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Guide Chapters
Read this guide to see how Sydney’s Schools performed in relation to each other. The 2021 High School Rankings are 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 2019 and 2020 to provide an overview of each school’s performance history.
In this 2021 HSC 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.
In the 2020 High School rankings article, we will provide you with an easy to understand analysis of the top 150 schools based on their performance.
A list of the top 10 performing schools from each of the above categories are tabulated below. Schools marked with an asterisk* have a cohort undertaking the International Baccalaureate (IB) instead of the HSC.
No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Government/Selective Schools | 2021 Success Rate |
1 | 1 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | 70.58 |
2 | 2 | North Sydney Boys High School | 59.29 |
3 | 3 | Baulkham Hills High School | 58.24 |
4 | 4 | Sydney Girls High School | 53.23 |
5 | 6 | Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus | 51.99 |
6 | 7 | Hornsby Girls High School | 51 |
7 | 8 | North Sydney Girls High School | 49.25 |
8 | 9 | Normanhurst Boys High School | 49.15 |
9 | 10 | Sydney Boys High School | 46.55 |
10 | 13 | Conservatorium High School | 43.92 |
No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Government/Non-Selective Schools | 2021 Success Rates |
1 | 65 | Willoughby Girls High School | 22.59 |
2 | 72 | Northern Beaches Secondary College Balgowlah Boys Campus | 21.31 |
3 | 102 | Newtown High School of Performing Arts | 17.77 |
4 | 108 | Cherrybrook Technology High School | 15.53 |
5 | 110 | Cumberland High School | 15.34 |
6 | 116 | Cheltenham Girls High School | 14.75 |
7 | 122 | Engadine High School | 14.45 |
8 | 123 | Burwood Girls High School | 14.43 |
9 | 125 | Northern Beaches Secondary College Mackellar Girls Campus | 14.4 |
10 | 130 | St Ives High School | 13.85 |
No | Overall Ranking | Top 10 Independent Schools | 2021 Success Rate |
1 | 4 | Sydney Grammar School | 56.13 |
2 | 6 | Reddam House | 52.34 |
3 | 11 | Kambala * | 47.68 |
4 | 12 | Meriden School | 47.09 |
5 | 15 | Abbotsleigh | 43.79 |
6 | 16 | Ascham School | 46.32 |
7 | 17 | SCEGGS Darlinghurst | 42.15 |
8 | 18 | Moriah College | 40.47 |
9 | 20 | Ravenswood School for Girls * | 38.73 |
10 | 21 | Loreto Kirribilli | 38.67 |
The graph below shows a selection of the most improved schools in the 2020 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 | 2021 Ranking | 2020 Ranking | 2019 Ranking | Success Rate % | High Scores | HSC Students | 2021 Total HSC Exams Sat |
James Ruse Agricultural High School | 1 | 1 | 1 | 70.58 | 710 | 160 | 1006 |
North Sydney Boys High School | 2 | 3 | 3 | 59.29 | 565 | 158 | 953 |
Baulkham Hills High School | 3 | 2 | 9 | 58.24 | 703 | 202 | 1207 |
Sydney Grammar School | 4 | 5 | 4 | 56.13 | 655 | 184 | 1167 |
Sydney Girls High School | 5 | 9 | 6 | 53.23 | 536 | 162 | 1007 |
Reddam House | 6 | 12 | 8 | 52.34 | 335 | 120 | 640 |
Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus | 7 | 13 | 13 | 51.99 | 418 | 139 | 804 |
Hornsby Girls High School | 8 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 357 | 120 | 700 |
North Sydney Girls High School | 9 | 4 | 7 | 49.25 | 429 | 151 | 871 |
Normanhurst Boys High School | 10 | 7 | 11 | 49.15 | 375 | 127 | 763 |
Kambala * | 11 | 21 | 15 | 47.68 | 247 | 84 | 518 |
Meriden School | 12 | 17 | 14 | 47.09 | 396 | 151 | 841 |
Sydney Boys High School | 13 | 10 | 10 | 46.55 | 580 | 213 | 1246 |
Conservatorium High School | 14 | 8 | 2 | 43.92 | 83 | 29 | 189 |
Abbotsleigh | 15 | 16 | 12 | 43.79 | 455 | 170 | 1039 |
Ascham School | 16 | 11 | 24 | 43.77 | 267 | 113 | 610 |
SCEGGS Darlinghurst | 17 | 14 | 16 | 42.15 | 274 | 106 | 650 |
Moriah College | 18 | 41 | 38 | 40.47 | 257 | 117 | 635 |
Girraween High School | 19 | 27 | 21 | 39.43 | 321 | 140 | 814 |
Ravenswood School for Girls * | 20 | 58 | 54 | 38.73 | 201 | 91 | 519 |
Loreto Kirribilli | 21 | 23 | 18 | 38.67 | 302 | 134 | 781 |
Fort Street High School | 22 | 18 | 19 | 38.65 | 371 | 162 | 960 |
St Catherine’s School | 23 | 29 | 17 | 38.42 | 214 | 109 | 557 |
Wenona School | 24 | 15 | 25 | 38.26 | 264 | 123 | 690 |
Pymble Ladies’ College | 25 | 31 | 29 | 36.67 | 436 | 215 | 1189 |
Al-Faisal College | 26 | 54 | 23 | 36.19 | 232 | 127 | 641 |
St Aloysius’ College | 27 | 20 | 42 | 36.06 | 331 | 152 | 918 |
Kincoppal – Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart | 28 | 56 | 36 | 34.81 | 196 | 94 | 563 |
St Clare’s College | 29 | 86 | 95 | 33.74 | 110 | 63 | 326 |
Knox Grammar School | 30 | 19 | 22 | 32.95 | 600 | 335 | 1821 |
Alpha Omega Senior College | 31 | 55 | 68 | 32.69 | 170 | 103 | 520 |
Al Noori Muslim School | 32 | 32 | 33 | 32.47 | 125 | 73 | 385 |
Penrith High School | 33 | 37 | 45 | 32.36 | 289 | 156 | 893 |
Tara Anglican School for Girls * | 34 | 28 | 43 | 31.82 | 147 | 82 | 462 |
Cranbrook School * | 35 | 36 | 30 | 31.71 | 274 | 158 | 864 |
Emanuel School | 36 | 38 | 41 | 31.18 | 140 | 77 | 449 |
Tangara School for Girls | 37 | 25 | 103 | 30.89 | 59 | 36 | 191 |
Loreto Normanhurst | 38 | 26 | 27 | 30.3 | 306 | 177 | 1010 |
MLC School * | 39 | 51 | 63 | 29.71 | 131 | 79 | 441 |
Hurlstone Agricultural High School | 40 | 33 | 26 | 29.65 | 255 | 148 | 860 |
St Luke’s Grammar School | 41 | 24 | 28 | 29.55 | 151 | 91 | 511 |
Sydney Technical High School | 42 | 42 | 40 | 29.17 | 252 | 157 | 864 |
Roseville College * | 43 | 35 | 44 | 29.14 | 190 | 106 | 652 |
Caringbah High School | 44 | 30 | 48 | 28.95 | 238 | 153 | 822 |
St George Girls High School | 45 | 39 | 32 | 27.76 | 254 | 163 | 915 |
Frensham School | 46 | 67 | 46 | 27.62 | 100 | 64 | 362 |
Sefton High School | 47 | 70 | 75 | 27.53 | 250 | 172 | 908 |
Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney | 48 | 22 | 20 | 27.28 | 242 | 156 | 887 |
Queenwood * | 49 | 65 | 31 | 26.44 | 101 | 66 | 382 |
Merewether High School | 50 | 50 | 49 | 26.21 | 277 | 179 | 1057 |
The King’s School | 51 | 34 | 62 | 25.7 | 303 | 206 | 1179 |
Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College * | 52 | 53 | 53 | 25.69 | 222 | 150 | 864 |
Parramatta Marist High School | 53 | 46 | 83 | 25.53 | 181 | 132 | 709 |
SHORE – Sydney Church of England Grammar School | 54 | 40 | 37 | 25.38 | 301 | 216 | 1186 |
Barker College | 55 | 47 | 56 | 25.13 | 474 | 347 | 1886 |
Newcastle Grammar School | 56 | 45 | 55 | 25 | 138 | 97 | 552 |
Smiths Hill High School | 57 | 68 | 39 | 24.64 | 173 | 124 | 702 |
Brigidine College Randwick | 58 | 49 | 64 | 24.62 | 145 | 102 | 589 |
Danebank – An Anglican School for Girls | 59 | 75 | 34 | 24.35 | 121 | 85 | 497 |
Chatswood High School | 60 | 69 | 65 | 24.16 | 223 | 176 | 923 |
International Grammar School | 61 | 96 | 60 | 23.22 | 127 | 100 | 547 |
Santa Sabina College * | 62 | 48 | 47 | 23.11 | 150 | 113 | 649 |
Bethany College | 63 | 80 | 72 | 22.92 | 168 | 133 | 733 |
Saint Ignatius’ College | 64 | 44 | 58 | 22.67 | 329 | 237 | 1451 |
Willoughby Girls High School | 65 | 59 | 67 | 22.59 | 178 | 155 | 788 |
Brigidine College St Ives | 66 | 62 | 50 | 21.95 | 153 | 125 | 697 |
St Mary and St Mina’s Coptic Orthodox College | 67 | 0 | 21.85 | 33 | 30 | 151 | |
Masada College | 68 | 113 | 35 | 21.75 | 82 | 72 | 377 |
St Ursula’s College | 69 | 77 | 66 | 21.64 | 193 | 161 | 892 |
St Vincent’s College | 70 | 52 | 59 | 21.45 | 127 | 108 | 592 |
Arden Anglican School | 71 | 79 | 106 | 21.43 | 87 | 75 | 406 |
Northern Beaches Secondary College Balgowlah Boys Campus | 72 | 60 | 70 | 21.31 | 104 | 90 | 488 |
St Augustine’s College Sydney | 73 | 66 | 78 | 20.67 | 186 | 169 | 900 |
Freeman Catholic College | 74 | 110 | 102 | 20.46 | 212 | 173 | 1036 |
Central Coast Grammar School | 75 | 83 | 100 | 20.42 | 127 | 109 | 622 |
Marist College Kogarah | 76 | 117 | 87 | 20.38 | 118 | 111 | 579 |
The Scots College | 77 | 63 | 61 | 20.28 | 201 | 168 | 991 |
Emmanuel Anglican College | 78 | 149 | 20.26 | 31 | 29 | 153 | |
St Spyridon College | 79 | 74 | 97 | 20.11 | 71 | 68 | 353 |
Prairiewood High School | 80 | 181 | 152 | 19.82 | 154 | 154 | 777 |
Clancy Catholic College | 81 | 214 | 132 | 19.26 | 193 | 169 | 1002 |
Mount St Benedict College | 82 | 126 | 74 | 19.25 | 154 | 151 | 800 |
St Mark’s Coptic Orthodox College | 83 | 88 | 69 | 19.2 | 62 | 58 | 323 |
Macarthur Anglican School | 84 | 78 | 57 | 19.07 | 107 | 98 | 561 |
Cerdon College | 85 | 163 | 146 | 19.01 | 180 | 163 | 947 |
Gosford High School | 86 | 72 | 52 | 19 | 175 | 143 | 921 |
Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich | 87 | 128 | 130 | 18.96 | 156 | 147 | 823 |
MacKillop College Port Macquarie | 88 | 175 | 144 | 18.79 | 137 | 129 | 729 |
Macquarie Fields High School | 89 | 124 | 160 | 18.76 | 170 | 174 | 906 |
Marist Catholic College Penshurst | 90 | 129 | 125 | 18.73 | 106 | 97 | 566 |
The Hills Grammar School * | 91 | 106 | 84 | 18.18 | 70 | 66 | 385 |
Amity College | 92 | 119 | 105 | 18.1 | 124 | 131 | 685 |
Norwest Christian College | 93 | 0 | 18.09 | 34 | 38 | 188 | |
Newington College * | 94 | 179 | 163 | 17.64 | 193 | 186 | 1094 |
Marist College Eastwood | 95 | 105 | 121 | 17.35 | 106 | 118 | 611 |
Stella Maris College | 96 | 100 | 77 | 17.31 | 103 | 118 | 595 |
Aquinas Catholic College | 97 | 102 | 158 | 17.24 | 126 | 128 | 731 |
Australian International School Malaysia | 98 | 145 | 142 | 17.02 | 32 | 32 | 188 |
Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta | 99 | 81 | 155 | 16.67 | 134 | 152 | 804 |
St Columba Anglican School | 100 | 139 | 114 | 16.64 | 89 | 98 | 535 |
William Clarke College | 101 | 94 | 98 | 16.3 | 140 | 162 | 859 |
Newtown High School of Performing Arts | 102 | 91 | 107 | 15.81 | 138 | 167 | 873 |
St George Christian School | 103 | 107 | 116 | 15.81 | 49 | 60 | 310 |
St Charbel’s College | 104 | 141 | 138 | 15.74 | 68 | 79 | 432 |
Malek Fahd Islamic School | 105 | 152 | 120 | 15.73 | 123 | 153 | 782 |
Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield | 106 | 190 | 15.73 | 123 | 144 | 782 | |
Mercy Catholic College | 107 | 93 | 99 | 15.6 | 90 | 103 | 577 |
Cherrybrook Technology High School | 108 | 90 | 88 | 15.53 | 246 | 290 | 1584 |
Scots All Saints College | 109 | 165 | 15.51 | 65 | 79 | 419 | |
Cumberland High School | 110 | 243 | 166 | 15.34 | 75 | 97 | 489 |
Blacktown Boys High School | 111 | 272 | 15.05 | 62 | 71 | 412 | |
Maronite College of the Holy Family – Parramatta | 112 | 316 | 14.97 | 50 | 66 | 334 | |
Rosebank College | 113 | 156 | 167 | 14.87 | 152 | 181 | 1022 |
Mount St Patrick College | 114 | 232 | 104 | 14.81 | 73 | 77 | 493 |
Oxford Falls Grammar School | 115 | 73 | 92 | 14.78 | 64 | 83 | 433 |
Cheltenham Girls High School | 116 | 84 | 80 | 14.75 | 167 | 211 | 1132 |
St John Bosco College | 117 | 158 | 178 | 14.69 | 89 | 100 | 606 |
St Philip’s Christian College – Waratah | 118 | 85 | 172 | 14.62 | 69 | 93 | 472 |
Pacific Hills Christian School | 119 | 138 | 93 | 14.53 | 84 | 104 | 578 |
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College | 120 | 99 | 136 | 14.46 | 82 | 103 | 567 |
Holy Cross College | 121 | 297 | 14.45 | 74 | 88 | 512 | |
Engadine High School | 122 | 201 | 14.45 | 75 | 99 | 519 | |
Burwood Girls High School | 123 | 82 | 111 | 14.43 | 132 | 180 | 915 |
Domremy Catholic College | 124 | 220 | 169 | 14.41 | 67 | 85 | 465 |
Northern Beaches Secondary College Mackellar Girls Campus | 125 | 43 | 91 | 14.4 | 94 | 121 | 653 |
SCECGS Redlands | 126 | 151 | 174 | 14.32 | 55 | 68 | 384 |
Marcellin College | 127 | 116 | 147 | 14.15 | 105 | 127 | 742 |
Tempe High School | 128 | 166 | 128 | 13.91 | 106 | 144 | 762 |
St Patrick’s Marist College | 129 | 174 | 118 | 13.89 | 100 | 137 | 720 |
St Ives High School | 130 | 111 | 86 | 13.85 | 104 | 147 | 751 |
Xavier Catholic College Ballina | 131 | 146 | 149 | 13.78 | 66 | 89 | 479 |
St Patrick’s College (Strathfield) | 132 | 125 | 71 | 13.75 | 132 | 171 | 960 |
Carlingford High School | 133 | 97 | 124 | 13.74 | 144 | 205 | 1048 |
St Euphemia College | 134 | 104 | 94 | 13.66 | 31 | 43 | 227 |
Covenant Christian School | 135 | 134 | 127 | 13.65 | 43 | 64 | 315 |
Redeemer Baptist School | 136 | 0 | 13.41 | 24 | 32 | 179 | |
Canley Vale High School | 137 | 279 | 13.4 | 156 | 213 | 1164 | |
Epping Boys High School | 138 | 76 | 117 | 13.39 | 139 | 199 | 1038 |
Mary MacKillop Catholic College | 139 | 241 | 13.39 | 102 | 141 | 762 | |
Rose Bay Secondary College | 140 | 95 | 177 | 13.38 | 107 | 147 | 800 |
St Pius X College | 141 | 114 | 101 | 13.34 | 113 | 139 | 847 |
Blakehurst High School | 142 | 176 | 13.24 | 110 | 162 | 831 | |
All Saints Grammar | 143 | 233 | 184 | 13.23 | 25 | 36 | 189 |
Menai High School | 144 | 164 | 179 | 13.08 | 116 | 178 | 887 |
Blacktown Girls High School | 145 | 203 | 13.05 | 68 | 104 | 521 | |
Al Amanah College | 146 | 0 | 13.04 | 21 | 31 | 161 | |
Killarney Heights High School | 147 | 87 | 79 | 12.79 | 84 | 127 | 657 |
St Joseph’s College (Hunters Hill) | 148 | 71 | 12.73 | 136 | 188 | 1068 | |
Blue Mountains Grammar School | 149 | 115 | 227 | 12.65 | 42 | 62 | 332 |
Bonnyrigg High School | 150 | 221 | 12.62 | 160 | 262 | 1268 |
Please note, these tables and charts are made using publicly available data.
Also available is the 2020 High School Rankings.
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