Top 9 independent schools in Darwin (2025)
Independent (non-government, non-Catholic-system) schools. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 9 schools shown out of all eligible independent schools in Darwin.
- Primary Schools
- High Schools
- Public Schools
- Private Schools
- Catholic 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
- 175Haileybury Rendall SchoolBerrimah · Independent CombinedICSEA 1082 · 970 students
- 271The Essington SchoolRapid Creek · Independent CombinedICSEA 1128 · 782 students
- 361Milkwood Steiner SchoolBerrimah · Independent CombinedICSEA 1053 · 118 students
- 450NT Christian CollegeMarrara · Independent SecondaryICSEA 987 · 93 students
- 547Good Shepherd Lutheran CollegeHoward Springs · Independent CombinedICSEA 1025 · 1,117 students
- 644SEDA College NTFannie Bay · Independent SecondaryICSEA 980 · 150 students
- 740Sattler Christian CollegeFreds Pass · Independent CombinedICSEA 997 · 245 students
- 837Palmerston Christian CollegeMarlow Lagoon · Independent CombinedICSEA 1008 · 365 students
- 928Marrara Christian CollegeMarrara · Independent CombinedICSEA 962 · 289 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haileybury Rendall School Berrimah · Combined · T-12 | Independent | 75.0 Top 25% | 1082 | 970 | 10.6 |
| 2 | The Essington School Rapid Creek · Combined · T-12 | Independent | 71.1 Top 25% | 1128 | 782 | 12.2 |
| 3 | Milkwood Steiner School Berrimah · Combined · T-8 | Independent | 61.0 Top 50% | 1053 | 118 | 8.1 |
| 4 | NT Christian College Marrara · Secondary · 11-12 | Independent | 50.0 Lower 50% | 987 | 93 | 8.9 |
| 5 | Good Shepherd Lutheran College Howard Springs · Combined · T-12 | Independent | 46.8 Lower 50% | 1025 | 1,117 | 12.4 |
| 6 | SEDA College NT Fannie Bay · Secondary · 10-12 | Independent | 43.9 Lower 50% | 980 | 150 | 13.2 |
| 7 | Sattler Christian College Freds Pass · Combined · T-10 | Independent | 39.6 Lower 50% | 997 | 245 | 15.5 |
| 8 | Palmerston Christian College Marlow Lagoon · Combined · T-10 | Independent | 36.7 Lower 50% | 1008 | 365 | 15.0 |
| 9 | Marrara Christian College Marrara · Combined · T-10 | Independent | 28.2 Lower 50% | 962 | 289 | 12.8 |
There are 9 independent schools in Darwin eligible for this list; the top 9 are shown. Haileybury Rendall School in Berrimah is ranked first with a Success Index of 75.0 and an ICSEA of 1082.
The top 9 independent schools in Darwin for 2025 are: 1. Haileybury Rendall School (Berrimah); 2. The Essington School (Rapid Creek); 3. Milkwood Steiner School (Berrimah); 4. NT Christian College (Marrara); 5. Good Shepherd Lutheran College (Howard Springs); 6. SEDA College NT (Fannie Bay); 7. Sattler Christian College (Freds Pass); 8. Palmerston Christian College (Marlow Lagoon); 9. Marrara Christian College (Marrara).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best independent school in Darwin?
Haileybury Rendall School in Berrimah ranks first among independent schools in Darwin with a Success Index of 75.0 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1082.
How are independent schools in Darwin 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 independent schools in Darwin?
0 of the top 9 independent schools in Darwin are government schools; 9 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.