Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances 2016

Type of University

Out of all university groups, the Go8 constituted the largest share of acceptances (20.4%). Offers made by the ATN or Go8 were more likely to be accepted by the applicant (with acceptance rates of (79.5% and 79.2% respectively). Offers made by the RUN were less likely to be accepted (76.3%).
Table : Acceptances and acceptance rates by type of university (excluding WA TAC data)*,

2015 and 2016

Type of university	2015			2016
	Number	Share (%)	Acceptance rate (%)	Number	Share (%)	Acceptance rate (%)
Group of Eight	44,605	21.0%	81.3%	42,777	20.4%	79.2%
Australian Technology Network	35,194	16.5%	82.4%	34,066	16.2%	79.5%
Innovative Research Universities	29,856	14.0%	80.5%	29,101	13.9%	77.5%
Regional Universities Network	21,446	10.1%	75.2%	21,454	10.2%	76.3%
Total**	212,886	100.0%	78.4%	209,761	100%	76.6%

* Acceptances made through WA tertiary admission centre are excluded due to the ‘half-year’ Year 12 cohort effect, but applications made directly by WA residents are included. Totals include missing /unknown postcodes which cannot be assigned to a state/territory.

**Total includes acceptances for universities that are not aligned with a university group.

7. Deferrals

Note that deferrals data in this report includes only applicants who formally deferred their offer. Some applicants defer later (during enrolment for example). Nationally, the rate of deferrals (number of deferrals as a percentage of number of offers) for 2016 was 10.3% compared with 9.1% in 2015. The number of deferrals increased by 11.5% from 19,317 in 2015 to 21,531 in 2016. The pattern of deferrals across states in 2016 was similar to 2015, with deferral rates increasing in all states and territories, except for SA and the NT, where deferral rates decreased.
Table : Deferrals by state and territory (excluding WA TAC data)*, 2015 and 2016

State/Territory	2015		2016
	Deferrals	Deferral rate	Deferrals	Deferral rate
NSW	5,038	7.5%	5,946	9.0%
Vic.	5,892	10.5%	6,138	11.2%
Qld	4,182	8.9%	4,889	10.5%
WA	635	5.5%	703	6.1%
SA	2,440	14.4%	2,379	14.1%
Tas.	237	3.2%	545	8.2%
ACT	529	13.0%	568	14.1%
NT	232	15.0%	192	12.8%
Australia	19,317	9.1%	21,531	10.3%

* Deferrals processed through WA tertiary admission centre are excluded due to the ‘half-year’ Year 12 cohort effect, but applications made directly by WA residents are included. Totals include missing /unknown postcodes which cannot be assigned to a state/territory.
Year 12 applicants were more than twice as likely to defer compared with non-Year 12 applicants (15.6% compared with 7.1% respectively). LSAY research suggests that common reasons for deferring after completing Year 12 are to have a break, holiday or travel.³ There were only small differences in deferral rates between low, medium and high SES applicants. High SES applicants were slightly less likely to defer compared to low and medium SES applicants.
Non-metropolitan applicants were more than twice as likely to defer compared with metropolitan applicants (16.7% compared with 8.2% respectively). LSAY research found that students from regional and remote locations are also more likely to take a gap year. ⁴

Indigenous applicants were less likely to defer compared with non-Indigenous applicants (8.8% compared with 10.5%).

Table : Profile of deferrals, Prior Education, 2016

	Deferrals	Deferral rate
Current Year 12	12,215	15.6%
Non-Year 12	9,316	7.1%

Table : Profile of deferrals, Socio-economic status, 2016

	Deferrals	Deferral rate
Low	4,624	11.3%
Medium	11,031	10.3%
High	5578	9.2%

Table : Profile of deferrals, Region, 2016

	Deferrals	Deferral rate
Metropolitan	12,893	8.2%
Non-Metropolitan	8,386	16.7%

Table : Profile of deferrals, Indigenous Status, 2016

	Deferrals	Deferral rate
Indigenous	381	8.8%
Non-Indigenous	20,573	10.5%

6.