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Read this guide to see how Sydney’s Schools performed in relation to each other. The 2018 High School Rankings have been derived from the NESA data that is publicly available. Our rankings include a complete list of schools and results based on their HSC performance.
We have included the rankings from 2016 and 2017 to provide an overview of each school’s performance history.
In this 2018 High School rankings article, we provide you with an easy to understand analysis of the top 150 schools based on their performance. We have broken the data down into :
The pie chart provided below shows the distribution of the top 150 schools by their type – government non-selective, government selective, and independent.
Key insights from the 2018 data:
A list of the top 10 performing schools from each of the above categories are tabulated below.
| No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Government/Selective Schools | 2018 Success Rate |
| 1 | 1 | James Ruse Agricultural High School (Carlingford) | 74.73% |
| 2 | 2 | North Sydney Boys High School (Crows Nest) | 58.13% |
| 3 | 4 | Sydney Girls High School (Surry Hills)) | 51.83% |
| 4 | 5 | Baulkham Hills High School | 51.03% |
| 5 | 6 | North Sydney Girls High School (Crows Nest) | 49.95% |
| 6 | 7 | Sydney Boys High School (Moore Park) | 45.87% |
| 7 | 8 | Hornsby Girls High School | 45.65% |
| 8 | 10 | Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus | 44.59% |
| 9 | 15 | Fort Street High School (Petersham) | 39.37% |
| 10 | 16 | Normanhurst Boys High School | 39.82% |
| No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Government/Non-Selective Schools | 2018 Success Rate |
| 1 | 50 | Willoughby Girls High School | 25.30% |
| 2 | 63 | Cheltenham Girls High School (Cheltenham) | 21.46% |
| 3 | 64 | Parramatta Marist High School (Westmead) | 21.31% |
| 4 | 68 | Killara High School | 19.71% |
| 5 | 69 | Carlingford High School | 19.68% |
| 6 | 81 | Cherrybrook Technology High School | 17.01% |
| 7 | 83 | Castle Hill High School | 16.77% |
| 8 | 86 | Strathfield Girls High School | 16.41% |
| 9 | 87 | Killarney Heights High School | 16.30% |
| 10 | 89 | Epping Boys High School (Marsfield) | 16.14% |
| No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Independent Schools | 2018 Success Rates |
| 1 | 3 | Sydney Grammar School (Darlinghurst) | 57.07% |
| 2 | 9 | Reddam House (Woollahra) | 45.17% |
| 3 | 11 | Abbotsleigh (Wahroonga) | 44.22% |
| 4 | 12 | Meriden School (Strathfield) | 41.39% |
| 5 | 13 | Wenona School (North Sydney) | 41.03% |
| 6 | 14 | Kambala (Rose Bay) | 40.28% |
| 7 | 17 | Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney (Croydon) | 38.61% |
| 8 | 18 | Ascham School (Edgecliff) | 36.67% |
| 9 | 21 | Pymble Ladies’ College | 35.88% |
| 10 | 22 | SHORE – Sydney Church of England Grammar School (North Sydney) | 35.32% |
The graph below shows a selection of the most improved schools in the 2018 high school rankings
If you would like an explanation of how this data is organised and how to use it, please read the Overview to the Beginner’s Guide to High School Rankings.
Terminology
The top 150 schools by their success rate are shown in the table below:
| School | 2018 Ranking | 2017 Ranking | 2016 Ranking | 2018 Success Rate | High Scores | 2018 Total HSC Exams Sat |
| James Ruse Agricultural High School (Carlingford) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 74.73% | 748 | 1001 |
| North Sydney Boys High School (Crows Nest) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 58.13% | 561 | 965 |
| Sydney Grammar School | 3 | 6 | 6 | 57.07% | 710 | 1244 |
| Sydney Girls High School (Surry Hills) | 4 | 4 | 13 | 51.83% | 539 | 1040 |
| Baulkham Hills High School | 5 | 2 | 2 | 51.03% | 646 | 1266 |
| North Sydney Girls High School (Crows Nest) | 6 | 8 | 4 | 49.95% | 477 | 955 |
| Sydney Boys High School (Moore Park) | 7 | 5 | 7 | 45.87% | 561 | 1223 |
| Hornsby Girls High School | 8 | 7 | 5 | 45.65% | 342 | 750 |
| Reddam House | 9 | 17 | 8 | 45.17% | 243 | 538 |
| Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus | 10 | 10 | 9 | 44.59% | 346 | 776 |
| Abbotsleigh (Wahroonga) | 11 | 14 | 14 | 44.59% | 346 | 98 |
| Meriden School (Strathfield) | 12 | 23 | 22 | 41.39% | 310 | 749 |
| Wenona School (North Sydney) | 13 | 33 | 15 | 41.03 | 272 | 663 |
| Kambala (Rose Bay) | 14 | 18 | 16 | 40.28% | 203 | 504 |
| Fort Street High School (Petersham) | 15 | 12 | 21 | 39.37% | 372 | 945 |
| Normanhurst Boys High School | 16 | 13 | 11 | 39.23% | 304 | 775 |
| Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney (Croydon) | 17 | 21 | 36 | 38.82% | 257 | 662 |
| Ascham School (Edgecliff) | 18 | 9 | 18 | 38.61% | 205 | 531 |
| St George Girls High School (Kogarah) | 19 | 24 | 17 | 36.67% | 333 | 908 |
| Girraween High School | 20 | 22 | 20 | 36.31% | 305 | 840 |
| Pymble Ladies’ College | 21 | 20 | 31 | 36.12% | 515 | 1426 |
| SHORE – Sydney Church of England Grammar School (North Sydney) | 22 | 34 | 26 | 35.88% | 390 | 1087 |
| Knox Grammar School (Wahroonga) | 23 | 19 | 28 | 35.32% | 659 | 1866 |
| Sydney Technical High School (Bexley) | 24 | 29 | 35 | 32.91% | 287 | 872 |
| SCEGGS Darlinghurst | 25 | 16 | 12 | 32.89% | 222 | 675 |
| Al-Faisal College | 26 | 54 | 42 | 32.56% | 190 | 583 |
| Penrith High School | 27 | 27 | 32 | 31.76% | 297 | 935 |
| St Catherine’s School (Waverley) | 28 | 57 | 45 | 31.22% | 187 | 599 |
| Queenwood School for Girls (Mosman) | 29 | 37 | 19 | 31.18% | 111 | 356 |
| Santa Sabina College (Strathfield) | 30 | 47 | 46 | 30.13% | 201 | 687 |
| Hurlstone Agricultural High School (Glenfield) | 31 | 44 | 34 | 30.10% | 295 | 980 |
| Moriah College (Queens Park) | 32 | 15 | 27 | 29.78 | 204 | 685 |
| Cranbrook School (Bellevue Hill) | 33 | 41 | 55 | 29.77% | 262 | 880 |
| St Luke’s Grammar School (Dee Why) | 34 | 56 | 57 | 29.24% | 162 | 554 |
| Newcastle Grammar School | 35 | 85 | 64 | 29.03% | 144 | 496 |
| Roseville College | 36 | 25 | 40 | 28.82% | 185 | 642 |
| St Aloysius’ College (Kirribilli) | 37 | 36 | 23 | 28.74% | 261 | 908 |
| Alpha Omega Senior College (Auburn) | 38 | 35 | 41 | 28.39% | 113 | 398 |
| Loreto Kirribilli | 39 | 30 | 25 | 28.14% | 226 | 803 |
| Caringbah High School | 40 | 39 | 29 | 27.23% | 241 | 885 |
| The King’s School (North Parramatta) | 41 | 32 | 30 | 26.98% | 313 | 1160 |
| Al Noori Muslim School | 42 | 45 | 100 | 26.74% | 96 | 359 |
| MLC School (Burwood) | 43 | 31 | 67 | 26.72% | 101 | 378 |
| Kincoppal – Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart | 44 | 28 | 24 | 26.60% | 141 | 530 |
| Emanuel School (Randwick) | 45 | 43 | 38 | 26.47% | 117 | 442 |
| Loreto Normanhurst | 46 | 42 | 44 | 26.04% | 238 | 914 |
| Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College (North Sydney) | 47 | 67 | 72 | 25.73% | 221 | 859 |
| Tara Anglican School for Girls (North Parramatta) | 48 | 75 | 43 | 25.67% | 106 | 413 |
| Smiths Hill High School (Wollongong) | 49 | 80 | 60 | 25.42% | 182 | 716 |
| Willoughby Girls High School | 50 | 61 | 65 | 25.30% | 187 | 739 |
| Barker College (Hornsby) | 51 | 51 | 33 | 25.07% | 471 | 1879 |
| Masada College (St Ives) | 52 | 49 | 74 | 25.00% | 90 | 360 |
| The Scots College (Bellevue Hill) | 53 | 74 | 78 | 24.45% | 254 | 1039 |
| Ravenswood School for Girls (Gordon) | 54 | 40 | 39 | 24.02% | 134 | 558 |
| Frensham School (Mittagong) | 55 | 48 | 50 | 23.88% | 64 | 268 |
| Central Coast Grammar School | 56 | 83 | 70 | 23.39% | 134 | 573 |
| Brigidine College St Ives | 57 | 70 | 49 | 23.34% | 179 | 767 |
| Gosford High School | 58 | 50 | 48 | 223.17% | 231 | 997 |
| Merewether High School (Broadmeadow) | 59 | 38 | 37 | 22.82% | 251 | 1100 |
| Danebank – An Anglican School For Girls (Hurstville) | 60 | 59 | 68 | 22.06% | 103 | 467 |
| St Ignatius’ College (Lane Cove) | 61 | 46 | 47 | 22.03% | 313 | 1421 |
| Northern Beaches Secondary College Balgowlah Boys Campus | 62 | 201 | 156 | 21.49% | 75 | 349 |
| Cheltenham Girls High School (Cheltenham) | 63 | 53 | 53 | 21.46% | 247 | 1151 |
| Parramatta Marist High School (Westmead) | 64 | 60 | 51 | 21.31%% | 143 | 671 |
| St Augustine’s College Sydney | 65 | 63 | 95 | 21.24% | 188 | 885 |
| Newtown Performance Art School | 66 | 58 | 82 | 21.22% | 191 | 900 |
| Mount St Benedict College (Pennant Hills) | 67 | 81 | 86 | 20.10% | 169 | 841 |
| Killara High School | 68 | 78 | 61 | 19.71% | 276 | 1400 |
| Carlingford High School | 69 | 79 | 85 | 19.68% | 208 | 1057 |
| Hunter Valley Grammar School (Ashtonfield) | 70 | 158 | 159 | 19.58% | 113 | 577 |
| St Spyridon College (Kingsford) | 71 | 109 | 198 | 19.51% | 71 | 364 |
| Macarthur Anglican School (Cobbitty) | 72 | 114 | 93 | 19.27% | 111 | 576 |
| Sefton High School | 73 | 55 | 52 | 19.11% | 181 | 947 |
| IPEKA Integrated Christian School | 74 | 137 | 92 | 19.02% | 66 | 347 |
| SCECGS Redlands | 75 | 146 | 152 | 18.79% | 62 | 330 |
| Chatswood High School | 76 | 66 | 73 | 18.37% | 176 | 958 |
| St Clare’s College (Waverly) | 77 | 167 | 172 | 17.78% | 80 | 450 |
| St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox College | 78 | 164 | 151 | 17.38% | 57 | 328 |
| St Joseph’s College (Hunters Hill) | 79 | 77 | 88 | 17.35% | 200 | 1153 |
| Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta | 80 | 76 | 97 | 12.11% | 121 | 707 |
| Cherrybrook Technology High School | 81 | 68 | 58 | 17.01% | 331 | 1946 |
| Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College | 82 | 235 | 202 | 16.86% | 103 | 611 |
| Castle Hill High School | 83 | 91 | 102 | 16.77% | 224 | 1336 |
| St Ursula’s College (Kingsgrove) | 84 | 97 | 75 | 16.72% | 158 | 945 |
| Oxley College (Burradoo) | 85 | 82 | 63 | 16.67% | 56 | 336 |
| Strathfield Girls High School | 86 | 96 | 90 | 16.41% | 182 | 1109 |
| Killarney Heights High School | 87 | 191 | 146 | 16.30% | 105 | 644 |
| St Patrick’s Marist College | 88 | 140 | 149 | 16.23% | 100 | 616 |
| Epping Boys High School (Marsfield) | 89 | 86 | 118 | 16.14% | 164 | 1016 |
| St Mary’s Cathedral College (Sydney) | 90 | 118 | 108 | 16.10% | 86 | 534 |
| The Hills Grammar School | 91 | 100 | 71 | 16.02% | 78 | 487 |
| Tangara School for Girls (Cherrybrook) | 92 | 26 | 16.00% | 24 | 150 | |
| St Patrick’s College (Strathfield) | 93 | 96 | 90 | 16.00% | 155 | 969 |
| St Pius X College | 94 | 181 | 161 | 15.78% | 127 | 805 |
| Bethany College | 95 | 89 | 141 | 15.51% | 130 | 838 |
| Freeman Catholic College | 96 | 65 | 69 | 15.32% | 174 | 1136 |
| Malek Fahd Islamic School | 97 | 69 | 76 | 15.31% | 64 | 418 |
| Newington College | 98 | 88 | 87 | 15.24% | 166 | 1089 |
| Northern Beaches Secondary College Mackellar Girls Campus | 99 | 84 | 91 | 15.20% | 104 | 684 |
| Lambton High School | 100 | 159 | 137 | 15.14% | 116 | 766 |
| International Grammar School (Ultimo) | 101 | 72 | 94 | 14.59% | 83 | 569 |
| Australian International School Malaysia | 102 | 275 | – | 14.55% | 31 | 213 |
| Oxford Falls Grammar School | 103 | 101 | 105 | 14.54% | 58 | 399 |
| All Saints’ College Bathurst | 104 | 177 | 278 | 14.44% | 441 | 284 |
| Inaburra School | 105 | 92 | 117 | 14.23% | 76 | 534 |
| Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich | 106 | 111 | 111 | 14.21% | 129 | 908 |
| Brigidine College Randwick | 107 | 52 | 56 | 14.20% | 100 | 704 |
| Marist College Eastwood | 108 | 172 | 171 | 14.20% | 70 | 493 |
| St Philip’s Christian College – Waratah | 109 | 113 | 157 | 14.12% | 71 | 503 |
| Barrenjoey High School | 110 | 161 | 267 | 13.91% | 63 | 453 |
| Trinity Grammar School | 111 | 64 | 103 | 13.77% | 102 | 741 |
| All Saints’ Grammar | 112 | 228 | 279 | 13.48% | 31 | 230 |
| St Ives High School | 113 | 204 | 158 | 13.42% | 95 | 708 |
| Tempe High School | 114 | 156 | 188 | 13.30% | 108 | 812 |
| St Scholastica’s College Glebe Point | 115 | 104 | 101 | 13.06% | 120 | 919 |
| Kinross Wolaroi School | 116 | 130 | 106 | 13.06% | 97 | 743 |
| Canterbury Girls High School | 117 | 234 | 240 | 13.04% | 76 | 583 |
| St George Christian School (Hurstville) | 118 | 134 | 166 | 13.01% | 48 | 369 |
| Aquinas Catholic College | 119 | 187 | 264 | 12.86% | 95 | 739 |
| Menai High School | 120 | 182 | 262 | 12.74% | 120 | 942 |
| Catherine McAuley Westmead | 121 | 151 | 112 | 12.74% | 121 | 950 |
| Marist College North Shore | 122 | 128 | 145 | 12.73% | 75 | 589 |
| Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Senior Campus | 123 | 201 | 156 | 12.72% | 187 | 1470 |
| Randwick Girls High School | 124 | 273 | 308 | 12.72% | 94 | 739 |
| Amity College, Prestons | 125 | 127 | 114 | 12.48% | 78 | 625 |
| Burwood Girls High School | 126 | 93 | 110 | 12.43% | 127 | 1022 |
| Marist College Kogarah | 127 | 71 | 122 | 12.29% | 66 | 537 |
| William Clarke College | 128 | 188 | – | 12.24% | 106 | 866 |
| Marcellin College | 129 | 142 | 141 | 12.14% | 93 | 766 |
| St Vincent’s College (Potts Point) | 130 | 99 | 79 | 11.88% | 72 | 606 |
| St Patrick’s College Sutherland | 131 | 157 | 127 | 11.88% | 117 | 985 |
| Calrossy Anglican School (Tamworth) | 132 | 163 | 124 | 11.76% | 56 | 476 |
| Cumberland High School | 133 | 208 | 275 | 11.66% | 66 | 566 |
| Waverley College | 134 | 155 | 125 | 11.46% | 92 | 803 |
| Oakhill College Castle Hill | 135 | 123 | 193 | 11.44% | 212 | 1853 |
| Canberra Grammar School (Red Hill) | 136 | 116 | 98 | 11.37% | 68 | 598 |
| St Columba Anglican School | 137 | 103 | 81 | 11.30% | 46 | 407 |
| St Andrew’s Cathedral School | 138 | 105 | 138 | 11.28% | 65 | 576 |
| Ryde Secondary College | 139 | 117 | 83 | 11.27% | 79 | 701 |
| Mercy Catholic College (Chatswood) | 140 | 124 | 66 | 11.22% | 45 | 401 |
| St John Bosco College | 141 | 119 | 130 | 11.21% | 53 | 473 |
| Arden Anglican School | 142 | 62 | 115 | 11.20% | 42 | 375 |
| St Charbel’s College | 143 | 162 | 216 | 11.20% | 44 | 393 |
| Hunter School of Performing Arts | 144 | 147 | 225 | 10.91% | 74 | 678 |
| Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts | 145 | 214 | 150 | 10.83% | 82 | 757 |
| Redfield College | 146 | 90 | 59 | 10.71% | 18 | 168 |
| Turramurra High School | 147 | 132 | 131 | 10.68% | 114 | 1067 |
| Prairiewood High School | 148 | 108 | 261 | 10.65% | 87 | 817 |
| The Illawarra Grammar School | 149 | 149 | 243 | 10.57% | 43 | 407 |
| Asquith Girls High School | 150 | 200 | 119 | 10.55% | 71 | 673 |
Please note, these tables and charts are made using publicly available data.
Also available is the 2017 High School Rankings.
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