Shoalhaven High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Nowra, New South Wales 2541 · Shoalhaven LGA
#475 of 539 high schools in NSW
#1296 of 1,472 nationally
About Shoalhaven High School
Shoalhaven High School is a public high school located in Nowra, New South Wales (2541), within the Shoalhaven local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 610 students (287 girls and 323 boys).
Shoalhaven High School has an ICSEA value of 862, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 6th percentile of Australian schools. 2% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 69% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 64 teachers (67.2 full-time equivalent) and 32 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 9.1 to 1. Enrolments have grown by 5% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Shoalhaven High School scores 25.5 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 475th of 539 secondary schools in NSW (6th of 6 in the Shoalhaven area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 862
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)2% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)9.1 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)+5% enrolments since 2020 (area median -5%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-11 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 Shoalhaven High School's 610 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Shoalhaven High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
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Schools near Shoalhaven High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
St John the Evangelist Catholic High School
Nowra · Catholic high school · 7-12
935 students · ICSEA 1028 · 491 m away
Nowra Christian School
Nowra · Independent combined · K-12
572 students · ICSEA 1033 · 951 m away
Nowra East Public School
Nowra East · Government primary · P-6
420 students · ICSEA 784 · 1.7 km away
Nowra Public School
Nowra · Government primary · K-6
517 students · ICSEA 904 · 2.2 km away
Nowra High School
Nowra · Government high school · 7-12
777 students · ICSEA 944 · 2.9 km away
St Michael's Catholic Primary School
Nowra · Catholic primary · K-6
537 students · ICSEA 994 · 3.0 km away
Terara Public School
Terara · Government primary · K-6
96 students · ICSEA 1009 · 3.9 km away
Shoalhaven River College
Bomaderry · Independent special · 9-12
48 students · ICSEA 931 · 4.4 km away
Nowra Anglican College
Bomaderry · Independent combined · K-12
1,152 students · ICSEA 1094 · 4.5 km away
Illaroo Road Public School
North Nowra · Government primary · K-6
451 students · ICSEA 992 · 4.6 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Chifley College Mount Druitt Campus
Mount Druitt · Government high school · 7-10
648 students · ICSEA 864
Tamworth High School
South Tamworth · Government high school · 7-12
663 students · ICSEA 860
Narrabri High School
Narrabri · Government high school · 7-12
420 students · ICSEA 864
Dubbo College South Campus
Dubbo · Government high school · 7-10
687 students · ICSEA 864
Cobar High School
Cobar · Government high school · 7-12
214 students · ICSEA 865
Casino High School
Casino · Government high school · 7-12
567 students · ICSEA 866
Frequently asked questions
Is Shoalhaven High School a public or private school?
Shoalhaven High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Shoalhaven High School offer?
Shoalhaven High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Shoalhaven High School?
In 2025, Shoalhaven High School had 610 enrolled students (287 girls, 323 boys), a change of 5% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Shoalhaven High School?
Shoalhaven High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 862. 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 Shoalhaven High School rank in NSW?
Shoalhaven High School ranks 475th of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (25.5/100), and 1296th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Shoalhaven High School?
Shoalhaven High School has about 9.1 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Shoalhaven High School?
In 2025, Shoalhaven High School had 124 students in Year 7 and 48 in Year 12.
Is Shoalhaven High School co-ed?
Yes. Shoalhaven High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Shoalhaven High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Shoalhaven 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 Shoalhaven High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Camden, about 93 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.