Top 32 private schools in Cairns (2025)
Independent and Catholic schools across all year levels. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 32 schools shown out of all eligible private schools in Cairns.
- Primary Schools
- High Schools
- Public Schools
- Catholic Schools
- Independent Schools
- Public Primary Schools
- Public High Schools
- Private Primary Schools
- Private High Schools
- Girls' Schools
- Boys' Schools
- K-12 Schools
- VCE Schools by Median Study Score
- Schools with Top ATAR Students (WA)
- VCE Schools by Study Scores of 40+
- Fastest-Growing Schools
- Schools With the Best Student–Teacher Ratio
- Largest Schools
- 171Newman Catholic CollegeSmithfield · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1046 · 625 students
- 270Mother of Good Counsel SchoolCairns North · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1091 · 354 students
- 367St Augustine's CollegeCairns · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1060 · 777 students
- 466Trinity Anglican SchoolWhite Rock · Independent CombinedICSEA 1103 · 1,204 students
- 565St Monica's CollegeCairns · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1058 · 697 students
- 662Holy Cross SchoolTrinity Park · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1058 · 572 students
- 761Cairns Hinterland Steiner SchoolKuranda · Independent CombinedICSEA 1059 · 157 students
- 861St Stephen's Catholic CollegeMareeba · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1041 · 652 students
- 954Peace Lutheran CollegeKamerunga · Independent CombinedICSEA 1054 · 544 students
- 1053Freshwater Christian CollegeBrinsmead · Independent CombinedICSEA 1041 · 562 students
- 1153St Mary's Catholic CollegeWoree · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1023 · 949 students
- 1251St Andrew's Catholic College Redlynch ValleyRedlynch · Catholic CombinedICSEA 1067 · 1,373 students
- 1350St Gerard Majella Primary SchoolWoree · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1035 · 399 students
- 1449St Clare's SchoolTully · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1008 · 170 students
- 1549St Joseph's SchoolAtherton · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1022 · 287 students
- 1649Jubilee Christian CollegeAtherton · Independent CombinedICSEA 1017 · 850 students
- 1749Our Lady Help of Christians SchoolEarlville · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1025 · 506 students
- 1849St Joseph's SchoolParramatta Park · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1029 · 348 students
- 1948St Augustine's SchoolMossman · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1002 · 109 students
- 2047Good Counsel Primary SchoolInnisfail · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1001 · 340 students
- 2145St Michael's SchoolGordonvale · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 993 · 279 students
- 2244St Thomas' SchoolMareeba · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 1002 · 431 students
- 2344Good Counsel CollegeInnisfail · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 982 · 414 students
- 2443St Rita's SchoolSouth Johnstone · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 970 · 107 students
- 2541MacKillop Catholic College, Mount PeterMount Peter · Catholic CombinedICSEA 987 · 1,119 students
- 2641St Therese's SchoolBentley Park · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 991 · 541 students
- 2741The BUSY SchoolCairns · Independent SecondaryICSEA 975 · 1,780 students
- 2833St Teresa's SchoolRavenshoe · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 939 · 85 students
- 2930St Francis Xavier's SchoolManunda · Catholic PrimaryICSEA 953 · 382 students
- 3025Djarragun CollegeGordonvale · Independent CombinedICSEA 683 · 259 students
- 3123Mount St Bernard CollegeHerberton · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 807 · 145 students
- 3222Radiant Life CollegeEast Innisfail · Independent CombinedICSEA 749 · 137 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newman Catholic College Smithfield · Secondary · 7-10 | Catholic | 70.6 Top 25% | 1046 | 625 | 10.9 |
| 2 | Mother of Good Counsel School Cairns North · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 70.2 Top 25% | 1091 | 354 | 16.1 |
| 3 | St Augustine's College Cairns · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 66.8 Top 25% | 1060 | 777 | 11.8 |
| 4 | Trinity Anglican School White Rock · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 66.4 Top 25% | 1103 | 1,204 | 12.9 |
| 5 | St Monica's College Cairns · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 64.7 Top 50% | 1058 | 697 | 12.3 |
| 6 | Holy Cross School Trinity Park · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 62.3 Top 50% | 1058 | 572 | 16.2 |
| 7 | Cairns Hinterland Steiner School Kuranda · Combined · Prep-8 | Independent | 61.4 Top 50% | 1059 | 157 | 10.0 |
| 8 | St Stephen's Catholic College Mareeba · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 60.6 Top 50% | 1041 | 652 | 12.8 |
| 9 | Peace Lutheran College Kamerunga · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 53.8 Top 50% | 1054 | 544 | 11.6 |
| 10 | Freshwater Christian College Brinsmead · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 53.0 Top 50% | 1041 | 562 | 12.2 |
| 11 | St Mary's Catholic College Woree · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 52.6 Top 50% | 1023 | 949 | 12.1 |
| 12 | St Andrew's Catholic College Redlynch Valley Redlynch · Combined · Prep-12 | Catholic | 50.7 Top 50% | 1067 | 1,373 | 13.6 |
| 13 | St Gerard Majella Primary School Woree · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 50.0 Top 50% | 1035 | 399 | 16.8 |
| 14 | St Clare's School Tully · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 49.2 Top 50% | 1008 | 170 | 14.9 |
| 15 | St Joseph's School Atherton · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 49.2 Top 50% | 1022 | 287 | 15.4 |
| 16 | Jubilee Christian College Atherton · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 48.6 Top 50% | 1017 | 850 | 14.7 |
| 17 | Our Lady Help of Christians School Earlville · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 48.6 Lower 50% | 1025 | 506 | 15.4 |
| 18 | St Joseph's School Parramatta Park · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 48.6 Lower 50% | 1029 | 348 | 16.3 |
| 19 | St Augustine's School Mossman · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 47.8 Lower 50% | 1002 | 109 | 10.5 |
| 20 | Good Counsel Primary School Innisfail · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 47.3 Lower 50% | 1001 | 340 | 16.0 |
| 21 | St Michael's School Gordonvale · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 44.9 Lower 50% | 993 | 279 | 14.1 |
| 22 | St Thomas' School Mareeba · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 44.4 Lower 50% | 1002 | 431 | 15.0 |
| 23 | Good Counsel College Innisfail · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 43.6 Lower 50% | 982 | 414 | 11.9 |
| 24 | St Rita's School South Johnstone · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 43.1 Lower 50% | 970 | 107 | 11.9 |
| 25 | MacKillop Catholic College, Mount Peter Mount Peter · Combined · Prep-12 | Catholic | 41.4 Lower 50% | 987 | 1,119 | 12.9 |
| 26 | St Therese's School Bentley Park · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 41.4 Lower 50% | 991 | 541 | 13.9 |
| 27 | The BUSY School Cairns · Secondary · 11-12 | Independent | 41.2 Lower 50% | 975 | 1,780 | 20.9 |
| 28 | St Teresa's School Ravenshoe · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 33.0 Lower 50% | 939 | 85 | 13.9 |
| 29 | St Francis Xavier's School Manunda · Primary · Prep-6 | Catholic | 30.2 Lower 50% | 953 | 382 | 13.5 |
| 30 | Djarragun College Gordonvale · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 24.8 Lower 50% | 683 | 259 | 8.4 |
| 31 | Mount St Bernard College Herberton · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 23.3 Lower 50% | 807 | 145 | 7.1 |
| 32 | Radiant Life College East Innisfail · Combined · Prep-10 | Independent | 21.8 Lower 50% | 749 | 137 | 13.7 |
There are 32 private schools in Cairns eligible for this list; the top 32 are shown. Newman Catholic College in Smithfield is ranked first with a Success Index of 70.6 and an ICSEA of 1046. 0 of the top 32 are government schools and 32 are Catholic or independent; the median ICSEA across the list is 1020.
The top 10 private schools in Cairns for 2025 are: 1. Newman Catholic College (Smithfield); 2. Mother of Good Counsel School (Cairns North); 3. St Augustine's College (Cairns); 4. Trinity Anglican School (White Rock); 5. St Monica's College (Cairns); 6. Holy Cross School (Trinity Park); 7. Cairns Hinterland Steiner School (Kuranda); 8. St Stephen's Catholic College (Mareeba); 9. Peace Lutheran College (Kamerunga); 10. Freshwater Christian College (Brinsmead).
Download this table as CSV · free to reuse with attribution to ACARA and Success Tutoring
Free academic assessment
Aiming for a top private school?
Entry to high-demand schools, selective streams and scholarships rewards strong fundamentals. A free assessment shows where your child stands today and what to work on.
- Personalised learning plan mapped to the Australian Curriculum
- English & Maths from Kindergarten to Year 12
- Flexible memberships, no lock-in contracts
- Centres across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA and ACT
Frequently asked questions
What is the best private school in Cairns?
Newman Catholic College in Smithfield ranks first among private schools in Cairns with a Success Index of 70.6 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1046.
How are private schools in Cairns ranked?
Each school's Success Index combines five factors from ACARA's 2025 school profile data: ICSEA (50%), share of students in the top socio-educational quarter (15%), students per teacher (15%), five-year enrolment growth (10%) and five-year ICSEA trend (10%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type nationally. Schools with fewer than 80 students are excluded.
How many public schools are in the top 100 private schools in Cairns?
0 of the top 32 private schools in Cairns are government schools; 32 are Catholic or independent.
Do these rankings include NAPLAN or ATAR results?
Not yet. ACARA does not publish school-level NAPLAN results in bulk, and ATAR results are released by state authorities in different formats. The Success Index uses the measures ACARA publishes for every school so that all schools are compared on identical data. Where a school publishes its own results we link to its website.