The private versus selective school tussle continues in full swing in NSW. In fact, the percentage of Australian students in independent schools climbed from 13.3% to 15.1% from 2017 to 2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) revealed.
This uptick reflects a worldwide shift toward private education, as evidenced by the rising number of English-medium international schools reaching a total of 9,605 worldwide, marking a 6.3 percent increase year-over-year.
Yet just going for private schools is not an option – when the cost of enrolling in private schools is burdening parents, selective schools seem to present an affordable, well-rounded alternative.
To make your decision easier, here’s the top 20 schools (private & selective) in NSW ranked based on 2023 HSC results.
1. North Sydney Boys High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 69.0%
– High Score: 658
– HSC Students: 158
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 955
2. James Ruse Agricultural High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 60.0%
– High Score: 598
– HSC Students: 158
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 996
3. Baulkham Hills High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 55.8%
– High Score: 675
– HSC Students: 200
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 1210
4. North Sydney Girls High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 54.7%
– High Score: 497
– HSC Students: 153
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 909
5. Reddam House – Independent
– Success Rate: 54.2%
– High Score: 371
– HSC Students: 122
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 684
6. St Aloysius’ College – Independent Catholic
– Success Rate: 52.5%
– High Score: 498
– HSC Students: 157
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 948
7. Sydney Grammar School – Independent
– Success Rate: 52.3%
– High Score: 618
– HSC Students: 134
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 786
8. Normanhurst Boys High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 46.4%
– High Score: 365
– HSC Students: 130
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 812
9. SCEGGS Darlinghurst – Independent
– Success Rate: 46.4%
– High Score: 307
– HSC Students: 110
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 682
10. Abbotsleigh – Independent Anglican
– Success Rate: 45.7%
– High Score: 499
– HSC Students: 179
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 1093
11. Knox Grammar School – Independent Uniting Church
– Success Rate: 45.6%
– High Score: 979
– HSC Students: 397
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 2145
12. Meriden School – Independent Anglican
– Success Rate: 44.4%
– High Score: 410
– HSC Students: 161
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 924
13. Sydney Boys High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 42.7%
– High Score: 536
– HSC Students: 214
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 1254
14. Hornsby Girls High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 41.8%
– High Score: 296
– HSC Students: 119
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 709
15. Al-Faisal College – Independent Islamic
– Success Rate: 41.7%
– High Score: 250
– HSC Students: 116
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 599
16. Al Noori Muslim School – Independent Islamic
– Success Rate: 40.5%
– High Score: 231
– HSC Students: 116
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 571
17. Ascham School – Independent
– Success Rate: 40.0%
– High Score: 261
– HSC Students: 117
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 652
18. Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 38.7%
– High Score: 287
– HSC Students: 126
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 741
19. Pymble Ladies’ College – Independent Uniting Church
– Success Rate: 38.1%
– High Score: 593
– HSC Students: 276
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 1538
20. Sydney Girls High School – Government Selective
– Success Rate: 38.0%
– High Score: 370
– HSC Students: 156
– Total HSC Exam Entries: 973
Need help navigating the NSW Selective Test 2024 and NSW Selective Test 2025? Reach out here: https://scholarlytraining.com/whatsapp