Discover what we're all about here at Charles Sturt University, who our students are – and how you can join our community.
Charles Sturt University is Australia’s largest regional university. We're also the country's most experienced provider of online education.
Our history dates back to 1895 and the establishment of a vocational farm at Bathurst designed to give rural people access to education. Over subsequent decades, agricultural and teaching centres were set up in Wagga Wagga and Bathurst, so individuals could improve their prospects and better serve their communities.
Charles Sturt University officially became a university in 1989. Today we have campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Canberra, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga. We also have specialist centres in Parramatta and Wangaratta. Find out more about our locations
Our campuses are home to state-of-the-art facilities in which students gain practical experience. They include the National Life Sciences Hub. Dedicated university research centres. Public medical, dental, wellness and community engagement centres. A farm. An equine centre. Television studios. Art galleries. A radio station. And a winery.
We have unique partnerships with a wide variety of organisations. They include TAFE providers, the NSW Police Force, the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Commercial Radio Australia, the Islamic Sciences & Research Academy of Australia, and universities in China and Sri Lanka. We also have many partners around the world to enable our students to undertake international study experiences.
We believe studying at Charles Sturt changes people’s lives for the better. For our students this means not only the rewards of study and collaboration, but also access to a whole world of employment opportunities when they graduate.
Our research is also changing lives across our regions, the nation and the world. In the latest Australian Research Council's Excellence in Research for Australia initiative, we scored well above or above world standard in eight fields:
We are proud to be one of the top Australian universities for First Nations participation and graduation. And that participation is a key focus area for the university. We are also proud to be Australia's first official carbon neutral university.
Generally, we'll assess your application based on your selection rank. That's your ATAR plus any related adjustments, such as the regional location adjustment scheme.
If you want to study an undergraduate course with us, you'll typically need a selection rank of 65 or higher (or equivalent). Some courses have different entry requirements, such as a higher selection rank. Check your course page for specific information.
Some courses require you to attend an interview, give an audition, supply a portfolio or submit a supplementary application form in addition to your main application. Your performance in these areas will be assessed along with your academic grades. Refer to the course pages for specific details.
You can still use your ATAR to apply for entry into Charles Sturt. If you completed high school before 2009, you may have acquired a Universities Admission Index (UAI). See UAC's UAI-ATAR conversion table to see how it equates to the ATAR.
Generally, you will need to have one of the following:
You can also apply for recognition of prior learning. You may receive credit for your previous studies, meaning you can finish your course quicker.
The Course Director will assess your application. You may be asked to complete the special tertiary admissions test (STAT) and achieve a minimum score of 144. You may also need to provide additional academic supporting information, to demonstrate a reasonable prospect of success in the academic components of the course.
You could also explore our admission pathways. These include:
The Charles Sturt Advantage early offer program – You could receive an offer before you sit your exams based on your Year 11 results and your soft skills
UAC's Schools Recommendation Scheme – You could receive an offer before you sit your exams based on your Year 11 results and your school's rating of your abilities.
Access programs – Special consideration if you've experienced difficulties that have affected your studies or are an elite athlete or performer.
Enabling courses – We offer two short courses that prepare you for university study – and give guaranteed entry to most bachelor's degrees.
Charles Sturt is committed to increasing participation in education for First Nations Peoples.
We have a wide range of First Nations Student Services. They include Connections, which is our dedicated admission pathway for First Nations students. It's a five-day on-campus experience that can lead to guaranteed entry to many of our bachelor's degrees.
We also have a course open only to First Nations applicants. The Bachelor of Health Science (Mental Health) will give you the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes to provide mental health support in your community and mainstream mental health services.
Check our list of recognised secondary qualifications (although if your qualification isn't on it, you can still apply). If you completed an International Baccalaureate, visit UAC, where there is a table showing the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) equivalent for each baccalaureate subject. If you completed the NCEA Level 3, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) will calculate an Interstate Transfer Index (ITI). They'll send it to UAC or VTAC, who'll then send it to us.
If you are a citizen of country where English is not the official language, or are applying for any nursing course, you'll need to provide evidence of having completed a sufficient standard of study in English. There are some general English Language Proficiency requirements, while some courses have different criteria. Visit our entry requirements page for more information.
If you're applying for on-campus study or as a Year 12 student, you can apply via Charles Sturt Advantage, or via UAC or VTAC.1
If you're applying for online study or as a non-school leaver,2 visit our apply now page.
Visit course information and application dates for detailed information on your chosen course, including admission requirements.
1Apply through VTAC if you want to study the Bachelor of Oral Health (Therapy and Hygiene) at Holmesglen Chadstone, or you’re a Victorian Year 12 student and want to study on campus at Albury-Wodonga.
2 You're a non-school leaver if you completed high school more than two years ago.
Once you receive an offer to study with us, you can simply accept your offer online.
You will then receive an email outlining what you need to do to finalise your enrolment. This will include information on selecting your enrolment subject, obtaining your identification card, and information on fees and orientation.
After you have accepted an offer of admission, you can still apply for recognition of prior learning. You may receive credit for your previous studies or work experience, meaning you can finish your course quicker.
You can defer your offer for most Charles Sturt courses by up to one year. Check the list of courses that cannot be deferred. If your course can be deferred, simply complete the deferment of offer form.
Deferment is subject to the course being offered in the requested intake. If you want to defer an offer you have already accepted, you need to complete the deferment of offer form before the census date of your first session of study.
If you are not satisfied with the decision made about your admission, you can appeal. You must lodge your appeal within 14 days of the date of notification of the decision.
First, write to the Manager of Admissions outlining your reasons for appealing. If you disagree with the conclusion of the Manager of Admissions, you can appeal to the Review Officer.
For both these processes, submit your appeal to admissions@csu.edu.au marked either Attention: Manager of Admissions or Attention: Review Officer. Alternatively, post your appeal to: Charles Sturt University Admissions Office, Locked Bag 676, Wagga Wagga NSW 2678.
If you are dissatisfied with the decisions made by the Manager of Admissions and the Review Officer, you may submit a complaint to the University Ombudsman.
The table below gives an indication of the likely peer cohort for new students across all courses offered by Charles Sturt University. It provides data on students who commenced in the most relevant recent intake, including those admitted through all offer rounds and international students studying in Australia. Data is from Session One 2022.
| Applicant background | Number of students | Percentage of all students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) Higher education study | includes a bridging or enabling course | 1,698 | 31.36% |
| (B) Vocational education and training (VET) study | 1,606 | 29.66% | |
| (C) Work and life experience | Admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories | 616 | 11.38% |
| (D) Recent Secondary Education | Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR (regardless of whether this includes consideration of adjustment factors such as equality or subject bonus points) | 393 | 7.26% |
| Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR | 8 | 0.15% | |
| Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor (e.g. special considerations, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement) | 953 | 17.6% | |
| International students | 140 | 2.59% | |
| All students | 5,414 | 100.00% | |
Get more information about life as a university student in Australia.
