Top 20 independent schools in Gold Coast (2025)
Independent (non-government, non-Catholic-system) schools. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 20 schools shown out of all eligible independent schools in Gold Coast.
- 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
- 174St Hilda's SchoolSouthport · Independent CombinedICSEA 1135 · 1,258 students
- 271The Southport SchoolSouthport · Independent CombinedICSEA 1118 · 1,621 students
- 371Somerset CollegeMudgeeraba · Independent CombinedICSEA 1157 · 1,612 students
- 470All Saints Anglican SchoolMerrimac · Independent CombinedICSEA 1137 · 1,828 students
- 567A B Paterson CollegeArundel · Independent CombinedICSEA 1123 · 1,652 students
- 666Emmanuel CollegeCarrara · Independent CombinedICSEA 1139 · 1,686 students
- 766Saint Stephen's CollegeCoomera · Independent CombinedICSEA 1109 · 1,315 students
- 865Hillcrest Christian CollegeReedy Creek · Independent CombinedICSEA 1104 · 2,055 students
- 964The Village School Gold CoastCoolangatta · Independent PrimaryICSEA 1047 · 88 students
- 1062Silkwood SchoolMount Nathan · Independent CombinedICSEA 1073 · 765 students
- 1161Trinity Lutheran CollegeAshmore · Independent CombinedICSEA 1086 · 1,322 students
- 1260St Andrews Lutheran CollegeTallebudgera · Independent CombinedICSEA 1104 · 1,377 students
- 1360Coomera Anglican CollegeUpper Coomera · Independent CombinedICSEA 1084 · 1,595 students
- 1458Gold Coast Christian CollegeReedy Creek · Independent CombinedICSEA 1066 · 237 students
- 1558Tamborine Mountain CollegeNorth Tamborine · Independent CombinedICSEA 1073 · 546 students
- 1657King's Christian CollegeReedy Creek · Independent CombinedICSEA 1074 · 5,166 students
- 1754The Industry School - Gold CoastRobina · Independent SecondaryICSEA 1040 · 315 students
- 1852Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District SchoolPimpama · Independent CombinedICSEA 1056 · 794 students
- 1947Rivermount CollegeYatala · Independent CombinedICSEA 1046 · 982 students
- 2046Livingstone Christian CollegeOrmeau · Independent CombinedICSEA 1043 · 1,222 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Hilda's School Southport · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 73.9 Top 25% | 1135 | 1,258 | 12.5 |
| 2 | The Southport School Southport · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 70.8 Top 25% | 1118 | 1,621 | 10.9 |
| 3 | Somerset College Mudgeeraba · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 70.6 Top 25% | 1157 | 1,612 | 14.7 |
| 4 | All Saints Anglican School Merrimac · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 69.9 Top 25% | 1137 | 1,828 | 11.8 |
| 5 | A B Paterson College Arundel · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 67.1 Top 25% | 1123 | 1,652 | 14.6 |
| 6 | Emmanuel College Carrara · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 66.3 Top 25% | 1139 | 1,686 | 15.3 |
| 7 | Saint Stephen's College Coomera · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 65.7 Top 25% | 1109 | 1,315 | 13.3 |
| 8 | Hillcrest Christian College Reedy Creek · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 65.1 Top 50% | 1104 | 2,055 | 15.8 |
| 9 | The Village School Gold Coast Coolangatta · Primary · Prep-6 | Independent | 63.5 Top 50% | 1047 | 88 | 13.3 |
| 10 | Silkwood School Mount Nathan · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 61.6 Top 50% | 1073 | 765 | 12.4 |
| 11 | Trinity Lutheran College Ashmore · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 61.1 Top 50% | 1086 | 1,322 | 13.4 |
| 12 | St Andrews Lutheran College Tallebudgera · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 60.1 Top 50% | 1104 | 1,377 | 15.7 |
| 13 | Coomera Anglican College Upper Coomera · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 59.8 Top 50% | 1084 | 1,595 | 14.8 |
| 14 | Gold Coast Christian College Reedy Creek · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 58.0 Top 50% | 1066 | 237 | 10.4 |
| 15 | Tamborine Mountain College North Tamborine · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 57.5 Top 50% | 1073 | 546 | 12.9 |
| 16 | King's Christian College Reedy Creek · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 57.0 Top 50% | 1074 | 5,166 | 15.0 |
| 17 | The Industry School - Gold Coast Robina · Secondary · 10-12 | Independent | 54.0 Top 50% | 1040 | 315 | 21.6 |
| 18 | Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School Pimpama · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 52.0 Top 50% | 1056 | 794 | 14.5 |
| 19 | Rivermount College Yatala · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 46.6 Lower 50% | 1046 | 982 | 13.9 |
| 20 | Livingstone Christian College Ormeau · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 46.2 Lower 50% | 1043 | 1,222 | 13.9 |
There are 20 independent schools in Gold Coast eligible for this list; the top 20 are shown. St Hilda's School in Southport is ranked first with a Success Index of 73.9 and an ICSEA of 1135. 0 of the top 20 are government schools and 20 are Catholic or independent; the median ICSEA across the list is 1085.
The top 10 independent schools in Gold Coast for 2025 are: 1. St Hilda's School (Southport); 2. The Southport School (Southport); 3. Somerset College (Mudgeeraba); 4. All Saints Anglican School (Merrimac); 5. A B Paterson College (Arundel); 6. Emmanuel College (Carrara); 7. Saint Stephen's College (Coomera); 8. Hillcrest Christian College (Reedy Creek); 9. The Village School Gold Coast (Coolangatta); 10. Silkwood School (Mount Nathan).
Download this table as CSV · free to reuse with attribution to ACARA and Success Tutoring
Free academic assessment
Aiming for a top independent 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 independent school in Gold Coast?
St Hilda's School in Southport ranks first among independent schools in Gold Coast with a Success Index of 73.9 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1135.
How are independent schools in Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast?
0 of the top 20 independent schools in Gold Coast are government schools; 20 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.