The most popular areas of study for Queensland’s 2020 high school graduates are law, economics, psychology and health while the interest in arts degrees has dropped, according to early QTAC university offers.
More than 4000 students across the state yesterday learnt their academic futures in QTAC’s November offer round.
The most popular courses offered by fields of education were society and culture, with 893 offers in law, economics, psychology, sport and recreation.
The second most popular saw 856 students offered spots in health-related degrees.
This comes as a major shift from 2019, which saw Creative Arts in top spot, now falling by eight per cent into third this year.
It comes after the Federal Government passed laws that saw the cost of arts and humanities degrees more than double, while nursing, mathematics and teaching degrees will become cheaper as of next year.
Queensland University of Technology offered 207 students a spot in their Bachelor of Business degree, making it the top course of the offer round.
Bachelor of Nursing Science, Tertiary Preparation Pathway and Bachelor of Music all offered more than 100 students tertiary positions.
QTAC Chief Executive Dr John Griffiths said the 2020 Year 12 cohort had experienced a year like no other.
“Not only are they the first group to come through the new QCE system and be issued with the inaugural Queensland ATAR, they have also completed their senior year during a global pandemic,” he said.
More scheduled offer rounds are on December 23 and January 14.
This year’s senior students were the first year 7’s to join high school, the first cohort in Australian history to go into lockdown and study externally online and the first cohort through the new QCE system and to receive an ATAR.
Saint Stephen’s year 12 student Lauren Batchelor said while there had been several interruptions in her year, she was looking forward to her next chapter.
“I like to be very organised,” she said.
“I have applied to do midwifery on the Gold Coast, I have a love for children and did my certificate 3 in early childhood care.”
She has applied for the course at both Southern Cross University and Griffith University.
Originally published as REVEALED: Most popular degrees as grads look to future