Thinking about where to study in 2026?
Choosing the right university is as important as choosing the right course. At ECU, we believe it's not what you learn, but how you learn it that matters. Like getting hands-on in your first year, doing prac placements with employers and making early industry connections. Ready to choose the right university?
Why study at ECU?
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A great student experience
As an ECU undergraduate, you can expect the best overall student experience of any of the 38 public universities in Australia. More about QILT.
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The highest quality teaching
ECU is one of the best unis in Australia for teaching. We've had 18 straight years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide to prove it!
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One of the world's young guns
We're ranked one of the world's best universities under 50 years old, and we've already established a global reputation for such a young institution.
Let’s look at your study options in 2026
Whether you’re an ATAR student or you don’t have an ATAR, this page will help you make choices about study options in 2026 – regardless of the outcome of your exam results.
Please read our FAQs that cover everything from TISC preferences to early offers, ATAR result scenarios, applications and more.
ATAR can open many doors at university
ECU is the choice of many successful ATAR students who've found their ideal course and are preparing for their first career. Bree Elliott is a great example.
No ATAR is no barrier to uni study
ECU is home to loads of mature age students who've come to university to change career direction or to realise a dream. People like Dan Campbell.
Need to choose another pathway?
If you didn't get the ATAR you expected, or you don't have one, there are different pathways you can take to our university.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
ATAR students
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Don't panic – it happens! Fortunately, ATAR is not the only pathway into university.
It's OK to take a different path or change your mind about your preferences.
If you need to talk about it, contact our Future Students Team, or call them on 134 328.
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If you didn’t satisfy ECU’s minimum English competency requirements based on your Year 12 results (either school letter grade or scaled score), you may be eligible to sit STAT to meet this requirement.
STAT is administered by TISC. Year 12 students are only able to sit the Written English part of the test and must have received permission from ECU or be invited by TISC to do so. This is because your Year 12 English results are considered a near miss for entry into a bachelor’s degree or for another exceptional circumstance.
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Eligible students from identified Western Australian schools will receive an automated ATAR adjustment of up to 10 selection ranks to support the entry of students from areas with educational disadvantage.
- Eligible students with an ATAR of 60 to 69.95 will receive a selection rank adjustment to 70
- Eligible students with an ATAR of 70 and above will receive a selection rank adjustment of 5, up to a maximum ATAR of 90
Check the ECU Access Eligible WA Schools list
Non-ATAR students
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ATAR isn’t the only pathway into university. There are other options such as UniPrep, the Experienced Based Entry Scheme and the Creative Humanities Portfolio Enty pathway.
If you need to talk about it, contact our Future Students Team, or call them on 134 328.
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If you’re ready to apply for a course, follow these steps:
If you’re a current Year 12 student in Australia and want to apply for a bachelor's degree or UniPrep course commencing in Semester 1, 2026 you should submit your application through TISC unless you’re applying for one of the following courses:
All WAAPA courses, a Music Education major in the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) course, or a UniPrep Summer course.
If you didn’t apply through TISC and missed the TISC main offer round on December 24, you can apply direct to us https://apply.ecu.edu.au/connect/apwebconnect
- Consider having a back-up course in case you’ve applied for a popular course, and it’s oversubscribed (you can apply for up to 3 courses)
- Check that you meet course entry requirements, including any special admission or ‘inherent’ requirements
- Check the application dates for your chosen course
- Apply for a scholarship (these are awarded to all kinds of people, not just high achievers)
- Have scanned copies of other qualifications, your resume or other required paperwork, ready to upload
Early offers
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In most cases, you won’t need to do anything. But please check the information in your offer from us.
If you've met all the offer conditions, you’ll receive a final offer once results are published.
If you didn't meet the offer conditions, don't worry – we’ll be in touch with your options.
Make sure you keep ECU as your first preference.
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If you don’t meet the offer conditions, we’ll be in touch with your options. Remember, ATAR is not the only pathway into university.
It's OK to take a different path or change your mind about your preferences. If you need to talk about it, contact our Future Students Team, or call them on 134 328.
TISC preferences
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Yes, please do. UniPrep (short for University Preparation Course) is a great foundation to further study, designed to give you the academic skills to succeed at university. If you successfully complete UniPrep you'll be eligible for entry into many of our undergraduate degrees.
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There are 2 rounds of offers from TISC, a main round on 24 December 2025, and a second round on 20 January 2026.
Make sure ECU is listed as your first preference.
Main round offers
If you got an offer in the main round and you:
- are happy with this and ready to start – accept your offer by following the instructions in the offer email
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- aren't sure the offer is what you really want – don’t respond to the offer, just use the TISC 'automatic safety net'
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- have completely changed your mind about what to study – you should change your preferences in TISC and remove the offered preference from your preference list
If you didn’t get an offer in the main round and you:
- aren’t sure why – contact our Future Students Team or call them on 134 328 to check your eligibility and to get other advice
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- have since met the admission requirements, e.g. by achieving the required score in STAT Written English, you’ll be considered for an offer in the second round
For more information, visit TISC Offers
Second round offers
If you received a second round offer you should accept, defer or reject it by following the instructions in the email. This is the last offer round.
If you didn’t receive a second round offer and you:
- aren’t sure why – contact our Future Students Team or call them on 134 328 to check your eligibility and to get other advice
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- have since met the admission requirements – contact our Future Students Team, or call them on 134 328 for further advice
For more information, visit TISC Offers
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These are the key TISC dates for you to change your preferences:
24 December – is the closing date to change preferences for the main round of offers.
20 January - is the closing date to change preferences for the second round offers.
Make sure ECU is listed as your first preference.
General questions
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If you need some help with selecting a course, you should contact our Future Students Team, or call them on 134 328.
Alternatively, you might want to try our Career Finder quiz to help you find a career direction and some recommended courses.
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It varies, depending on the course and the type of application. Please read your offer letter and any correspondence carefully and act as soon as you can.
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Yes, you can defer your offer for up to 12 months (2 consecutive semesters), subject to certain restrictions and meeting the application deadlines. You can defer most courses, except for some WAAPA, Nursing, Music Education and competitive entry courses.
In some instances, if the course has a mid-year intake, you can defer for 6 months (one semester).
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If you didn’t satisfy ECU’s minimum English competency requirements based on your Year 12 results (either school letter grade or scaled score), you may be eligible to sit STAT to meet this requirement.
STAT is administered by TISC. Year 12 students are only able to sit the Written English part of the test and must have received permission from ECU or be invited by TISC to do so. This is because your Year 12 English results are considered a near miss for entry into a bachelor’s degree or for another exceptional circumstance.
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We'll send you an Offer via email for a place at ECU.
The letter contains your student number and details about your course, such as the course code, study mode and campus. It also explains the steps for responding to your offer and what to do next. Don’t lose it!
p.s. if your application is successful, check your eligibility for credit for prior learning. You could be awarded credits that shorten your course duration.
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It's OK to take a different path or change your mind about your preferences.
Please contact our Future Students Team for advice on this.
Alternatively, you can visit our pathways page to consider your options.
Want to talk about your options for 2026?
If your new year’s resolution is to study, why not contact our friendly Future Students team to work through your options? Better still, come along to our special event on 22 January at 5.30pm and they’ll help you in person! (There’s free food too).
ECU Experience
Our campuses offer much more than excellent lecture theatres, libraries and cool study spaces. You'll also find a whole range of services to support you through uni, including student accommodation, a medical centre, cafes, gyms and more.
Life on campus
Uni isn't all about lectures, assignments, and exams. When you're here, you've got loads of opportunities to expand your interests, improve your career prospects, and meet new people. Join in the fun!
Clubs and Societies
ECU has loads of clubs for students to join. We cater for every interest imaginable. The best place to start is our Student Guild.
Do some volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to meet other students, get out into the community and to grow your employability skills while doing good things.
ECU sports and fitness
Our campuses have excellent sports and gym facilities, plus opportunities to join group fitness classes, social sports teams, and plenty more.
We support you like few other unis can
ECU's legendary student support is all about helping you adjust to being a uni student. That includes learning advisers and buddies to help with assignments and academic requirements, as well as career advisers, a medical centre and a free counselling service.
Study Advice and Assistance
We help students adjust to university level study, including assignment techniques, technology advice and career planning, through services like:
- Learning advisers
- Peer leaders and buddy programs
- Library specialists
- Career advisers, job skills and search
Health and Wellness
We help students maintain physical and mental health or assist with specific study challenges through services like:
- On-campus medical centres
- Free counselling service
- Equity, diversity and disability service
- A Student Success team
The Important Things
Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.
Course Entry
There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.
Fees & Scholarships
Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.
Applying
Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.
ECU Experience
Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.