Top 49 public schools in Cairns (2025)

Government schools across all year levels. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 49 schools shown out of all eligible public schools in Cairns.

1
63
Freshwater State SchoolFreshwater · Government PrimaryICSEA 1064 · 594 students
2
60
Malanda State High SchoolMalanda · Government SecondaryICSEA 994 · 538 students
3
59
Caravonica State SchoolCaravonica · Government PrimaryICSEA 1020 · 540 students
4
57
Yungaburra State SchoolYungaburra · Government PrimaryICSEA 1025 · 217 students
5
55
Cairns School of Distance EducationManunda · Government CombinedICSEA 1024 · 3,692 students
6
53
Port Douglas State SchoolPort Douglas · Government PrimaryICSEA 1012 · 230 students
7
51
Cairns State High SchoolCairns North · Government SecondaryICSEA 1019 · 1,636 students
8
50
Miallo State SchoolMiallo · Government PrimaryICSEA 996 · 176 students
9
47
Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State SchoolTrinity Beach · Government PrimaryICSEA 996 · 899 students
10
46
Edge Hill State SchoolEdge Hill · Government PrimaryICSEA 1016 · 864 students
11
46
Malanda State SchoolMalanda · Government PrimaryICSEA 1001 · 410 students
12
45
Yorkeys Knob State SchoolYorkeys Knob · Government PrimaryICSEA 998 · 321 students
13
44
Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High SchoolSmithfield · Government SecondaryICSEA 983 · 1,135 students
14
40
Redlynch State CollegeRedlynch · Government CombinedICSEA 1007 · 1,834 students
15
40
Whitfield State SchoolWhitfield · Government PrimaryICSEA 974 · 774 students
16
39
Parramatta State SchoolParramatta Park · Government PrimaryICSEA 887 · 482 students
17
38
Tolga State SchoolTolga · Government PrimaryICSEA 981 · 269 students
18
38
Mission Beach State SchoolWongaling Beach · Government PrimaryICSEA 991 · 296 students
19
35
Atherton State High SchoolAtherton · Government SecondaryICSEA 963 · 781 students
20
34
Herberton State SchoolMoomin · Government CombinedICSEA 930 · 154 students
21
32
Mourilyan State SchoolMourilyan · Government PrimaryICSEA 943 · 165 students
22
31
Tully State SchoolTully · Government PrimaryICSEA 885 · 268 students
23
30
Babinda State SchoolBabinda · Government CombinedICSEA 931 · 280 students
24
30
Kairi State SchoolKairi · Government PrimaryICSEA 940 · 99 students
25
30
Machans Beach State SchoolMachans Beach · Government PrimaryICSEA 944 · 135 students
26
30
Ravenshoe State SchoolRavenshoe · Government CombinedICSEA 848 · 351 students
27
28
Innisfail State CollegeInnisfail Estate · Government CombinedICSEA 889 · 951 students
28
27
Mossman State High SchoolMossman · Government SecondaryICSEA 938 · 553 students
29
27
Tully State High SchoolTully · Government SecondaryICSEA 925 · 721 students
30
26
Mossman State SchoolMossman · Government PrimaryICSEA 879 · 321 students
31
26
Trinity Bay State High SchoolManunda · Government SecondaryICSEA 908 · 1,784 students
32
25
Atherton State SchoolAtherton · Government PrimaryICSEA 903 · 331 students
33
25
Bentley Park CollegeBentley Park · Government CombinedICSEA 869 · 1,771 students
34
24
Balaclava State SchoolMooroobool · Government PrimaryICSEA 797 · 381 students
35
24
Kuranda District State CollegeKuranda · Government CombinedICSEA 862 · 285 students
36
24
Yarrabah State SchoolYarrabah · Government CombinedICSEA 688 · 405 students
37
23
Cairns West State SchoolManunda · Government PrimaryICSEA 784 · 481 students
38
22
Gordonvale State SchoolGordonvale · Government PrimaryICSEA 886 · 403 students
39
21
Innisfail State SchoolInnisfail · Government PrimaryICSEA 771 · 117 students
40
20
Goondi State SchoolGoondi Bend · Government PrimaryICSEA 919 · 330 students
41
20
Isabella State SchoolEdmonton · Government PrimaryICSEA 899 · 496 students
42
17
Innisfail East State SchoolEast Innisfail · Government PrimaryICSEA 814 · 148 students
43
17
White Rock State SchoolWhite Rock · Government PrimaryICSEA 837 · 439 students
44
16
Woree State SchoolWoree · Government PrimaryICSEA 860 · 530 students
45
15
Hambledon State SchoolEdmonton · Government PrimaryICSEA 865 · 378 students
46
15
Mareeba State High SchoolMareeba · Government SecondaryICSEA 886 · 721 students
47
15
Mareeba State SchoolMareeba · Government PrimaryICSEA 855 · 695 students
48
14
Woree State High SchoolWoree · Government SecondaryICSEA 854 · 750 students
49
12
Gordonvale State High SchoolGordonvale · Government SecondaryICSEA 883 · 623 students

#	School	Sector	Success Index	ICSEA	Students	Students : teacher
1	Freshwater State School Freshwater · Primary · Prep-6	Government	62.5 Top 50%	1064	594	14.8
2	Malanda State High School Malanda · Secondary · 7-12	Government	60.1 Top 50%	994	538	10.4
3	Caravonica State School Caravonica · Primary · Prep-6	Government	59.3 Top 50%	1020	540	14.2
4	Yungaburra State School Yungaburra · Primary · Prep-6	Government	57.1 Top 50%	1025	217	14.1
5	Cairns School of Distance Education Manunda · Combined · Prep-12	Government	54.5 Top 50%	1024	3,692	10.6
6	Port Douglas State School Port Douglas · Primary · Prep-6	Government	52.9 Top 50%	1012	230	12.4
7	Cairns State High School Cairns North · Secondary · 7-12	Government	51.1 Top 50%	1019	1,636	13.2
8	Miallo State School Miallo · Primary · Prep-6	Government	49.8 Top 50%	996	176	12.5
9	Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State School Trinity Beach · Primary · Prep-6	Government	46.8 Lower 50%	996	899	14.4
10	Edge Hill State School Edge Hill · Primary · Prep-6	Government	46.2 Lower 50%	1016	864	15.7
11	Malanda State School Malanda · Primary · Prep-6	Government	45.8 Lower 50%	1001	410	15.0
12	Yorkeys Knob State School Yorkeys Knob · Primary · Prep-6	Government	44.9 Lower 50%	998	321	15.1
13	Tropical North Learning Academy - Smithfield State High School Smithfield · Secondary · 7-12	Government	44.3 Lower 50%	983	1,135	11.4
14	Redlynch State College Redlynch · Combined · Prep-12	Government	40.1 Lower 50%	1007	1,834	13.5
15	Whitfield State School Whitfield · Primary · Prep-6	Government	39.9 Lower 50%	974	774	15.8
16	Parramatta State School Parramatta Park · Primary · Prep-6	Government	39.2 Lower 50%	887	482	10.4
17	Tolga State School Tolga · Primary · Prep-6	Government	38.3 Lower 50%	981	269	13.7
18	Mission Beach State School Wongaling Beach · Primary · Prep-6	Government	37.9 Lower 50%	991	296	15.7
19	Atherton State High School Atherton · Secondary · 7-12	Government	34.8 Lower 50%	963	781	12.0
20	Herberton State School Moomin · Combined · Prep-10	Government	33.9 Lower 50%	930	154	9.7
21	Mourilyan State School Mourilyan · Primary · Prep-6	Government	31.8 Lower 50%	943	165	13.4
22	Tully State School Tully · Primary · Prep-6	Government	31.3 Lower 50%	885	268	10.2
23	Babinda State School Babinda · Combined · Prep-12	Government	30.4 Lower 50%	931	280	11.7
24	Kairi State School Kairi · Primary · Prep-6	Government	30.3 Lower 50%	940	99	14.1
25	Machans Beach State School Machans Beach · Primary · Prep-6	Government	30.3 Lower 50%	944	135	15.3
26	Ravenshoe State School Ravenshoe · Combined · Prep-12	Government	30.1 Lower 50%	848	351	9.9
27	Innisfail State College Innisfail Estate · Combined · Prep-12	Government	27.9 Lower 50%	889	951	10.6
28	Mossman State High School Mossman · Secondary · 7-12	Government	26.6 Lower 50%	938	553	11.2
29	Tully State High School Tully · Secondary · 7-12	Government	26.6 Lower 50%	925	721	11.6
30	Mossman State School Mossman · Primary · Prep-6	Government	26.4 Lower 50%	879	321	13.6
31	Trinity Bay State High School Manunda · Secondary · 7-12	Government	25.7 Lower 50%	908	1,784	12.4
32	Atherton State School Atherton · Primary · Prep-6	Government	25.2 Lower 50%	903	331	11.3
33	Bentley Park College Bentley Park · Combined · Prep-12	Government	24.6 Lower 50%	869	1,771	13.1
34	Balaclava State School Mooroobool · Primary · Prep-6	Government	23.9 Lower 50%	797	381	11.8
35	Kuranda District State College Kuranda · Combined · Prep-12	Government	23.6 Lower 50%	862	285	10.4
36	Yarrabah State School Yarrabah · Combined · Prep-10	Government	23.5 Lower 50%	688	405	9.2
37	Cairns West State School Manunda · Primary · Prep-6	Government	22.5 Lower 50%	784	481	11.5
38	Gordonvale State School Gordonvale · Primary · Prep-6	Government	21.7 Lower 50%	886	403	13.0
39	Innisfail State School Innisfail · Primary · Prep-6	Government	20.5 Lower 50%	771	117	5.4
40	Goondi State School Goondi Bend · Primary · Prep-6	Government	20.3 Lower 50%	919	330	15.1
41	Isabella State School Edmonton · Primary · Prep-6	Government	20.3 Lower 50%	899	496	14.4
42	Innisfail East State School East Innisfail · Primary · Prep-6	Government	17.3 Lower 50%	814	148	12.1
43	White Rock State School White Rock · Primary · Prep-6	Government	17.2 Lower 50%	837	439	13.5
44	Woree State School Woree · Primary · Prep-6	Government	15.6 Lower 50%	860	530	14.8
45	Hambledon State School Edmonton · Primary · Prep-6	Government	15.3 Lower 50%	865	378	12.5
46	Mareeba State High School Mareeba · Secondary · 7-12	Government	15.0 Lower 50%	886	721	12.1
47	Mareeba State School Mareeba · Primary · Prep-6	Government	14.7 Lower 50%	855	695	14.0
48	Woree State High School Woree · Secondary · 7-12	Government	14.0 Lower 50%	854	750	11.0
49	Gordonvale State High School Gordonvale · Secondary · 7-12	Government	12.3 Lower 50%	883	623	12.2

There are 49 public schools in Cairns eligible for this list; the top 49 are shown. Freshwater State School in Freshwater is ranked first with a Success Index of 62.5 and an ICSEA of 1064. 49 of the top 49 are government schools and 0 are Catholic or independent; the median ICSEA across the list is 925.

The top 10 public schools in Cairns for 2025 are: 1. Freshwater State School (Freshwater); 2. Malanda State High School (Malanda); 3. Caravonica State School (Caravonica); 4. Yungaburra State School (Yungaburra); 5. Cairns School of Distance Education (Manunda); 6. Port Douglas State School (Port Douglas); 7. Cairns State High School (Cairns North); 8. Miallo State School (Miallo); 9. Tropical North Learning Academy - Trinity Beach State School (Trinity Beach); 10. Edge Hill State School (Edge Hill).

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best public school in Cairns?

Freshwater State School in Freshwater ranks first among public schools in Cairns with a Success Index of 62.5 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1064.

How are public 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 public schools in Cairns?

49 of the top 49 public schools in Cairns are government schools; 0 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.