Merrimac State High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Mermaid Waters, Queensland 4218 · Gold Coast LGA
About Merrimac State High School
Merrimac State High School is a public high school located in Mermaid Waters, Queensland (4218), within the Gold Coast local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 930 students (458 girls and 472 boys).
Merrimac State High School has an ICSEA value of 1029, indicating a socio-educational profile close to the national average of 1000. That places it in the 59th percentile of Australian schools. 13% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 21% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 84 teachers (79.7 full-time equivalent) and 51 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 11.7 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 25% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Merrimac State High School scores 57.6 out of 100, placing it in the top 50% of secondary schools nationally and 77th of 269 secondary schools in QLD (9th of 20 in the Gold Coast area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 1029
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)13% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)11.7 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-25% enrolments since 2020 (area median +0%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)+14 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 Merrimac State High School's 930 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Merrimac State High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Merrimac 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.
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Schools near Merrimac State High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
St Vincent's Primary School
Clear Island Waters · Catholic primary · Prep-6
794 students · ICSEA 1091 · 1.4 km away
Broadbeach State School
Broadbeach · Government primary · Prep-6
1,204 students · ICSEA 1082 · 1.9 km away
Miami State School
Mermaid Waters · Government primary · Prep-6
835 students · ICSEA 1053 · 2.4 km away
Surfers Paradise State School
Surfers Paradise · Government primary · Prep-6
598 students · ICSEA 1035 · 3.1 km away
Miami State High School
Miami · Government high school · 7-12
1,542 students · ICSEA 1032 · 3.4 km away
Robina State School
Robina · Government primary · Prep-6
698 students · ICSEA 1055 · 3.9 km away
Merrimac State School
Merrimac · Government primary · Prep-6
600 students · ICSEA 1020 · 3.9 km away
Benowa State School
Benowa · Government primary · Prep-6
894 students · ICSEA 1089 · 4.3 km away
St Kevin's School
Benowa · Catholic primary · Prep-6
427 students · ICSEA 1072 · 4.7 km away
Benowa State High School
Benowa · Government high school · 7-12
2,129 students · ICSEA 1064 · 4.8 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in QLD with a comparable ICSEA.
Maleny State High School
Maleny · Government high school · 7-12
647 students · ICSEA 1029
Springfield Central State High School
Springfield Central · Government high school · 7-12
1,998 students · ICSEA 1030
Southport State High School
Southport · Government high school · 7-12
2,231 students · ICSEA 1031
Mango Hill State Secondary College
Mango Hill · Government high school · 7-12
1,005 students · ICSEA 1031
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 Merrimac State High School a public or private school?
Merrimac State High School is a public (government) school run by the Queensland education department.
What year levels does Merrimac State High School offer?
Merrimac State High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Merrimac State High School?
In 2025, Merrimac State High School had 930 enrolled students (458 girls, 472 boys), a change of -25% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Merrimac State High School?
Merrimac State High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 1029. 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 Merrimac State High School rank in QLD?
Merrimac State High School ranks 77th of 269 secondary schools in Queensland on the Success Index (57.6/100), and 566th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Merrimac State High School?
Merrimac State High School has about 11.7 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Merrimac State High School?
In 2025, Merrimac State High School had 148 students in Year 7 and 119 in Year 12.
Is Merrimac State High School co-ed?
Yes. Merrimac State High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Merrimac State High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Merrimac 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 Merrimac State High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Mount Gravatt East, about 65 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.