Best Private High schools in Melbourne

There are many schools in Victoria that offer an amazing education. But which ones are the best? The VCE results for 2022 have been released, and we've got all the details on the top high schools in Melbourne. From well-known schools like Melbourne High to lesser-known private school gems, these are the best of the best.

Within each category, the schools have been ranked according to their academic achievement. We've used the percentage of study scores of 40 or above as the primary metric and omitted schools with less than 20 VCE students.

Next to each rank you can also see how the school has fared in comparison to their previous year's performance—whether they have improved or dropped in their rank.

Top 200 High Schools

When looking at the top schools in Victoria—one thing is clear—high-fee private schools have a significant advantage over their government counterparts.

Of the best 50 schools, only 5 are government, 3 of which are selective entry. In fact, out of the top 150, roughly 77% are private schools. This has been a consistent trend for many years and this year's VCE results were no different. Below you'll find the top 200 - see if your school made the list!

Top 200 VCE School Ranking 2022RankSchoolMedian VCE Score40+ (%)1Ballarat Clarendon College3835.52Haileybury Girls College3633.53St Catherine's School3732.94Bialik College3732.75Korowa Anglican Girls' School3631.86Mount Scopus Memorial College3731.47Haileybury College3629.58Huntingtower School3628.99Lauriston Girls School3628.610Fintona Girls School3628.311Ruyton Girls' School3628.312Shelford Girls' Grammar3627.113Melbourne High School362714Lowther Hall Anglican GS3526.315Melbourne Grammar School3525.816Mac.Robertson Girls' High School3625.717Strathcona Baptist Girls GS3625.118Yarra Valley Grammar School3525.119The King David School3624.120Nossal High School362421St Kevin's College352422Camberwell Anglican Girls Grammar3523.923Scotch College3523.224Loreto Mandeville Hall352325Yeshivah College3622.726Methodist Ladies College3422.627Caulfield Grammar School (Wheelers Hill)3422.428Trinity Grammar School3522.229Camberwell Grammar School3421.330John Monash Science School3521.231Mentone Girls' Grammar School3521.232Presbyterian Ladies' College3521.233Mentone Grammar School3420.934Sacre Coeur3620.635Firbank Grammar School3420.436Siena College3420.237Beth Rivkah Ladies College3420.138Brighton Grammar School3519.939Penleigh & Essendon Grammar3419.740Goulburn Valley Grammar School3419.541Waverley Christian College3519.442Caulfield Grammar School (St Kilda East)3419.343Melbourne Girls Grammar3418.744Toorak College3518.745Genazzano F.C.J. College3318.146St Andrews Christian College331847St Michael's Grammar School3317.248East Doncaster Secondary College3417.149St Margaret's School3417.150Kerang Christian College3316.751St Leonard's College3416.652Suzanne Cory High School3416.553Corryong College3416.354Al Siraat College3216.255Balwyn High School3216.256Kilvington Grammar School3415.657Star of the Sea College3415.258Eltham College331559Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School341560McKinnon Secondary College331561Canterbury Girls Secondary College3214.362Carey Baptist Grammar School3314.263Xavier College3314.164Leibler Yavneh College341465Alphington Grammar School3213.866Ivanhoe Grammar School (Mernda)3413.867Glen Waverley Secondary College3313.468Girton Grammar School3213.269Victorian College of the Arts3213.270Berwick Grammar School3113.171Peninsula Grammar3212.972Luther College3212.873University High School3212.874OneSchool Global Vic3112.775Sacred Heart College3012.776The Geelong College3212.777Ivanhoe Grammar School (Ivanhoe)3212.678Kardinia Internatl College3212.579Nathalia Secondary College3112.580Sacred Heart Girls' College3212.581Waverley Christian College3312.582Westbourne Grammar School3312.483Box Hill High School321284Our Lady of Sion College3311.785Mazenod College3211.586Woodmans Hill Secondary College2911.487Balcombe Grammar School3211.388Elwood College3111.289Nunawading Christian College3211.190Auburn High School311191Our Lady of Sacred Heart College311192Wesley College (Melbourne)3210.993Brighton Secondary College3110.894St Paul's Anglican Grammar School3210.895Cranbourne East Secondary College3310.696Melbourne Girls' College3210.597St Columba's College3210.498Edinburgh College2810.399East Loddon P-12 College3310.2100Frankston High School3110.2101Glen Eira College3110.1102Horsham College3210.1103Alice Miller School3110104Richmond High School2910105Bayside Christian College309.9106Tintern Grammar329.9107Bacchus Marsh Grammar319.8108Our Lady of Mercy College329.8109Sirius College - Ibrahim Dellal329.8110Braybrook College319.7111Mullauna College309.6112Donvale Christian College329.5113Koonung Secondary College319.5114Brunswick Secondary College309.4115Dromana Secondary College319.3116Ballarat Grammar319.2117Princes Hill Secondary College329.1118Williamstown High School329.1119Billanook College319120Ringwood Secondary College309121Braemar College318.9122Salesian College318.9123Albert Park College328.8124Catholic Ladies College318.8125Mary MacKillop Catholic College308.8126St Albans Secondary College318.8127Warracknabeal Secondary College308.8128Lighthouse Christian College (Keysborough)328.7129Cohuna Secondary College288.5130Heathdale Christian College308.5131Avila College318.4132Catholic College Sale298.4133Geelong Grammar School328.4134Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School318.4135Thornbury High School318.4136Beaumaris Secondary College318.3137Islamic College of Melbourne308.3138Kambrya College308.3139Wesley College (Glen Waverley)338.2140Kew High School308.1141Lighthouse Christian College (Cranbourne)308.1142Oxley Christian College318143Aquinas College307.9144Darul Ulum College of Victoria327.9145Lakes Entrance Secondary College297.9146Loreto College317.9147Mentone Girls' Secondary College307.8148Northcote High School317.8149Boort District P-12 School307.7150Camberwell High School307.7151Kilbreda College317.7152Highvale Secondary College317.5153Oberon High School307.5154Southern Cross Grammar317.5155Sirius College - Meadow Fair297.4156St Joseph's College307.4157Strathmore Secondary College317.4158Hume Anglican Grammar317.3159Sacred Heart College Geelong317.3160Killester College297.1161The Knox School327.1162Vermont Secondary College317.1163Academy of Mary Immaculate327164Sirius College - Eastmeadows297165Viewbank College296.9166Mater Christi College316.8167Gippsland Grammar306.7168Mount Waverley Secondary College306.7169Doncaster Secondary College306.6170Kingswood College326.6171Marcellin College306.6172Catherine McAuley College296.5173Parkdale Secondary College306.5174Saint Ignatius College306.5175St Mary's Coptic Orth College276.5176Virtual School Victoria286.5177Brentwood Secondary College296.4178Covenant College286.4179Santa Maria College306.3180St Bernard's College316.3181Ave Maria College306.2182Oakleigh Grammar316.2183Templestowe College296.2184Christian College Institute306.1185Kurnai College276.1186St Aloysius College316.1187Keilor Downs College296188Cheltenham Secondary College295.9189Geelong High School275.9190Victory Lutheran College295.9191Ballarat High School295.8192Beaconhills College315.8193Buckley Park College295.8194F.C.J. College295.8195Mount Rowan Secondary College265.8196Mount St Joseph Girls' College305.8197Parade College305.8198Woodleigh School305.8199Eltham High School305.7200John Paul College285.7

Best public schools in Melbourne

When it comes to the best (non-selective entry) government high schools in Victoria, there are plenty to choose from. Eight of these schools are beginning to cement their place in the top 10 having featured there 2 years in a row!

This year, John Monash Science School held its place as number one, while East Doncaster Secondary College and McKinnon Secondary College continued to rise up the ranks. Here are Victoria's 30 best government high schools for 2022.

Top 30 Government SchoolsRankSchoolMedian VCE Score40+ (%)1John Monash Science School3521.22East Doncaster Secondary College3417.13Corryong College3416.34Balwyn High School3216.25McKinnon Secondary College33156Canterbury Girls Secondary College3214.37Glen Waverley Secondary College3313.48Victorian College of the Arts3213.29University High School3212.810Box Hill High School321211Woodmans Hill Secondary College2911.412Elwood College3111.213Auburn High School311114Brighton Secondary College3110.815Cranbourne East Secondary College3310.616Melbourne Girls' College3210.517East Loddon P-12 College3310.218Frankston High School3110.219Glen Eira College3110.120Horsham College3210.121Richmond High School291022Braybrook College319.723Mullauna College309.624Koonung Secondary College319.525Brunswick Secondary College309.426Dromana Secondary College319.327Princes Hill Secondary College329.128Williamstown High School329.129Ringwood Secondary College30930Albert Park College328.8

**Government schools with less than 25 VCE students have been omitted from this list.

Top 10 Independent Schools

Topping the list as Melbourne's best private school in 2022 is Ballarat Clarendon College. Notable mentions go to Korowa Anglican Girls' School, Fintona Girls School and Haileybury College (Keysborough), who all made the top 10, having missed out last year.

Top 10 Private schools in 2021RankSchoolMedian VCE Score40+ (%)1Ballarat Clarendon College3835.52Haileybury Girls College3633.53St Catherine's School3732.94Bialik College3732.75Korowa Anglican Girls' School3631.86Mount Scopus Memorial College3731.47Haileybury College3629.58Huntingtower School3628.99Lauriston Girls School3628.610Fintona Girls School3628.3

Selective School Rankings

Melbourne High School has proved itself to be the best selective high school in Melbourne this year. The all-boys school had the second-largest cohort of VCE students (688) and with 27% of them achieving a study score of 40+, it's not hard to see why they've come out on top.

A shout-out goes to Nossal High School, a newer select-entry, co-educational school, that has made the top 20 schools in Victoria for the past 3 years.

Selective School VCE RankingsRankSchoolMedian VCE Score40+ (%)1Melbourne High School36272Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School3625.73Nossal High School36244Suzanne Cory High School3416.5

Beyond the VCE ranking

When it comes to choosing a school for your child, it's important to consider all of your options. With so many schools to choose from in Melbourne, it can be hard to know where to begin.

There are so many features to consider about a school, that transcend a mere number on a list. For this reason, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority doesn't rank schools. While we definitely agree with this approach - the ranking can be a great starting point for your research.

To help you narrow down your hunt, we've also compiled a list of the six most popular factors to consider when choosing a secondary school.

1. Academic reputation

The first thing you'll want to look at when choosing a school is its academic record. How do its students perform? What are the average VCE study scores? What percentage of VCE students go on to university? Which VCE subjects does the school excel in?

The VCE school rankings—or even the Australian Education Awards—are indicative of general academic prowess, but keep in mind, that these only give you a small snapshot of a school's performance. So if you're looking for a school that offers a well-rounded education, you must search beyond the rankings and recognition.

2. Facilities and resources

Another factor to consider is the facilities and resources that a school has to offer. Do they have state-of-the-art technology and laboratories? Do they have a wide range of VCE subjects on offer? Modern classrooms? A well-equipped library? A good selection of technology, performing and outdoor education? All of these can make a big difference in your child's learning experience.

3. Student-to-teacher ratio

When looking at secondary schools, the student-to-teacher ratio will give you an indication of the amount of individual attention your child will receive. A lower student-teacher ratio means more individualised attention for your child, which can be beneficial for their learning, leading to improved grades and a better foundation for tertiary study.

4. Extra-curricular activities

The best schools offer a wide variety of co-curricular activities, from sports teams to drama clubs to robotics. Consider what sort of activities your child is interested in and make sure that the school you choose has a good selection.

Pay close attention to the quality of the programs on offer as well – you'll want to make sure that they're well-run and that your child will be able to get the most out of them.

5. Location and price

You'll want to consider the school's location. Is it close to your home? Is it easily accessible by public transport? If you have kids in junior school, you'll also want to think about whether the high school is close to their primary school – this can make the transition a lot easier for them.

Keep in mind that schools in more central locations tend to be more expensive than those in the suburbs, and of course, public high schools will set you back a lot less than private ones.

6. Culture

The culture of a school is the final factor on our list. This vibe can be difficult to define. But you need to get a feel for it before you make your decision – after all, your child will be spending six hours there every day! Is it a catholic school or non-denominational? Does it have a religious affiliation? What are the core values of the school?

To get a sense of the ethos, we recommend you visit the school and read through their mission statement. This will give you an idea of their philosophy and what they're trying to achieve.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right high school for your child is a big decision. But don't let it stress you out – remember, there's no such thing as the perfect school. By taking the time to research all of your options you can be sure to find a school that's the right fit for your family.

While the role played by the school is certainly key - there are a large range of factors that impact on academic results. In addition to the quality of teaching, note the suburb, (SES) socio-economic status, background of students, whether the school is selective in its student intake etc. Just like the high school ranking, take these things into account, but don't let them be the only deciding factor.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that your child is happy and engaged in their learning. The best school for them is the one that will allow them to reach their full potential, regardless of where it ranks on a list. If you think they're currently either falling behind or not being challenged enough, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Whether they need a VCE tutor in the lead-up to their exams or a coach to help build their maths confidence before they start high school, our bespoke programs have you covered. Take advantage of our free online assessment and get started today!

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