Best schools in Australian Capital Territory (2025)
The top five of 139 schools in each category, with links to the full top 100. Rankings use the Success Index, built only from official ACARA data.
Australian Capital Territory has 139 schools in ACARA's 2025 data: 92 government (66%), 29 Catholic and 18 independent, together enrolling about 77,902 students. By level there are 84 primary schools, 27 secondary schools and 23 combined (K–12) schools.
The median ICSEA is 1085 (the national benchmark is 1000) and 52 schools, or 37%, have an ICSEA of 1100 or more, which marks a highly advantaged community. The average school has 13.0 students per full-time-equivalent teacher.
Best primary schools in Australian Capital Territory
Schools offering primary years (Primary and Combined schools).
Mawson Primary School
Mawson · Government primary · K-6
542 students · ICSEA 1139
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Throsby School
Throsby · Government primary · K-6
316 students · ICSEA 1096
Hughes Primary School
Hughes · Government primary · K-6
457 students · ICSEA 1157
St Thomas More's Primary School
Campbell · Catholic primary · K-6
179 students · ICSEA 1145
Best high schools in Australian Capital Territory
Schools offering secondary years (Secondary and Combined schools).
Merici College
Braddon · Catholic high school · 7-12
992 students · ICSEA 1138
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Daramalan College
Dickson · Independent high school · 7-12
1,498 students · ICSEA 1127
Shirley Smith High School
Kenny · Government high school · 7-8
210 students · ICSEA 1078
Canberra Girls Grammar School
Deakin · Independent combined · K-12
1,203 students · ICSEA 1177
Best public schools in Australian Capital Territory
Government schools across all year levels.
Mawson Primary School
Mawson · Government primary · K-6
542 students · ICSEA 1139
Throsby School
Throsby · Government primary · K-6
316 students · ICSEA 1096
Hughes Primary School
Hughes · Government primary · K-6
457 students · ICSEA 1157
Shirley Smith High School
Kenny · Government high school · 7-8
210 students · ICSEA 1078
Curtin Primary School
Curtin · Government primary · K-6
408 students · ICSEA 1146
Best private schools in Australian Capital Territory
Independent and Catholic schools across all year levels.
Merici College
Braddon · Catholic high school · 7-12
992 students · ICSEA 1138
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Daramalan College
Dickson · Independent high school · 7-12
1,498 students · ICSEA 1127
St Thomas More's Primary School
Campbell · Catholic primary · K-6
179 students · ICSEA 1145
Holy Trinity Primary School
Curtin · Catholic primary · K-6
387 students · ICSEA 1145
Best catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory
Catholic systemic and independent Catholic schools.
Merici College
Braddon · Catholic high school · 7-12
992 students · ICSEA 1138
St Thomas More's Primary School
Campbell · Catholic primary · K-6
179 students · ICSEA 1145
Holy Trinity Primary School
Curtin · Catholic primary · K-6
387 students · ICSEA 1145
Sacred Heart Primary School
Pearce · Catholic primary · K-6
210 students · ICSEA 1131
St Joseph's Primary School
O'Connor · Catholic primary · K-6
334 students · ICSEA 1130
Best independent schools in Australian Capital Territory
Independent (non-government, non-Catholic-system) schools.
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Daramalan College
Dickson · Independent high school · 7-12
1,498 students · ICSEA 1127
Canberra Girls Grammar School
Deakin · Independent combined · K-12
1,203 students · ICSEA 1177
Radford College
Bruce · Independent combined · K-12
2,091 students · ICSEA 1203
Canberra Montessori School
Holder · Independent primary · K-6
96 students · ICSEA 1128
Best public primary schools in Australian Capital Territory
Government schools offering primary years.
Mawson Primary School
Mawson · Government primary · K-6
542 students · ICSEA 1139
Throsby School
Throsby · Government primary · K-6
316 students · ICSEA 1096
Hughes Primary School
Hughes · Government primary · K-6
457 students · ICSEA 1157
Curtin Primary School
Curtin · Government primary · K-6
408 students · ICSEA 1146
Ainslie School
Braddon · Government primary · K-6
351 students · ICSEA 1130
Best public high schools in Australian Capital Territory
Government schools offering secondary years.
Shirley Smith High School
Kenny · Government high school · 7-8
210 students · ICSEA 1078
Campbell High School
Campbell · Government high school · 7-10
420 students · ICSEA 1120
Narrabundah College
Narrabundah · Government high school · 11-12
977 students · ICSEA 1131
Dickson College
Dickson · Government high school · 7-12
899 students · ICSEA 1101
Belconnen High School
Hawker · Government high school · 7-10
636 students · ICSEA 1066
Best private primary schools in Australian Capital Territory
Independent and Catholic schools offering primary years.
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
St Thomas More's Primary School
Campbell · Catholic primary · K-6
179 students · ICSEA 1145
Holy Trinity Primary School
Curtin · Catholic primary · K-6
387 students · ICSEA 1145
Canberra Girls Grammar School
Deakin · Independent combined · K-12
1,203 students · ICSEA 1177
Sacred Heart Primary School
Pearce · Catholic primary · K-6
210 students · ICSEA 1131
Best private high schools in Australian Capital Territory
Independent and Catholic schools offering secondary years.
Merici College
Braddon · Catholic high school · 7-12
992 students · ICSEA 1138
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Daramalan College
Dickson · Independent high school · 7-12
1,498 students · ICSEA 1127
Canberra Girls Grammar School
Deakin · Independent combined · K-12
1,203 students · ICSEA 1177
Radford College
Bruce · Independent combined · K-12
2,091 students · ICSEA 1203
Best girls' schools in Australian Capital Territory
Single-sex schools enrolling girls only (based on ACARA enrolment counts).
Best boys' schools in Australian Capital Territory
Single-sex schools enrolling boys only (based on ACARA enrolment counts).
Best K-12 schools in Australian Capital Territory
Combined schools offering both primary and secondary years, so a child can stay from Foundation to Year 12.
Blue Gum Community School
Hackett · Independent combined · K-10
167 students · ICSEA 1164
Canberra Girls Grammar School
Deakin · Independent combined · K-12
1,203 students · ICSEA 1177
Radford College
Bruce · Independent combined · K-12
2,091 students · ICSEA 1203
Burgmann Anglican School
Gungahlin · Independent combined · K-12
1,755 students · ICSEA 1165
Canberra Grammar School
Red Hill · Independent combined · K-12
2,116 students · ICSEA 1187
Best fastest-growing schools in Australian Capital Territory
Established schools (100+ students five years ago, 200+ today) whose enrolments have grown the most over the past five years, a strong signal of parent demand.
Taqwa School
Moncrieff · Independent combined · K-10
407 students · ICSEA 1099
St Bede's Primary School
Red Hill · Catholic primary · K-6
261 students · ICSEA 1117
Islamic School of Canberra
Weston · Independent combined · K-11
455 students · ICSEA 1073
Margaret Hendry School
Taylor · Government primary · K-6
626 students · ICSEA 1054
Covenant Christian School
Gordon · Independent combined · K-10
320 students · ICSEA 1090
Best schools with the best student–teacher ratio in Australian Capital Territory
Schools with 200+ students and the fewest full-time-equivalent students per full-time-equivalent teacher.
Latham Primary School
Latham · Government primary · K-6
298 students · ICSEA 1038
Kingsford Smith School
Holt · Government combined · K-10
742 students · ICSEA 991
Orana Steiner School
Weston · Independent combined · K-12
413 students · ICSEA 1136
Wanniassa School
Wanniassa · Government combined · K-10
538 students · ICSEA 991
Shirley Smith High School
Kenny · Government high school · 7-8
210 students · ICSEA 1078
Best largest schools in Australian Capital Territory
Schools with the highest total enrolments.
Canberra Grammar School
Red Hill · Independent combined · K-12
2,116 students · ICSEA 1187
Radford College
Bruce · Independent combined · K-12
2,091 students · ICSEA 1203
St Mary MacKillop College
Isabella Plains · Catholic high school · 7-12
2,088 students · ICSEA 1068
Marist College Canberra
Pearce · Independent combined · 4-12
1,852 students · ICSEA 1142
Burgmann Anglican School
Gungahlin · Independent combined · K-12
1,755 students · ICSEA 1165
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best school in Australian Capital Territory?
Merici College in Braddon is the highest-ranked high school in Australian Capital Territory on the 2025 Success Index (85.8/100). Mawson Primary School in Mawson is the highest-ranked primary school (88.3/100). Rankings summarise community advantage and momentum, so always visit a shortlist of schools before deciding.
How many schools are in Australian Capital Territory?
139 schools appear in ACARA's 2025 data for Australian Capital Territory, of which 92 are government schools.
How are schools in Australian Capital Territory ranked?
Each school receives a Success Index from five ACARA measures (ICSEA, top socio-educational quarter, students per teacher, enrolment growth relative to its council area, and ICSEA trend), as percentiles within its school type nationally. Special schools and schools with fewer than 80 students are not ranked. See the methodology page for weights and limitations.