Tara Shire State College
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Tara, Queensland 4421 · Western Downs LGA
#268 of 275 combined schools in QLD
#1218 of 1,259 nationally
About Tara Shire State College
Tara Shire State College is a public combined (K–12) school located in Tara, Queensland (4421), within the Western Downs local government area. It caters for students from Prep to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 353 students (179 girls and 174 boys).
Tara Shire State College has an ICSEA value of 842, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 4th percentile of Australian schools. 1% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 76% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 39 teachers (36.9 full-time equivalent) and 32 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 9.6 to 1. Enrolments have remained steady over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Tara Shire State College scores 22.3 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of combined schools nationally and 268th of 275 combined schools in QLD (6th of 6 in the Western Downs area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 842
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)1% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)9.6 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-2% enrolments since 2020 (area median +11%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-15 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 Tara Shire State College's 353 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Tara Shire State College have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Tara Shire State College?
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 Tara Shire State College
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Similar schools
Government combined schools in QLD with a comparable ICSEA.
Mitchell State School
Mitchell · Government combined · Prep-10
118 students · ICSEA 845
Cooktown State School
Cooktown · Government combined · Prep-12
376 students · ICSEA 838
Dirranbandi P-10 State School
Dirranbandi · Government combined · Prep-10
72 students · ICSEA 838
Ravenshoe State School
Ravenshoe · Government combined · Prep-12
351 students · ICSEA 848
Cecil Plains State School
Cecil Plains · Government combined · Prep-9
39 students · ICSEA 851
Kuranda District State College
Kuranda · Government combined · Prep-12
285 students · ICSEA 862
Frequently asked questions
Is Tara Shire State College a public or private school?
Tara Shire State College is a public (government) school run by the Queensland education department.
What year levels does Tara Shire State College offer?
Tara Shire State College offers Prep to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a combined school.
How many students attend Tara Shire State College?
In 2025, Tara Shire State College had 353 enrolled students (179 girls, 174 boys), a change of -2% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Tara Shire State College?
Tara Shire State College has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 842. 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 Tara Shire State College rank in QLD?
Tara Shire State College ranks 268th of 275 combined schools in Queensland on the Success Index (22.3/100), and 1218th of 1,259 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Tara Shire State College?
Tara Shire State College has about 9.6 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Tara Shire State College?
In 2025, Tara Shire State College had 37 students in Year 7 and 15 in Year 12.
Is Tara Shire State College co-ed?
Yes. Tara Shire State College is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Tara Shire State College?
There are 1 other schools within 15 km of Tara Shire State 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 Tara Shire State College?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring North Lakes, about 253 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.