Bowen State High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Bowen, Queensland 4805 · Whitsunday LGA
#238 of 269 high schools in QLD
#1341 of 1,472 nationally
About Bowen State High School
Bowen State High School is a public high school located in Bowen, Queensland (4805), within the Whitsunday local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 679 students (328 girls and 351 boys).
Bowen State High School has an ICSEA value of 919, indicating below-average socio-educational advantage. That places it in the 15th percentile of Australian schools. 4% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 51% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 60 teachers (55.6 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 12.2 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 3% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Bowen State High School scores 23.6 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 238th of 269 secondary schools in QLD (3rd of 3 in the Whitsunday area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 919
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)4% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)12.2 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-3% enrolments since 2020 (area median -2%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-6 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 Bowen State High School's 679 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Bowen State High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
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Schools near Bowen State High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Bowen State School
Bowen · Government primary · Prep-6
508 students · ICSEA 927 · 1.5 km away
St Mary's Catholic School
Bowen · Catholic primary · Prep-6
146 students · ICSEA 967 · 1.6 km away
Queens Beach State School
Bowen · Government primary · Prep-6
302 students · ICSEA 928 · 2.7 km away
Merinda State School
Bowen · Government primary · Prep-6
41 students · ICSEA 881 · 7.9 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in QLD with a comparable ICSEA.
Kirwan State High School
Kirwan · Government high school · 7-12
1,922 students · ICSEA 919
Wilsonton State High School
Wilsonton Heights · Government high school · 7-12
904 students · ICSEA 920
Warwick State High School
Warwick · Government high school · 7-12
702 students · ICSEA 920
Rosewood State High School
Rosewood · Government high school · 7-12
485 students · ICSEA 920
Goondiwindi State High School
Goondiwindi · Government high school · 7-12
453 students · ICSEA 917
Mabel Park State High School
Slacks Creek · Government high school · 7-12
1,814 students · ICSEA 916
Frequently asked questions
Is Bowen State High School a public or private school?
Bowen State High School is a public (government) school run by the Queensland education department.
What year levels does Bowen State High School offer?
Bowen State High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Bowen State High School?
In 2025, Bowen State High School had 679 enrolled students (328 girls, 351 boys), a change of -3% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Bowen State High School?
Bowen State High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 919. The national average is 1000, so this indicates below-average socio-educational advantage. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Bowen State High School rank in QLD?
Bowen State High School ranks 238th of 269 secondary schools in Queensland on the Success Index (23.6/100), and 1341st of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Bowen State High School?
Bowen State High School has about 12.2 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Bowen State High School?
In 2025, Bowen State High School had 138 students in Year 7 and 80 in Year 12.
Is Bowen State High School co-ed?
Yes. Bowen State High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Bowen State High School?
There are 4 other schools within 15 km of Bowen State 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 Bowen State High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring North Lakes, about 940 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.