Top 8 private high schools in Mackay (2025)
Independent and Catholic schools offering secondary years. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 8 schools shown out of all eligible private high schools in Mackay.
- Primary Schools
- High Schools
- Public Schools
- Private Schools
- Catholic Schools
- Independent Schools
- Public Primary Schools
- Public High Schools
- Private Primary 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
- 167Whitsunday Anglican SchoolBeaconsfield · Independent CombinedICSEA 1102 · 1,151 students
- 260Catherine McAuley CollegeMackay · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1026 · 606 students
- 358St Patrick's CollegeMackay · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1009 · 1,394 students
- 455Holy Spirit CollegeMount Pleasant · Catholic SecondaryICSEA 1023 · 1,139 students
- 544St Catherine's Catholic College The WhitsundaysProserpine · Catholic CombinedICSEA 1017 · 725 students
- 642Carlisle Adventist CollegeBeaconsfield · Independent CombinedICSEA 990 · 281 students
- 740Whitsunday Christian CollegeCannonvale · Independent CombinedICSEA 1015 · 421 students
- 840Mackay Christian CollegeNorth Mackay · Independent CombinedICSEA 1000 · 879 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitsunday Anglican School Beaconsfield · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 66.8 Top 25% | 1102 | 1,151 | 13.2 |
| 2 | Catherine McAuley College Mackay · Secondary · 7-10 | Catholic | 60.1 Top 50% | 1026 | 606 | 11.8 |
| 3 | St Patrick's College Mackay · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 58.1 Top 50% | 1009 | 1,394 | 11.3 |
| 4 | Holy Spirit College Mount Pleasant · Secondary · 7-12 | Catholic | 54.6 Top 50% | 1023 | 1,139 | 13.2 |
| 5 | St Catherine's Catholic College The Whitsundays Proserpine · Combined · Prep-12 | Catholic | 43.7 Lower 50% | 1017 | 725 | 13.8 |
| 6 | Carlisle Adventist College Beaconsfield · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 41.9 Lower 50% | 990 | 281 | 11.6 |
| 7 | Whitsunday Christian College Cannonvale · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 40.1 Lower 50% | 1015 | 421 | 14.3 |
| 8 | Mackay Christian College North Mackay · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 39.5 Lower 50% | 1000 | 879 | 13.8 |
There are 8 private high schools in Mackay eligible for this list; the top 8 are shown. Whitsunday Anglican School in Beaconsfield is ranked first with a Success Index of 66.8 and an ICSEA of 1102.
The top 8 private high schools in Mackay for 2025 are: 1. Whitsunday Anglican School (Beaconsfield); 2. Catherine McAuley College (Mackay); 3. St Patrick's College (Mackay); 4. Holy Spirit College (Mount Pleasant); 5. St Catherine's Catholic College The Whitsundays (Proserpine); 6. Carlisle Adventist College (Beaconsfield); 7. Whitsunday Christian College (Cannonvale); 8. Mackay Christian College (North Mackay).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best private secondary school in Mackay?
Whitsunday Anglican School in Beaconsfield ranks first among private high schools in Mackay with a Success Index of 66.8 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1102.
How are private high schools in Mackay 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 high schools in Mackay?
0 of the top 8 private high schools in Mackay are government schools; 8 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.