018 to 8 February 2019. Previous year application cycles typically opened from early August but closed in July of the following year.

2018

Data for the 2017-18 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – was the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the most popular broad field of study was Management and Commerce, followed by a tie between Society and Culture and Engineering and Related Technologies.

2017

Data for the 2016-17 admissions period shows that for Year 12 students Society and Culture – a mix of traditional humanities courses including law and psychology – was the most popular field of study, followed by Health.

For non-Year 12 applicants it was reversed, with Health the most popular field of study, followed by Society and Culture.

For international applicants the most popular broad field of study was Management and Commerce, followed by Engineering and Related Technologies.