Top 18 independent schools in Sunshine Coast (2025)
Independent (non-government, non-Catholic-system) schools. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 18 schools shown out of all eligible independent schools in Sunshine 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
- 175Matthew Flinders Anglican CollegeBuderim · Independent CombinedICSEA 1155 · 1,426 students
- 272Sunshine Coast Grammar SchoolForest Glen · Independent CombinedICSEA 1133 · 1,472 students
- 369Montessori International CollegeForest Glen · Independent CombinedICSEA 1104 · 276 students
- 469St Andrew's Anglican CollegePeregian Springs · Independent CombinedICSEA 1143 · 1,459 students
- 568Pacific Lutheran CollegeMeridan Plains · Independent CombinedICSEA 1114 · 1,204 students
- 668Immanuel Lutheran CollegeBuderim · Independent CombinedICSEA 1120 · 1,239 students
- 767Good Shepherd Lutheran CollegeNoosaville · Independent CombinedICSEA 1117 · 1,121 students
- 867Caloundra City Private SchoolPelican Waters · Independent CombinedICSEA 1095 · 228 students
- 965Suncoast Christian CollegeWoombye · Independent CombinedICSEA 1084 · 1,136 students
- 1065Noosa Pengari Steiner SchoolDoonan · Independent CombinedICSEA 1089 · 324 students
- 1165Peregian Beach CollegePeregian Beach · Independent CombinedICSEA 1069 · 347 students
- 1264Caloundra Christian CollegeCaloundra · Independent CombinedICSEA 1058 · 438 students
- 1363Noosa Christian CollegeCooroy · Independent CombinedICSEA 1060 · 478 students
- 1463Coolum Beach Christian CollegeCoolum Beach · Independent CombinedICSEA 1081 · 491 students
- 1561Nambour Christian CollegeWoombye · Independent CombinedICSEA 1083 · 1,309 students
- 1661The Industry School - Sunshine CoastMaroochydore · Independent SecondaryICSEA 1054 · 226 students
- 1753Blackall Range Independent SchoolKureelpa · Independent CombinedICSEA 1039 · 108 students
- 1844Glasshouse Christian CollegeBeerwah · Independent CombinedICSEA 1039 · 1,180 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Flinders Anglican College Buderim · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 75.3 Top 25% | 1155 | 1,426 | 12.2 |
| 2 | Sunshine Coast Grammar School Forest Glen · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 72.2 Top 25% | 1133 | 1,472 | 11.9 |
| 3 | Montessori International College Forest Glen · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 69.2 Top 25% | 1104 | 276 | 10.3 |
| 4 | St Andrew's Anglican College Peregian Springs · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 68.9 Top 25% | 1143 | 1,459 | 14.3 |
| 5 | Pacific Lutheran College Meridan Plains · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 67.9 Top 25% | 1114 | 1,204 | 13.2 |
| 6 | Immanuel Lutheran College Buderim · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 67.8 Top 25% | 1120 | 1,239 | 15.1 |
| 7 | Good Shepherd Lutheran College Noosaville · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 67.3 Top 25% | 1117 | 1,121 | 14.5 |
| 8 | Caloundra City Private School Pelican Waters · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 67.2 Top 25% | 1095 | 228 | 11.3 |
| 9 | Suncoast Christian College Woombye · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 65.0 Top 50% | 1084 | 1,136 | 13.8 |
| 10 | Noosa Pengari Steiner School Doonan · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 64.9 Top 50% | 1089 | 324 | 11.0 |
| 11 | Peregian Beach College Peregian Beach · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 64.9 Top 50% | 1069 | 347 | 10.0 |
| 12 | Caloundra Christian College Caloundra · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 64.3 Top 50% | 1058 | 438 | 11.8 |
| 13 | Noosa Christian College Cooroy · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 63.4 Top 50% | 1060 | 478 | 12.6 |
| 14 | Coolum Beach Christian College Coolum Beach · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 63.3 Top 50% | 1081 | 491 | 13.6 |
| 15 | Nambour Christian College Woombye · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 61.3 Top 50% | 1083 | 1,309 | 14.6 |
| 16 | The Industry School - Sunshine Coast Maroochydore · Secondary · 10-12 | Independent | 61.3 Top 50% | 1054 | 226 | 20.5 |
| 17 | Blackall Range Independent School Kureelpa · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 52.7 Top 50% | 1039 | 108 | 11.2 |
| 18 | Glasshouse Christian College Beerwah · Combined · Prep-12 | Independent | 44.4 Lower 50% | 1039 | 1,180 | 15.2 |
There are 18 independent schools in Sunshine Coast eligible for this list; the top 18 are shown. Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim is ranked first with a Success Index of 75.3 and an ICSEA of 1155. 0 of the top 18 are government schools and 18 are Catholic or independent; the median ICSEA across the list is 1087.
The top 10 independent schools in Sunshine Coast for 2025 are: 1. Matthew Flinders Anglican College (Buderim); 2. Sunshine Coast Grammar School (Forest Glen); 3. Montessori International College (Forest Glen); 4. St Andrew's Anglican College (Peregian Springs); 5. Pacific Lutheran College (Meridan Plains); 6. Immanuel Lutheran College (Buderim); 7. Good Shepherd Lutheran College (Noosaville); 8. Caloundra City Private School (Pelican Waters); 9. Suncoast Christian College (Woombye); 10. Noosa Pengari Steiner School (Doonan).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best independent school in Sunshine Coast?
Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim ranks first among independent schools in Sunshine Coast with a Success Index of 75.3 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1155.
How are independent schools in Sunshine 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 Sunshine Coast?
0 of the top 18 independent schools in Sunshine Coast are government schools; 18 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.