The Criminology and Justice degree, which was introduced only last year, experienced a 45 per cent increase in the number of offers made for Semester 1 (up from 84 offers to 122).

New combined degrees for 2016 in Education/Recreation and Outdoor Environmental Studies and in Psychology/Criminology & Justice have made strong starts with 60 and 54 offers respectively.

A total of 3,688 offers have been made to date for places at USC starting Semester 1, 2016, and that figure will increase when QTAC offer rounds are completed on 1 March.

The 3,688 offers for places at USC include 2,608 to applicants from the Sunshine Coast and neighbouring regions, 873 to residents from other areas of Queensland (including Brisbane) and 203 from interstate.

More than 300 offers have been made to residents in the Fraser Coast region, where USC will establish itself this semester, and almost 500 to residents in the Moreton Bay region, where USC plans to open a campus in 2020.

Top USC programs (most sought-after):

1. Bachelor of Nursing Science
2. Bachelor of Paramedic Science
3. Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science
4. Bachelor of Criminology and Justice
5. Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
6. Bachelor of Business (Tourism, Leisure & Event Management)
7. Bachelor of Science
8. Bachelor of Primary Education
9. Bachelor of Biomedical Science
10. Bachelor of Business

Offers made for USC degree programs in 2016

Of the 3,688 major round and early round offers made…
(All USC degree programs)

By Region
Where applicants have come from…
Sunshine Coast                       1,976 (53.6 per cent)
Moreton Bay and Somerset      505 (13.7 per cent)
Fraser Coast                           308
Brisbane                                184
Gympie                                  127
Other Qld                               381
Interstate                               203
Overseas                                4

Gender
Females   65.3 per cent
Males    34.6 per cent

Age 
20 or younger                2,483 (67.3 per cent)
21 and older                  1,205 (32.7 per cent)

OP or equivalent
1-10    48.6 per cent
1-15    89.9 per cent

Average OP   10.2

— Terry Walsh