Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances 2016

Key Skill Areas

1. Trends in Key Skill Areas

Trends in applications and offers since 2010 are reported in this chapter for selected fields of education where concerns have been expressed about the supply of skills:

• 
  Natural and Physical Sciences (including Mathematical Sciences),
  
• 
  Information Technology,
  
• 
  Engineering,
  
• 
  Medical Studies,
  
• 
  Nursing, and
  
• 
  Initial Teacher Education.
  

For comparison purposes each table provides statistics that include and exclude WA TAC applicants and offers data (for 2015 and 2016).

2. Natural and Physical Sciences

The number of applicants applying for Natural and Physical Sciences (including Mathematical Sciences) places in 2016 was up by 2.7% compared with 2015. In 2016, applicants receiving offers increased by 0.2% on 2015.
Table : Applicants, applicants receiving offers and offer rates, Natural and Physical Sciences, 2010-2016

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	Change 2015-2016 (Ex WA)	Change 2010-2014
Applicants Ex WA	21,493	23,866	26,373	27,376	29,423	28,958 27,732	30,749 28,485	2.7%	36.9%
Applicants receiving offers Ex WA	21,873	23,575	25,625	27,386	28,197	28,734 27,398	29,982 27,465	0.2%	28.9%
Offer Rates EX WA	101.8%	98.8%	97.2%	100.0%	95.8%	99.2% 98.8%	97.5% 96.4%	-2.4 p. p	-5.9 p. p

Note: Offer rates are expressed as the number of applicants receiving offers as a percentage of all applicants. Given that offers may result from lower order preferences, offer rates may exceed 100%..

3. Information Technology

The number of applicants applying for Information Technology places in 2016 was up by 4.5% compared with 2015. Over the same period, the number of applicants who received Information Technology offers increased by 2.1%. Compared with 2015, the Information Technology offer rate decreased by 2.0 percentage points in 2016.

Table : Applicants, applicants receiving offers and offer rates, Information Technology, 2010-2016

	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	Change 2015-2016 (Ex WA)	Change 2010-2014
Applicants Ex WA	7,742	8,426	8,178	8,447	8,781	9,094 8,955	9,501 9,359	4.5%	13.4%
Applicants receiving offers Ex WA	6,766	7,416	7,029	7,243	7,827	7,899 7,767	8,062 7,932	2.1%	15.7%
Offer Rates Ex WA	87.4%	88.0%	86.0%	85.7%	89.1%	86.9% 86.7%	84.9% 84.8%	-2.0 p. p	1.7 p. p

4.