Is an ATAR of 70 Actually Bad? The National Average Explained

The High-Achiever Bubble

If you attend a selective high school or an elite private school, the culture is toxic. Teachers talk about 95+ ATARs as the baseline expectation. Students who get an 80 hide their results in shame.

When a student logs in and sees an ATAR of 70.00, they often feel like their academic career is over.

Mathematically and statistically, this reaction is completely irrational.

The True National Average

The most important thing to remember is that the ATAR is a rank of your entire age group across Australia, including people who dropped out of school to work in retail or trades.

Simply by finishing Year 12 and qualifying for an ATAR, you have already outperformed thousands of your peers.

The average ATAR of students who receive one is typically around 70.00.

If you receive a 70.00 ATAR, it means you beat 70% of the entire Australian 17-year-old population. You are in the top 30% of the country.

What Can You Do With a 70 ATAR?

A 70 ATAR is the ultimate "golden ticket" for the vast majority of university degrees in Australia.

With a 70 ATAR, you can easily gain entry into:

Nursing (Highly employable, starting salary $75k+)

Teaching/Education (Massive shortages, instant employment)

Business & Commerce (At most mid-tier universities)

Information Technology

The only degrees you cannot access with a 70 ATAR are hyper-competitive fields like Medicine, Law, Veterinary Science, or elite Engineering courses at Group of Eight universities.

The Parental Misunderstanding

Parents often confuse the ATAR with a percentage grade. They see a 70 and think: "You only got a C grade on your exams!"

You must explain to them that a 70 is a percentile rank. It is the equivalent of being the 3rd fastest runner in a race of 10 people.

Stop holding yourself to the standard of the top 5% of the country. Use our ATAR Calculator to set a realistic, healthy goal that unlocks the specific degree you actually want to study.