Cairns State High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Cairns North, Queensland 4870 · Cairns LGA
About Cairns State High School
Cairns State High School is a public high school located in Cairns North, Queensland (4870), within the Cairns local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 1,636 students (846 girls and 790 boys).
Cairns State High School has an ICSEA value of 1019, indicating a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. That places it in the 56th percentile of Australian schools. 21% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 19% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 134 teachers (124.1 full-time equivalent) and 58 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 13.2 to 1. Enrolments have remained steady over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Cairns State High School scores 51.1 out of 100, placing it in the top 50% of secondary schools nationally and 106th of 269 secondary schools in QLD (5th of 10 in the Cairns area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 1019
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)21% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)13.2 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-2% enrolments since 2020 (area median -2%)
- 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 Cairns State High School's 1,636 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Cairns State High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Cairns State 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.
- Personalised learning plan mapped to the Australian Curriculum
- English & Maths from Kindergarten to Year 12
- Flexible memberships, no lock-in contracts
- Your nearest centre: Success Tutoring North Lakes
Schools near Cairns State High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
St Monica's College
Cairns · Catholic high school · 7-12
697 students · ICSEA 1058 · 572 m away
Parramatta State School
Parramatta Park · Government primary · Prep-6
482 students · ICSEA 887 · 1.1 km away
St Augustine's College
Cairns · Catholic high school · 7-12
777 students · ICSEA 1060 · 1.1 km away
St Joseph's School
Parramatta Park · Catholic primary · Prep-6
348 students · ICSEA 1029 · 1.2 km away
The BUSY School
Cairns · Independent high school · 11-12
1,780 students · ICSEA 975 · 1.3 km away
Trinity Bay State High School
Manunda · Government high school · 7-12
1,784 students · ICSEA 908 · 1.9 km away
Cairns School of Distance Education
Manunda · Government combined · Prep-12
3,692 students · ICSEA 1024 · 2.0 km away
Mother of Good Counsel School
Cairns North · Catholic primary · Prep-6
354 students · ICSEA 1091 · 2.2 km away
Cairns West State School
Manunda · Government primary · Prep-6
481 students · ICSEA 784 · 2.9 km away
St Francis Xavier's School
Manunda · Catholic primary · Prep-6
382 students · ICSEA 953 · 3.0 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in QLD with a comparable ICSEA.
Helensvale State High School
Helensvale · Government high school · 7-12
1,875 students · ICSEA 1017
Palmview State Secondary College
Palmview · Government high school · 7-10
379 students · ICSEA 1021
Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School
Palm Beach · Government high school · 7-12
2,819 students · ICSEA 1022
Elanora State High School
Elanora · Government high school · 7-12
949 students · ICSEA 1023
Robina State High School
Robina · Government high school · 7-12
1,530 students · ICSEA 1026
Cleveland District State High School
Cleveland · Government high school · 7-12
2,302 students · ICSEA 1026
Frequently asked questions
Is Cairns State High School a public or private school?
Cairns State High School is a public (government) school run by the Queensland education department.
What year levels does Cairns State High School offer?
Cairns State High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Cairns State High School?
In 2025, Cairns State High School had 1,636 enrolled students (846 girls, 790 boys), a change of -2% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Cairns State High School?
Cairns State High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 1019. 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 Cairns State High School rank in QLD?
Cairns State High School ranks 106th of 269 secondary schools in Queensland on the Success Index (51.1/100), and 718th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Cairns State High School?
Cairns State High School has about 13.2 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Cairns State High School?
In 2025, Cairns State High School had 283 students in Year 7 and 234 in Year 12.
Is Cairns State High School co-ed?
Yes. Cairns State High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Cairns State High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Cairns 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 Cairns State High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring North Lakes, about 1368 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.