Undergraduate Applications, Offers and Acceptances 2016

Acknowledgements

The Department of Education and Training would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of higher education sector stakeholders to improving the available information on university applications and offers. Their ongoing expert advice and assistance is indispensable to this project. Finally, the department would like to thank all TACs and universities for submitting high quality data over the 2015-2016 admission cycle.

3. Applicants

   1. Number of Applicants

In 2016, 256,990 TAC applications (excluding WA TAC applicants) were made, including double counting of applicants who had submitted applications in several states. When individual applicants were counted, this number decreased to 235,016. On the other hand, there were 115,083 applicants who applied directly to universities (reduced from 115,634 direct applications). The total number of applicants across Australia by May 2016, therefore was, 350,099 adding both TAC and direct applicants together.
Further analysis shows that that there was an overlap of 21,880 applicants who applied through TACs as well as directly to universities, hence the number of individuals (unique applicants) that applied for a university place in 2016 was 328,219, an increase of 1.7% compared to 2015. Direct applicants made up of 32.9% of total applicants in 2016.

Females represented more than half (59.0%) of all applicants.

2. State and Territory

Compared with 2015, WA recorded the largest growth in applicants (4.4%), followed by Queensland (3.6%). Northern Territory (-1.8%), South Australia (-1.3%) and Tasmania

(-0.7%) experienced negative growth. Applicants from other state and territories recorded positive but below-average growth.

Table : Applicants by state and territory (excluding WA TAC applicants)*, 2015-2016

State/Territory	2015	2016	% Change
NSW	108,193	109,277	1.0%
VIC	87,663	89,069	1.6%
QLD	63,391	65,683	3.6%
WA*	16,716	17,448	4.4%
SA	26,106	25,773	-1.3%
TAS	9,021	8,958	-0.7%
ACT	6,574	6,647	1.1%
NT	2,607	2,560	-1.8%
Total	322,779	328,219	1.7%

State and territory are based on the applicants’ residential postcode when they lodge their applications.

*Applications 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.

The following table shows there was moderate growth in applications in 2016 as the demand driven system matures.

Table : Applicants, 2010-2016

Australia	Applicants (including WA TAC applicants)	Growth rate (including WA TAC applicants)	Growth rate (excluding WA TAC applicants)
2010	292,854	-
2011	302,472	3.3%
2012	309,639	2.4%
2013	316,607	2.3%
2014	324,877	2.6%
2015	333,514	2.7%	3.2%
2016	341,421	2.4%	1.7%

Notes: The Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) was included in the Applications and Offers data collection for the first time in 2013. However, in 2013, provision of CHESSN data was not comprehensive. From 2010 to 2013, unique applicants’ figures were derived from personal characteristics. In 2014, a unique count of applicants and offers was made possible using CHESSN and hence comparison across time warrants caution. In the 2014 report, applicants with missing CHESSNs were excluded. In this year’s report, the 2014 figures have been revised where applicants with missing CHESSNs were replaced by unique id based on their personal characteristics, thus boosting the number of applicants in 2014. Due to changes in administrative arrangements at the University of Tasmania, data for 2015 and 2016 in this report include Bachelor Honours level applicants. Similar data for 2015 published last year did not include Bachelor Honours level applicants.

3.