Murray Bridge Special School vs St Joseph's School
A head-to-head comparison of two schools in South Australia, 412 m apart, using official ACARA 2025 data. Best value in each row is highlighted.
Murray Bridge Special School
Murray Bridge · Government special · U
20 students · ICSEA 914
St Joseph's School
Murray Bridge · Catholic combined · R-9
428 students · ICSEA 955
| Measure | Murray Bridge Special School Murray Bridge SA | St Joseph's School Murray Bridge SA |
|---|---|---|
| Success Index | – Not rated | 25 Lower 50% |
| State rank (type) | – | #139 of 145 |
| National rank (type) | – | #1184 of 1,259 |
| Sector | Government | Catholic |
| Type | Special | Combined |
| Year range | U | R-9 |
| Students | 20 | 428 |
| Girls / boys | 4 / 16 | 206 / 222 |
| Foundation intake | – | 62 |
| Year 7 cohort | – | 21 |
| Year 12 cohort | – | – |
| VCE median study score VCAA, latest year | – | – |
| VCE study scores 40+ | – | – |
| 5-year enrolment growth | -13% | -4% |
| ICSEA Average 1000 | 914 | 955 |
| ICSEA percentile | 14th | 27th |
| Top SEA quarter | 8% | 6% |
| Bottom SEA quarter | 61% | 50% |
| Students per teacher | 4.3 | 12.4 |
| Teaching staff (FTE) | 4.6 | 34.4 |
| Non-teaching staff (FTE) | 6.5 | 29.7 |
| Language background other than English | 0% | 17% |
| Indigenous students | 40% | 9% |
| Suburb | Murray Bridge 5253 | Murray Bridge 5253 |
| Council area | Murray Bridge | Murray Bridge |
| Remoteness | Inner Regional | Inner Regional |
| Website | www.mbss.sa.edu.au | www.stjomb.catholic.edu.au |
The verdict
- •St Joseph's School has the higher ICSEA (955 vs 914), indicating a more advantaged community.
- •Murray Bridge Special School has fewer students per teacher (4.3 vs 12.4).
- •St Joseph's School is the larger school with 428 students compared with 20.
- •St Joseph's School has grown faster over five years (-4% vs -13%).
- •Murray Bridge Special School is a government school while St Joseph's School 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 Murray Bridge Special School better than St Joseph's School?
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 Murray Bridge Special School and St Joseph's School?
About 412 m in a straight line, between Murray Bridge and Murray Bridge in South Australia.
Which has the better student-to-teacher ratio?
Murray Bridge Special School has 4.3 students per full-time-equivalent teacher and St Joseph's School has 12.4.
How do Murray Bridge Special School and St Joseph's School rank in SA?
Murray Bridge Special School is unranked and St Joseph's School is 139th of 145 among special schools in South Australia on the 2025 Success Index.