Early Entry Program

The University of Newcastle’s Early Entry Program is for NSW students completing Year 12 (Higher School Certificate or International Baccalaureate) at one of our recognised Early Entry Program participating secondary schools in 2026.

Early entry considers your Year 11 results and any VET qualifications (Certificate III or higher) completed in Year 11, giving you the opportunity to receive an offer to your chosen degree before you sit your final exams.

Please note that selection rank adjustments are not applied when assessing Early Entry offers.

Early Offer: Next Steps

Discover participating secondary schools for our Early Entry Program below. Use the search feature to find your school and explore opportunities for early admission in 2026.

Programs

You can apply for any undergraduate program through the Early Entry Program, except for the programs listed here:

  • Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Honours) (Diagnostic Radiography)
  • Bachelor of Midwifery
  • Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts
  • Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts/Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy
  • Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
  • Bachelor of Speech Pathology
  • Joint Medical Program
  • Open Foundation

You can apply for these programs through the Universities Admission Centre (UAC).

*Excluded programs will be reviewed annually and may change.

Eligibility for an Early Entry offer

  • Must be a domestic applicant
  • Must be completing the NSW HSC or IB in 2026
  • Must attend a recognised EEP participating secondary school
  • Must meet all other program requirements

How eligibility will be assessed

  • Offers will be based on the highest eligible rank derived from either:
  • Four or more RoSA results (8 units), including at least two units of English; or
  • A VET qualification at Certificate III or higher, completed in 2025

Early Entry Conditions

  • VET qualifications must be completed, AQF-recognised, and mapped to a rank of 67.00 (Certificate III) or 73.00 (Certificate IV).
  • All offers remain conditional upon completion of the NSW HSC or IB, regardless of the assessment criteria used for entry.
  • An Early Entry rank will only be calculated where the applicant has consented to the release of their results to UAC, is on track to complete their senior secondary studies, and remains enrolled at the time of assessment.
Who can apply?

Who can apply?

Eligible domestic NSW students completing Year 12 in 2026.

A student is considered domestic for university admission purposes if they are an Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen (or dual citizenship holders of either Australia or New Zealand), Australian permanent resident, or Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder.

Eligibility is based on your NESA-enrolled school, as recorded in official NSW Year 12 records. This does not include partner or satellite schools. If you are unsure which school you are officially enrolled in, please check with your school or contact NESA directly.

International applicants, including those currently onshore studying another qualification, have the option to apply directly to the University through our international admissions process.

Applications are closed for 2026 Admission

Preferences

When you apply, you can choose up to three preferences and adjust them throughout the application period.

Your early offer will be based on your highest eligible preference when preference changes close, so make sure your preferred degree is listed as your top choice.

Preference Deadlines

11:59 PM on Thursday, 3 September 2026: We’ll assess your application based on the preferences you’ve locked in by this deadline. Any changes you make after that won’t count — so make sure your preference list is final!

11:59 PM on Thursday, 24 September 2026: If you apply for Early Entry between 4 September and 24 September 2026, this is your deadline to finalise your preferences.

Not eligible for an early offer? No worries!

If you don’t meet the requirements for any of your preferred degrees, we’ll review your preferences and offer you an alternative — like a pathway program (Diploma or Open Foundation) or a lower-ranked degree in the same study area (if available).

Offers

Please note that you will receive only one early offer through our Early Entry Program, and the offer is conditional on your completion of the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) or International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2026.

Early Offer Day 1: Thursday, 10 September 2026 (Main)

For applications received between 8 April and 3 September 2026.

Early Offer Day 2: Thursday, 1 October 2026 (Supplementary)

For applications received between 4 September and 24 September 2026.

You will have seven days to accept your early offer and secure your place at the University of Newcastle.

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2026 Key dates

08 Apr
UAC Applications OPEN
08 Apr
Early Entry Program Applications OPEN
03 Sep
Applications and preference changes for Early Offer Day 1 CLOSE
10 Sep
Early Offer Day 1 (Main)
24 Sep
Applications and preference changes for Early Offer Day 2 CLOSE
01 Oct
Early Offer Day 2 (Supplementary)

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Hear from Ruby, a current undergraduate student 1.11

"When I first received my early entry offer, I was really happy because I felt like a big weight was lifted from my shoulders... I felt a lot more secure knowing I had a guaranteed pathway into next year."

- Ruby, Undergraduate Student