Better Education analysis reveals Victoria’s top secondary schools

Several government schools have outperformed elite private schools in the latest rankings. See the full list.

Loreto in Toorak is rated among the state’s top 50 high schools. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The top 50 secondary schools in Victoria have been named, with selective government and single sex schools topping the list.

But a range of lower-fee private schools show top results can be achieved without a large financial outlay.

The Better Education analysis of 2022 academic outcomes shows selective government schools including Melbourne High School, Mac. Robertson Girls’ High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School all received top scores of 100, demonstrating they are the best performers.

The website is run independently and describes its aim as providing “informative and comparative school results, including school rankings or ratings and lists of best performing schools, to parents wanting to make ­choices about schooling for their children”.

The best overall score is an index of performance, not a ranking, the best score is 100 and the worst is 60.

Other standout government schools include Glen Waverley Secondary College, Balwyn High School and Highvale Secondary College which all achieved 98, while McKinnon Secondary College Government achieved a score of 97.

Out of the 50 top schools, 15 were girls’ schools including Fintona Girls’ School, Balwyn (100), Camberwell Girls Grammar School, Canterbury (99), Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, Ivanhoe (98) and Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak (97).

Boys’ schools including Trinity Grammar School, Kew and Scotch College, Hawthorn both achieved a score of 99. Both have fees of more than $35,000.

Scotch College achieved a score of 99. Picture: Tony Gough

Schools with lower fees and top scores include Ballarat Clarendon College which scored 100 but has year 12 fees of just over $20,000.

Other schools achieving 99 include Huntingtower School in Mount Waverley, which came in at number 99 but has fees of $25,000 – $10,000 less than other leading private schools.

Lighthouse Christian College in Cranbourne and St Andrews Christian College, Wantirna South also rank highly but have even lower fees – less than $12,000 in year 12.

St Andrews Christian College’s principal Nick Haines said his school’s Christian faith “creates our positive culture of community, belonging and service”.

“Our fees match the community that we serve, and we endeavour to remain as affordable as possible by making the most of our resources,” he said.

The local government areas with the most top performing schools include Boroondara, which had 10 schools in the top 50, and Stonnington with seven.

Loreto Mandeville Hall principal Angela O’Dwyer said the school credited its success to its strong sense of community with families.

“We have a good connection with students, families and teachers and we all work in strong collaboration together,” Ms O’Dwyer said.

She said the school had excelled in several years including Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

“Some of our students take part in a mentorship program with the Bionics Institute. Some of them did research into the Cochlear implant and MS.

Ms O’Dwyer said single sex schools continued to excel in all academic areas.

“There’s a level of maturity among the girls and they continue to aspire to work better.”

She said the school was proud of all its achievements.

“We are a values-based school. We’re about holistic education and empowering young women to give them the best opportunities in life.”