Mid North Education Centre vs St Mark's College
A head-to-head comparison of two schools in South Australia, 3.5 km apart, using official ACARA 2025 data. Best value in each row is highlighted.
Mid North Education Centre
Port Pirie · Government special · U
17 students · ICSEA 873
St Mark's College
Port Pirie · Catholic combined · R-12
945 students · ICSEA 1002
| Measure | Mid North Education Centre Port Pirie SA | St Mark's College Port Pirie SA |
|---|---|---|
| Success Index | – Not rated | 36 Lower 50% |
| State rank (type) | – | #101 of 145 |
| National rank (type) | – | #936 of 1,259 |
| Sector | Government | Catholic |
| Type | Special | Combined |
| Year range | U | R-12 |
| Students | 17 | 945 |
| Girls / boys | 4 / 13 | 476 / 469 |
| Foundation intake | – | 52 |
| Year 7 cohort | – | 83 |
| Year 12 cohort | – | 83 |
| VCE median study score VCAA, latest year | – | – |
| VCE study scores 40+ | – | – |
| 5-year enrolment growth | – | +5% |
| ICSEA Average 1000 | 873 | 1002 |
| ICSEA percentile | 7th | 48th |
| Top SEA quarter | 3% | 10% |
| Bottom SEA quarter | 77% | 29% |
| Students per teacher | – | 14.1 |
| Teaching staff (FTE) | 3.4 | 66.8 |
| Non-teaching staff (FTE) | 4.3 | 33.8 |
| Language background other than English | 21% | 4% |
| Indigenous students | 24% | 4% |
| Suburb | Port Pirie 5540 | Port Pirie 5540 |
| Council area | Port Pirie | Port Pirie |
| Remoteness | Outer Regional | Outer Regional |
| Website | midnorthec.sa.edu.au/ | www.stmarkspirie.catholic.edu.au |
The verdict
- •St Mark's College has the higher ICSEA (1002 vs 873), indicating a more advantaged community.
- •St Mark's College is the larger school with 945 students compared with 17.
- •Mid North Education Centre is a government school while St Mark's College is a catholic school, so fees and enrolment rules differ.
The Success Index summarises community advantage, resourcing and momentum from ACARA data. It does not measure teaching quality, results or fit. Methodology.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mid North Education Centre better than St Mark's College?
The two schools are very close on the Success Index. Differences in sector, size, year range and distance from home will matter more than the score.
How far apart are Mid North Education Centre and St Mark's College?
About 3.5 km in a straight line, between Port Pirie and Port Pirie in South Australia.
Which has the better student-to-teacher ratio?
Staffing data is not available for one of the schools.
How do Mid North Education Centre and St Mark's College rank in SA?
Mid North Education Centre is unranked and St Mark's College is 101st of 145 among special schools in South Australia on the 2025 Success Index.