Find your way to uni with Course Compass

Finishing Year 12 this year and not sure what uni course to apply for? There are lots of things to think about when you're making such a big decision, but sometimes it can really help to find out what paths have been taken by people just like you.

Ask your like-minded family and friends? Sure. But now Course Compass also lets you tap into the experiences of over 100,000 recent UAC applicants.

How it works

Once you're in Course Compass, just follow these three easy steps:

1. Select the state or territory in which you are completing/have completed Year 12.
   Pre-2023 HSC students: Also select whether or not you know your ATAR.
2. Select your Year 12 courses (ie courses examined in 2023).
   Pre-2023 HSC students with an ATAR: Enter your HSC mark for each course.
3. Select your estimated ATAR range.
   Pre-2023 HSC students with an ATAR: Enter your actual ATAR.

That's it!

Course Compass will display the top fields of study offered to past applicants with your academic profile.

Why fields of study? All university courses are categorised into fields of study, or disciplines (eg Natural and Physical Sciences, Health, Management and Commerce) defined by the Australian Government. You'll find that university faculties and schools are organised in a similar way, although the actual names vary – one uni might have a Faculty of Engineering while another uni has a Faculty of Engineering and IT. In any case, they all give you a good idea of the type of courses they teach.

Your next step

Were you surprised by the results? Or did they confirm the direction you were already thinking of taking?

Either way, use these fields of study as a starting point for narrowing your uni options. Take advantage of the filtered course search within Course Compass, or come back to our website at any time and search for courses by field of study.

What you need to know

• Course Compass is based on historical data from NSW, but can be used by Year 12 students from anywhere in Australia. If one of your Year 12 courses is not listed, don't worry – just select all those that you can.
• The NSW HSC courses listed are those examined in 2023.
• Within each field of study there is a broad range of tertiary courses with very different ATAR and selection rank requirements. Therefore, the field of study results may not change when you select different ATARs.
• If you drill down to the course lists within Course Compass, all courses within a selected field of study will be displayed, not just those with admission criteria that match your ATAR range. This is because the lowest ATAR and selection rank for a course can change from year to year. Many courses also have additional admission criteria.
• When choosing the direction to take in your university studies, consider your interests and abilities and whether you can meet the admission criteria.