St Peter's College

Best private boys schools in South Australia

5 schools assessed independently — no paid rankings.

Image: St Peter's College

Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions an Australian family makes, and the private sector alone runs to hundreds of schools that differ enormously in size, character, governance and strength — from small regional colleges to century-old metropolitan institutions, each with its own account of what makes it the right choice. A prospectus or an open day rarely settles how one school actually compares with another on the things that matter most to a family.

Schools360 scores every one of them against five questions that matter to a parent choosing a school. How well does the school perform academically? How well will the school look after my child's wellbeing and individual needs? Does the school offer extensive learning opportunities for my child? Does the school offer a great environment for my child to realise their full potential? How well is the school run? The combined result places each school in one of five tiers: Elite, Distinguished, Leading, Trusted, Highly Capable. Every tier name describes a genuine strength; Schools360 publishes no failing grade.

That assessment is independent and built entirely from public information — government data, academic results, school websites, strategic plans, annual reports, teacher reviews, alumni pathways and media reporting — never a form a school fills in about itself. Any content a school does supply directly is always shown separately on its profile and clearly labelled as the school's own words, not part of the assessment.

Single-sex education remains a significant and long-established part of Australian private schooling: many of the country's oldest schools were founded as, and remain, single-sex. Parents choosing a single-sex school often point to a learning environment built consistently around one gender's needs, from teaching approach to the shape of the co-curricular program, as the appeal, alongside the strong alumni and community networks these schools tend to carry.

This page assessed 5 private boys schools in South Australia. All 5 are ranked below. Read the full methodology.

All 5 ranked

Select schools to compare them side by side.

  • Best private boys schools in South Australia
  • Rank
    1
    Suburb
    St Peters
    Gender
    Boys
    Affiliation
    Anglican
    S360 score
    86.5%
    Compare
  • Rank
    2
    Suburb
    Kent Town
    Gender
    Boys
    Affiliation
    No religious affiliation
    S360 score
    78.2%
    Compare
  • Rank
    3
    Suburb
    Prospect
    Gender
    Boys
    Affiliation
    Catholic
    S360 score
    76.6%
    Compare
  • Rank
    4
    Suburb
    Woodforde
    Gender
    Boys
    Affiliation
    Catholic
    S360 score
    74.4%
    Compare
  • Rank
    5
    Suburb
    Adelaide
    Gender
    Boys
    Affiliation
    Catholic
    S360 score
    71.6%
    Compare
Prince Alfred College

In detail

Image: Prince Alfred College

Rank 1: St Peter's College

St Peter's College is a Anglican boys' school in St Peters, South Australia. It ranks 1st among private boys schools in South Australia and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Large school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 90%, reaching Elite tier. It is also Elite for Academic Excellence. View full profile.

Academic Excellence53 / 60 (88.3%)Elite
Student Wellbeing51 / 60 (85.0%)Distinguished
Learning Opportunities54 / 60 (90.0%)Elite
Learning Environment51 / 60 (85.0%)Distinguished
Institutional Excellence49 / 60 (81.7%)Distinguished

Rank 2: Prince Alfred College

Prince Alfred College is a boys' school in Kent Town, South Australia. It ranks 2nd among private boys schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Institutional Excellence, scoring 85%. View full profile.

Academic Excellence42 / 60 (70.0%)Trusted
Student Wellbeing48 / 60 (80.0%)Distinguished
Learning Opportunities47 / 60 (78.3%)Leading
Learning Environment50 / 60 (83.3%)Distinguished
Institutional Excellence51 / 60 (85.0%)Distinguished

Rank 3: Blackfriars Priory School

Blackfriars Priory School is a Catholic boys' school in Prospect, South Australia. It ranks 3rd among private boys schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Boutique school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 85%. View full profile.

Academic Excellence42 / 60 (70.0%)Trusted
Student Wellbeing45 / 60 (75.0%)Leading
Learning Opportunities51 / 60 (85.0%)Distinguished
Learning Environment48 / 60 (80.0%)Distinguished
Institutional Excellence45 / 60 (75.0%)Leading

Rank 4: Rostrevor College

Rostrevor College is a Catholic boys' school in Woodforde, South Australia. It ranks 4th among private boys schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 82%. View full profile.

Academic Excellence42 / 60 (70.0%)Trusted
Student Wellbeing47 / 60 (78.3%)Leading
Learning Opportunities49 / 60 (81.7%)Distinguished
Learning Environment45 / 60 (75.0%)Leading
Institutional Excellence39 / 60 (65.0%)Trusted

Rank 5: Christian Brothers College

Christian Brothers College is a Catholic boys' school in Adelaide, South Australia. It ranks 5th among private boys schools in South Australia and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 77%. View full profile.

Academic Excellence41 / 60 (68.3%)Trusted
Student Wellbeing42 / 60 (70.0%)Trusted
Learning Opportunities43 / 60 (71.7%)Trusted
Learning Environment46 / 60 (76.7%)Leading
Institutional Excellence44 / 60 (73.3%)Leading
Rostrevor College

Every Schools360 ranking uses the same independent, five-block assessment — explore how it plays out across other cohorts.

Image: Rostrevor College

All South Australia rankings

Schools360's assessment covers far more than examination outcomes. For published SACE and ATAR results school by school, see SACE results for South Australia.

Common questions

How many schools are included in this ranking?

5 private boys schools in South Australia clear the minimum size for a published ranking. All 5 are shown below, each with a numbered position.

What do the tiers mean?

Every school is placed in one of five tiers based on its Schools360 score: Elite, Distinguished, Leading, Trusted, Highly Capable. Every tier name is a positive outcome; there is no failing grade on Schools360. See the methodology page for the full tier thresholds.

How is the Schools360 score calculated?

Each school is scored across five building blocks, each made up of three factors scored out of 20. The building blocks are weighted and combined into a single percentage. See the methodology page for the full weighting and data sources.

When does this ranking next update?

This is the 2026 edition. Once published, a ranking is frozen: a later score correction updates the school's own profile immediately, but the ranking order itself only changes at the next edition.