Cowra High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Cowra, New South Wales 2794 · Cowra LGA
#523 of 539 high schools in NSW
#1419 of 1,472 nationally
About Cowra High School
Cowra High School is a public high school located in Cowra, New South Wales (2794), within the Cowra local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 439 students (206 girls and 233 boys).
Cowra High School has an ICSEA value of 884, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 8th percentile of Australian schools. 3% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 62% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 41 teachers (47.3 full-time equivalent) and 18 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 9.3 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 17% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Cowra High School scores 18.8 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 523rd of 539 secondary schools in NSW.
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 884
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)3% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)9.3 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-17% enrolments since 2020
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-42 ICSEA points since 2020
The Success Index summarises the academic environment of a school community using official ACARA data. It is not a measure of teaching quality or student results. Read the methodology.
Student profile
Distribution of students across socio-educational advantage (SEA) quarters, plus community characteristics.
Enrolments by year level
How Cowra High School's 439 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Cowra High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Cowra High School?
Rankings tell you about a school community. A free Success Tutoring assessment tells you about your child: exactly where they are in English and Maths, where the gaps are, and a plan to close them. Small-group, Australian-curriculum tutoring with no lock-in contracts.
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Schools near Cowra High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Mulyan Public School
Cowra · Government primary · K-6
336 students · ICSEA 896 · 741 m away
Holman Place School
Cowra · Government special · U
30 students · ICSEA 822 · 1.0 km away
St Raphael's Catholic School Cowra
Cowra · Catholic combined · K-12
442 students · ICSEA 985 · 1.8 km away
Cowra Public School
Cowra · Government primary · K-6
338 students · ICSEA 895 · 2.2 km away
OneSchool Global NSW - Cowra
Cowra · Independent primary · 4-6
18 students · ICSEA 963 · 3.6 km away
Holmwood Public School
Cowra · Government primary · K-6
26 students · ICSEA 920 · 6.2 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
James Meehan High School
Macquarie Fields · Government high school · 7-12
395 students · ICSEA 884
The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus
Goonellabah · Government high school · 7-12
262 students · ICSEA 884
Inverell High School
Inverell · Government high school · 7-12
484 students · ICSEA 888
Narrandera High School
Narrandera · Government high school · 7-12
299 students · ICSEA 889
Miller High School
Miller · Government high school · 7-12
816 students · ICSEA 878
Fairfield High School
Fairfield · Government high school · 7-12
1,123 students · ICSEA 878
Frequently asked questions
Is Cowra High School a public or private school?
Cowra High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Cowra High School offer?
Cowra High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Cowra High School?
In 2025, Cowra High School had 439 enrolled students (206 girls, 233 boys), a change of -17% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Cowra High School?
Cowra High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 884. The national average is 1000, so this indicates a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Cowra High School rank in NSW?
Cowra High School ranks 523rd of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (18.8/100), and 1419th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Cowra High School?
Cowra High School has about 9.3 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Cowra High School?
In 2025, Cowra High School had 90 students in Year 7 and 56 in Year 12.
Is Cowra High School co-ed?
Yes. Cowra High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Cowra High School?
There are 6 other schools within 15 km of Cowra High School in our database. Scroll up to the "Nearby schools" section to compare them by Success Index, ICSEA and enrolments, or use the Compare tool.
Where can I get tutoring near Cowra High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Dickson, about 165 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.