ANU Admissions · Undergraduate and Postgraduate Entry Requirements

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ANU’s admissions process differs from other Australian universities in several important ways — most notably its unique direct application system and early offer framework. This guide covers undergraduate and postgraduate entry requirements for both domestic and international applicants.

Undergraduate Admissions: The ANU Direct Application

Unlike other Australian universities, ANU does not participate in the standard state-based Tertiary Admissions Centre (TAC) system for all applicants. Instead, ANU operates its own ANU Direct Application system, which runs alongside the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) for NSW/ACT applicants.

ATAR Requirements

ANU’s ATAR cutoffs vary by program but are generally the highest in Australia for equivalent degrees:

  • Law (LLB): 98+
  • Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE): 98+
  • International Security Studies: 95+
  • Advanced Computing: 90-95
  • Science (Advanced) (Honours): 95+
  • Arts: 80-85
  • Business Administration: 85-90

ANU assesses ATAR requirements as part of a holistic selection process. The university considers not just raw ATAR but also subject prerequisites, personal statements, and co-curricular activities. ANU was one of the first Australian universities to adopt a holistic admissions model, introduced in 2020.

Early Offer Scheme

ANU’s early offer scheme closes in May each year (Semester 1 intake). Key dates:

  • May: Applications close (domestic direct entry)
  • August: Early offers released
  • October: UAC offers round
  • February: Semester 1 commencement

International applicants follow a separate timeline with multiple intakes per year.

Prerequisites and Assumed Knowledge

Most ANU programs require specific Year 12 subjects:

  • Engineering / Science: Mathematics Advanced (ACT: Mathematical Methods) + one science subject
  • Law: No formal prerequisite, but English Advanced strongly recommended
  • PPE: No prerequisites, but Mathematics Advanced recommended for the economics stream
  • Health Science: Chemistry + Mathematics Advanced

International Baccalaureate (IB)

ANU accepts IB Diploma scores, with competitive entry typically requiring:

  • Law: 40+ (out of 45)
  • PPE: 39+
  • Science: 36-40
  • Arts: 30-32

International Student Admissions

Academic Requirements

ANU accepts qualifications from most international education systems:

  • China: Gaokao · 525-675/750 depending on program
  • India: CBSE/ISC Class XII · 85-95% aggregate
  • Singapore: GCE A-Levels · AAA-ABB
  • Malaysia: STPM / UEC · CGPA 3.0-3.5 / A1-B3
  • US: SAT/ACT + High School Diploma · SAT 1400+ / ACT 30+
  • UK: GCE A-Levels · A*AA-ABB

English Language Requirements

ANU requires demonstrable English proficiency. Accepted tests and minimum scores:

  • IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall (6.0 each band) · 7.0 overall (6.5 each band)
  • TOEFL iBT: 80 (20 writing, 18 other) · 100 (24 writing)
  • PTE Academic: 64 (55 each skill) · 70 (58 each skill)
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced: 176 (169 each) · 185 (176 each)

ANU also accepts completion of Australian Year 12 English, IB English, or certain international qualifications taught entirely in English as satisfying the language requirement.

Application Deadlines for International Students

  • Semester 1 (February): 15 December
  • Semester 2 (July): 31 May

Some programs (Medicine, some Law double degrees) only accept Semester 1 entry.

Postgraduate Admissions

Master’s by Coursework

ANU offers 100+ coursework master’s programs. General requirements:

  • Completed bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution
  • Minimum GPA typically 5.0/7.0 (or equivalent)
  • Some programs require relevant disciplinary background or work experience

Competitive programs (Master of Laws, Master of Finance, Master of Computing) typically require higher GPAs and may involve interviews or portfolios.

PhD and MPhil

ANU is Australia’s most research-intensive university, with one of the highest PhD-to-undergraduate ratios. Admission to research degrees requires:

  • A bachelor’s degree with first-class or upper second-class honours (or equivalent)
  • A research proposal (typically 2-5 pages)
  • Identification of a potential supervisor
  • Evidence of research capability (published papers, thesis excerpts)

ANU’s PhD programs are structured around the Thesis by Compilation model — candidates typically produce 3-5 publishable papers over 3-4 years, which together form the thesis, rather than a single monograph.

Scholarships

ANU distributes over $200 million annually in scholarships. Key programs:

For Domestic Students

  • ANU Chancellor’s International Scholarship: Up to 50% tuition fee reduction
  • ANU College of Business & Economics India Excellence Scholarship: 50% fee reduction
  • ANU Study Canberra Scholarship: AUD 10,000 per year for international students based in Canberra

For International Students

  • ANU Global Diversity Scholarship: AUD 25,000 per year
  • Australia Awards Scholarship: Full tuition, living allowance, airfares (government-funded, competitive)
  • Destination Australia Scholarship: AUD 15,000 per year for students studying in regional areas

Research Scholarships

  • ANU PhD Scholarship: AUD 36,652 per year (2026 rate), indexed annually, for 3.5 years
  • ANU HDR Fee Remission Merit Scholarship: Full tuition fee coverage for international PhD students

Most research scholarships are awarded on academic merit and research alignment. Separate application deadlines apply — typically August-October for commencement the following year.

Acceptance and Enrolment

ANU admissions offers are conditional or unconditional. Conditional offers require meeting outstanding requirements (final exam results, English test scores). Unconditional offers can be accepted immediately via the ANU applicant portal.

Enrolment typically opens 6-8 weeks before semester start. ANU uses ISIS (Interactive Student Information System) for course enrolment, which students access via the ANU identity (UniID) issued upon acceptance.

Students are encouraged to attend O-Week (Orientation Week) the week before semester begins for campus familiarisation, academic advising sessions, and college welcome events.