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Thousands of people – from recent West Australian high school graduates, to mature-aged, interstate and international students – have applied to study at one of the state’s five universities in 2026.
Now, Tertiary Institutions Service Centre data has revealed which degrees were the most popular this year, with some receiving close to 2000 applications.
Medicine was clearly the most popular choice, with the number of people applying at both Curtin University and the University of Western Australia sitting at 1823 and 1758, respectively.
But the courses were incredibly selective, with just 5.5 per cent of applicants offered a place in the most in-demand course.
Notre Dame’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science offered just 4.2 per cent of applicants a spot, just over 2 per cent were offered a spot in UWA’s Doctor of Dental Medicine, and Curtin’s Bachelor of Science (Paramedicine) course offered just 1.5 per cent a position.
Curtin University School of Management and Marketing Head Professor Julia Richardson said the courses with the highest interest tended to be ones with two things in common – job security and prospects, and financial stability.
“The cost of living has soared and so the financial imperative is a really important driver in choosing a university course,” Richardson said.
“For example, mining is seen as something that will always be there, particularly in WA, and many students are choosing engineering to secure a place within that industry.
“There are also internships available, often through partnerships with universities, which offer a pathway to direct employment in these companies – something that smaller organisations struggle to compete with.
“Word then spreads based on positive experiences which encourages students to apply for the course.”
Richardson said commerce was similar, with chances for internships or work on consultancy projects.
“Commerce or business-related courses are really promoted as producing career-ready graduates with transferrable skills, who can adapt to various roles,” she said.
Richardson said medical degrees topped the list because they offered multiple pathways and specialisations.
She said the fact thousands of people were applying while knowing few get offered a position was also a reflection of parental support and encouragement from schools.
“These students are performing well academically and have the confidence to think, ‘Well why wouldn’t I give it a go?’,” she said.
While science and business courses were the top choices for students, there was not a single arts or humanities-based course included.
Richardson said that was “sad and unfortunate”.
“We need to do a better job at promoting the arts and move away from this really linear view that those courses won’t get you a job,” she said.
“So many employers are looking for qualities arts courses develop – linguistic skills, creativity, design and innovation.
“If we think about transferrable skills, the arts should top the list.”
Richardson said she was a great example – her first degree was in social anthropology, and now she runs the university’s business school.
She said research from the Foundation for Young Australians had shown those aged 18 to 25 would likely change careers between five and seven times, and jobs 17 times, in their lives.
“That’s another reason why transferrable skills are important, and why arts courses should be prioritised,” she said.
“If we’re looking at long-term career trajectories, it is likely to take an uncertain or unexpected path.”
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Holly Thompson is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in education and the environment.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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