McCarthy Catholic College
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025West Tamworth, New South Wales 2340 · Tamworth LGA
#323 of 539 high schools in NSW
#889 of 1,472 nationally
About McCarthy Catholic College
McCarthy Catholic College is a catholic high school located in West Tamworth, New South Wales (2340), within the Tamworth local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 935 students (529 girls and 406 boys). The school is affiliated with Catholic Schools NSW.
McCarthy Catholic College has an ICSEA value of 991, indicating a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. That places it in the 42nd percentile of Australian schools. 10% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 30% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 76 teachers (69.0 full-time equivalent) and 41 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 13.6 to 1. Enrolments have grown by 16% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, McCarthy Catholic College scores 42.9 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 323rd of 539 secondary schools in NSW (2nd of 5 in the Tamworth area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 991
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)10% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)13.6 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)+16% enrolments since 2020 (area median -3%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-13 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 McCarthy Catholic College's 935 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at McCarthy Catholic College have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
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Schools near McCarthy Catholic College
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Calrossy Anglican School
Tamworth · Independent combined · K-12
1,033 students · ICSEA 1079 · 1.9 km away
Oxley High School
North Tamworth · Government high school · 7-12
1,007 students · ICSEA 936 · 2.0 km away
Tamworth Public School
Tamworth · Government primary · K-6
891 students · ICSEA 997 · 2.1 km away
Tamworth West Public School
West Tamworth · Government primary · K-6
370 students · ICSEA 908 · 2.1 km away
St Joseph's Primary School
West Tamworth · Catholic primary · K-6
185 students · ICSEA 1003 · 2.3 km away
Oxley Vale Public School
Tamworth · Government primary · K-6
377 students · ICSEA 870 · 2.8 km away
St Nicholas' Primary School
Tamworth · Catholic primary · K-6
586 students · ICSEA 1042 · 3.0 km away
Tamworth South Public School
Tamworth · Government primary · K-6
477 students · ICSEA 828 · 3.6 km away
Tamworth High School
South Tamworth · Government high school · 7-12
663 students · ICSEA 860 · 3.7 km away
Bullimbal School
South Tamworth · Government special · U
70 students · ICSEA 870 · 3.7 km away
Similar schools
Catholic secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Carroll College
Broulee · Catholic high school · 7-12
493 students · ICSEA 987
Newman Senior Technical College
Port Macquarie · Catholic high school · 11-12
327 students · ICSEA 996
Emmaus Catholic College
Kemps Creek · Catholic high school · 7-12
674 students · ICSEA 996
Delany College
Granville · Catholic high school · 7-12
348 students · ICSEA 996
St Joseph's College
Lochinvar · Catholic high school · 7-12
973 students · ICSEA 996
St Mary's Catholic College
Casino · Catholic high school · 7-12
425 students · ICSEA 985
Frequently asked questions
Is McCarthy Catholic College a public or private school?
McCarthy Catholic College is a Catholic school, which makes it a non-government (private) school affiliated with Catholic Schools NSW.
What year levels does McCarthy Catholic College offer?
McCarthy Catholic College offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend McCarthy Catholic College?
In 2025, McCarthy Catholic College had 935 enrolled students (529 girls, 406 boys), a change of 16% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of McCarthy Catholic College?
McCarthy Catholic College has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 991. The national average is 1000, so this indicates a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does McCarthy Catholic College rank in NSW?
McCarthy Catholic College ranks 323rd of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (42.9/100), and 889th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at McCarthy Catholic College?
McCarthy Catholic College has about 13.6 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at McCarthy Catholic College?
In 2025, McCarthy Catholic College had 189 students in Year 7 and 115 in Year 12.
Is McCarthy Catholic College co-ed?
Yes. McCarthy Catholic College is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near McCarthy Catholic College?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of McCarthy Catholic College 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 McCarthy Catholic College?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Belmont, about 228 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.