Admissions · Australia

University of Sydney Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements

The University of Sydney does not publish an acceptance rate. UAC data show 13,600 current Year 12 students listed Sydney as their first preference for 2026 entry and the University made 11,636 offers to Year 12 applicants; these count different groups, so they do not give an acceptance rate.

The University of Sydney TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance

Minimum TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic scores for The University of Sydney
Applying for	TOEFL iBT	IELTS Academic
Undergraduate (University standard; some courses higher)	TOEFL iBT85 overall with Reading 17, Listening 17, Speaking 17 and Writing 19 — the concordance-table equivalent of IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0), on the pre-2026 0–120 scale. Only the TOEFL Australia version is accepted; no 1–6 minimum has been published.	IELTS Academic6.5 overall with no band below 6.0

Full requirements and official sources · Check your TOEFL band with a free mock test

Sydney publishes no applications or offers totals of its own. The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC), which runs undergraduate admissions for New South Wales and the ACT, publishes for each institution how many applicants listed it as their first preference and how many offers it made. This page uses those official figures, explains what they count, and lists the English test scores international applicants need.

Figures read from official sources on 26 October 2026 · LingoLeap Admissions Research

The University of Sydney acceptance rate by year

The University of Sydney applicants, admits and acceptance rate by admission cycle
Cycle	Applicants	Admitted	Acceptance rate
2026 entry (UAC 2025–26) · current Year 12	13,600 first preferences	11,636 offers	Not published source
2025 entry (UAC 2024–25) · current Year 12	11,990 first preferences	12,846 offers	Not published source
2024 entry (UAC 2023–24) · current Year 12	10,237 first preferences	9,967 offers	Not published source
2023 entry (UAC 2022–23) · current Year 12	9,701 first preferences	9,351 offers	Not published source

Sydney's share of UAC first preferences, by applicant type

The University of Sydney acceptance rate by admission round, college or applicant group
Group	Cycle	Rate	Detail
Current Year 12 applicants	2026 entry	26.05% of first preferences	13,600 of 52,206 UAC first preferences, the most of any UAC institution (24.09% for 2025 entry). source
Non-Year 12 domestic applicants	2026 entry	21.96% of first preferences	5,849 of 26,631 first preferences; 4,869 offers made to non-Year 12 applicants. source
International applicants through UAC	2026 entry	39.94% of first preferences	986 of 2,469 international first preferences; 903 offers. Covers only international students who applied through UAC. source
International applicants through UAC	2025 entry	43.47% of first preferences	849 of 1,954 international first preferences; 939 offers. source

What the numbers mean

UAC's 'first preferences' counts applicants who put Sydney at the top of their course list. 'Total offers' counts every offer Sydney made through UAC, including offers to applicants who listed it as a second or later preference. Because the two cover different groups, dividing one by the other does not give an acceptance rate: for 2025 entry Sydney made 12,846 offers to current Year 12 students, more than the 11,990 who listed it first.

What the figures do show is demand. Sydney received the largest share of UAC first preferences of any institution in every applicant category for 2026 entry: 26.05% of current Year 12 first preferences, 21.96% of non-Year 12 and 39.94% of international, with UNSW second in each. Year 12 first preferences rose from 9,701 for 2023 entry to 13,600 for 2026 entry. The 2026 figures were extracted in June 2026 and earlier years in March, so the years are not exactly comparable.

UAC's tables include only applications made through UAC. Neither the University nor UAC publishes a total of international applications or offers for Sydney, so there is no official international acceptance rate; figures quoted elsewhere are estimates.

The University of Sydney TOEFL and IELTS requirements

Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.

Undergraduate (University standard; some courses higher)

TOEFL iBT: 85 overall with Reading 17, Listening 17, Speaking 17 and Writing 19 — the concordance-table equivalent of IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0), on the pre-2026 0–120 scale. Only the TOEFL Australia version is accepted; no 1–6 minimum has been published.

IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0

Academic tests only; IELTS Online and TOEFL Home Edition are not accepted. Results must be no more than two years old at course commencement. TOEFL equivalents are from Sydney's English language concordance table (last updated July 2026).

University of Sydney, English language requirements (international students) · checked 26 October 2026

Check your score against The University of Sydney

Take a free 2026-format TOEFL mock test for a 1–6 band estimate, then compare it with the minimum above and with other universities' requirements.

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FAQ

What is the University of Sydney acceptance rate?

Sydney does not publish one. The closest official data are UAC's: for 2026 entry 13,600 current Year 12 applicants listed Sydney as their first preference and Sydney made 11,636 offers to Year 12 applicants. Offers include applicants who listed Sydney lower down, so the two numbers cannot be divided into an acceptance rate.

What is the University of Sydney acceptance rate for international students?

There is no official figure. UAC's tables cover only international students who applied through UAC (986 first preferences and 903 offers for 2026 entry), not applications made outside UAC. What Sydney does publish is the entry standard: your qualification results plus English at IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or the course-specific requirement.

Is the University of Sydney hard to get into?

It is the most requested university in the UAC system: 26.05% of all current Year 12 first preferences for 2026 entry named Sydney. No official overall acceptance rate exists.

What TOEFL score does the University of Sydney require?

Sydney sets its standard in IELTS (6.5 overall, no band below 6.0) and converts it with its concordance table: TOEFL iBT 85 overall with at least 17 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 19 in Writing. Only the TOEFL Australia version, reported on the 0–120 scale, is accepted; Sydney has not published a minimum on the 1–6 scale. TOEFL Home Edition is not accepted. Some courses require more.

What IELTS score does the University of Sydney require?

IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0 is the University's standard requirement; some faculties and courses set higher scores, so check your course page. IELTS Online is not accepted, and results must be no more than two years old when the course starts.