ATAR for Dentistry in Australia

What ATAR do you need for dentistry?

Direct entry to dentistry usually needs an ATAR of about 95 or higher. The exact figure depends on the university. And the most competitive programs sit near 99.

Only a small number of universities offer undergraduate dentistry, so competition is intense. Alongside your ATAR, almost all of them require the UCAT, a national admissions test, and an interview.

This means your ATAR alone does not decide the outcome. A strong ATAR gets you shortlisted. And your UCAT score and interview then decide the offer.

The UCAT and interview

The UCAT is an aptitude test that most dentistry programs use. It does not test dental knowledge. It tests reasoning, decision-making and situational judgement, and it needs real preparation.

Give the UCAT scheduled preparation time through the first half of Year 12. Learn the question types early, then build up to full timed sections so the pace feels familiar.

Most programs also use an interview, often a series of short stations. It checks communication and reasoning. And it carries real weight alongside your ATAR and UCAT.

Getting in with a lower ATAR

If your ATAR falls short of direct entry, dentistry still has routes in. A rural or regional background can open a dedicated pathway at some universities.

The main alternative is the postgraduate route. You complete a bachelor's degree, usually in science, then sit the GAMSAT and apply for a Doctor of Dental Medicine.

Some students also enter a related degree, do well, and transfer or reapply. Strong university marks, not your ATAR, decide these routes.

Where dentistry is offered

Undergraduate dentistry is offered at only a few universities across the country, which is part of why cut-offs are so high. Programs vary in their exact prerequisites and admissions tests.

You apply through your state admissions centre. And your ATAR is calculated the same way wherever you sit Year 12. Use the calculator above as a guide, then confirm the current cut-off, the admissions test. And the interview format for each university.