Families are flocking to make their homes in pockets of Melbourne’s south and east, drawn by the city’s academically high-performing schools, which are overwhelmingly concentrated east of the Yarra.
A comprehensive analysis of school performance has found McKinnon Secondary College, in the heart of the city’s south-east, was the best-performing non-selective public school for VCE in 2024 and that all but one of the top 30 metropolitan schools for final exams last year were located east of the river.
McKinnon’s consistently high performance has sent property prices in its admissions zone soaring by hundreds of thousands of dollars more than in surrounding neighbourhoods, underscoring the value parents are placing on spots in top government schools.
The Education Department’s placement policy guarantees students a spot at schools within their home’s school zone, but family preferences are considered when allocating places.
With government secondary school preferences for 2026 due by May 9, The Age is launching its exclusive interactive schools index, providing vital data on academic performance and zoning details on each school, to help families to make the right choice for their children.
Search for your address in the interactive below for academic information on the metropolitan government, Catholic and independent schools within a 5km radius of your home.
See results by distance, VCE score or school sector and select the ‘show catchment zones’ box to see which schools are within your zone.
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Families chasing coveted spots for their children at top Melbourne government schools are pushing real estate prices in the institutions’ admissions zone well above their suburb’s median.
Jellis Craig Bentleigh Director Kosta Mesaritis said properties within the McKinnon Secondary School zone sell for about $200,000 more than identical homes in neighbouring streets.
Mesaritis said word of McKinnon’s academic success had spread beyond Australia’s borders and overseas buyers looking to move to Australia were searching within a few select streets.
“McKinnon Secondary College has two campuses. If you are in a certain specific pocket that allows your child to walk to both of those campuses, that’s what we call the premium position,” he said.
Mesaritis said it was not uncommon for families to lease out their homes in less desirable school zones and move into rentals within sought-after zones.
Jellis Craig Bentleigh has school zones displayed at all its property inspections in response to the growing number of buyers wanting reassurance that they are moving somewhere that guarantees entry to a good public school.
“I’ve been in real estate here in our market for 25 years, and I’ve never been asked that question more than I am today,” Mesaritis said.
Apart from Ballarat Clarendon College, which has topped VCE results for the last three years, the state’s high-performing private schools are all concentrated in a similar area to high-performing public schools.
Huntingtower, a co-educational school in Mount Waverley, was second in the state for VCE in 2024, having outperformed many of Melbourne’s better-known, higher-fee schools for almost two decades.
Year 12 at Huntingtower was $31,000 in 2025, about $10,000 less than most other schools that made the list of the top 10 schools for VCE.
After pointing out groups of students engaged in tennis, athletics and basketball training across Huntingtower’s expansive campus, principal Shan Christensen says she’s confident the institution is not skimping on extracurricular programs.
Huntingtower School principal Shan Christensen with students Jamie, Ryan and Arundathi. Credit: Photograph by Chris Hopkins
“We’re a beautiful school, but I don’t think we’re flashy,” Christensen said.
Huntingtower was founded on the principles of Christian Science by a group of religious devotees almost 100 years ago, but the demographic mix of the present-day school community has come a long way.
About three-quarters of the school’s students speak a language other than English at home, with Cantonese and Hindi the most common.
Huntingtower enrols about 800 primary and secondary students, with a plan to increase to 825 by establishing a new junior school by 2027.
Despite a “very strong waiting list”, Christensen says school council recently voted to keep the school relatively small for now.
“We find that 100 in each year level in the senior school is close to a sweet spot,” she said.
Christensen said Huntingtower’s academic results were the “eye candy” for prospective families.
“That’s what first catches the eye. But it’s the values of the school that people are reassured by.”
Christensen said she’s heard anecdotally that families are moving to Mount Waverley to be close to Huntingtower and nearby Wesley College.
“In this day and age, where people’s lives are pulled in different directions, parents are relying more and more on what a school can offer,” Christensen said. “If you find a school that works for your child, that is a gift.”
Suzanne Cory High, located in Werribee, is the only school outside Melbourne’s east or south in the top 10 performing public schools for VCE.
The highly sought-after school ranked fifth, behind Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School, Melbourne High School, Nossal High School and John Monash Science School, which are all select entry.
Princes Hill, co-educational and located in Melbourne’s inner north, makes the top 10 for government schools when select-entry schools are excluded. It is the only government school north of the river to outperform its rivals.
It is a tightly zoned school, with about a third of Princes Hill students living in neighbouring streets, a third offered a place as they have a sibling at the school and a third travelling each day from outside the catchment area.
Principal Trevor Smith said parents considering enrolling their kids at Princes Hill were looking for a school that placed a high value on learning and offered a broad curriculum.
“We value the arts and have a really strong music program. Similarly, we really value things like outdoor education.”
Princes Hill students don’t wear school uniforms. That’s the first thing that stands out when entering the inner-north school grounds.
The school of about 850 students, “probably built for more like 650”, spills over onto Princes Park at recess and lunchtime.
The school is progressive, but Smith says curricular change at the school happens slowly and through broad consultation.
“For me, as someone whose own children went to the school, [the appeal] is the young people that we’re producing to be really strong, aware, questioning global citizens who are also well-equipped to find employment and be able to develop themselves and their interests.”
Princes Hill principal Trevor Smith and students Iris, Isaac, Celeste, Zadie and Josh.Credit: Justin McManus
There are no recent studies to draw on that examine the distribution of high-performing schools in Melbourne.
However, University of Melbourne education professor Pasi Sahlberg said students’ academic performance, including in high-stakes exams, correlates strongly with family circumstances such as socio-educational advantage.
Sahlberg said there was a high concentration of socio-educational advantage in certain schools, most likely including in Melbourne’s south and eastern suburbs.
“Moreover, public schools in Melbourne’s more affluent neighbourhoods often receive significantly more contributions and donations than other schools,” he said.
Sahlberg said boosting results across Melbourne would continue to be challenging in the face of economic disparity.
“One condition to move to a better direction is to be sure public schools across the city are equally funded. That would require some sort of positive discrimination of funding schools, meaning those schools with higher concentrations of disadvantages would receive more money than their more affluent peers.”
The Education Department has enacted several intervention plans that aim to improve education options in certain locations, including Merri-bek North, Footscray and Flemington.
Education Minister Ben Carroll, who represents Niddrie in Melbourne’s western suburbs, said the government was making sure every student could follow a path best suited to them, whether it’s VCE, Vocational Major or the Victorian Pathways Certificate.
“VCE median scores are just one measure of a school’s quality, but they show that students in our government schools have the opportunity to get top marks, regardless of their background,” Carroll said.
“Our students achieve exceptional VCE results, thanks to the dedication and hard work of our teachers and school staff in Victorian government schools. These results stand proudly alongside those from a range of non-government schools.”
School locations are based on what is published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. For the most up-to-date information, check the Find My School website.
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