South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) processes applications for many of the courses offered by its participating institutions.  They assess the academic and non-academic qualifications presented by applicants, and rank eligible applicants in merit order for each course according to the rules and guidelines provided by the institutions.

SATAC generates offers based on the number of applicants required to fill each course, as set by the institutions, and act as a 'one-stop-shop' for enquiries about the outcomes of applications.  They also administer the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) for applicants applying for undergraduate courses under a special entry program, and process applications for selected equity scholarships at University of South Australia.

The selection rules for courses are the responsibility of the institution offering each course. SATAC doesn't make decisions on how qualifications are assessed or how eligible applicants are ranked, nor decide on the relative merits of different types of qualifications.