NSW HSC Results 2025: ATAR Statistics and School Rankings

NSW HSC Results 2025: ATAR Statistics, Private School Performance and First in Course Results

NSW HSC results are now released for 2025 Year 12 students, providing the first comprehensive view of student achievement, ATAR performance and university pathway demand for the new year. Schools360 has analysed the latest data to highlight the most important trends shaping outcomes for New South Wales’ students.

This page summarises the key ATAR statistics for NSW in 2025, alongside a focused review of private school academic performance, including First in Course achievements.

2025 ATAR Results NSW: Key Statistics

In 2025, 60,432 NSW students were eligible to receive an ATAR.

At the top of the distribution, 53 students achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95, demonstrating exceptional academic performance across the state. Of these high achievers, 19 were female and 34 were male.

High ATAR attainment remained strong:

• 17.3% of students achieved an ATAR of 90.00 or above
• 34.6% achieved an ATAR of 80.00 or above
• 51.3% achieved an ATAR of 70.00 or above

The median ATAR for NSW in 2025 was 70.75, slightly lower than in 2024 but consistent with long-term trends.

Gender-based performance differences continued:

• Median ATAR for female students: 71.60
• Median ATAR for male students: 69.80

Image credit: Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill

First in Course NSW 2025: Private School Results

The HSC First in Course awards recognise students who achieved the highest result in NSW for an individual subject. These results provide insight into subject-level academic excellence beyond overall ATAR outcomes.

Below are selected First in Course results from private and non-government schools only, based on publicly available 2025 HSC data.

2025 First in Course – Private Schools (Selected Subjects)

Abbotsleigh

• Chinese Continuers – Xiwei Sophia Wang
• Chinese in Context – Skye Tian Yu
• Latin Extension – Olivia Zhou

Al-Faisal College

• Arabic Continuers – Zaid Zaidoun Alamawi
• Mathematics Standard 1 – Rania Alkatiri

All Saints Catholic College

• Italian Beginners – Andrew Mogan

All Saints Grammar

• Modern Greek Continuers – Panagiota Varvaressos

Amity College, Prestons

• Turkish Continuers – Nida Ozcan

Arden Anglican School

• Food Technology – Kara Dumpleton

Ascham School

• Business Studies – Maxine Spencer
• French Continuers – Sophia Barry

Barker College

• Agriculture – Simon Greager
• Software Engineering – Hamish Hudson

Bethany College

• Dance – Emma McHardy
• Design and Technology – Charlotte D’Arcy
• Design and Technology – Isabella Quilkey
• Industrial Technology – Catherine Smith
• Studies of Religion I – Nikitha Shaiju

Caroline Chisholm College

• PDHPE – Nishika Reddy Talusani

Catherine McAuley Westmead

• Studies of Religion I – Emily Gonzalez

Galstaun College

• Armenian Continuers – Herag Krikour

Gilroy Catholic College

• Mathematics Standard 1 – Nicholas McKewen

Inaburra School

• Dance – Alexander Bernard

International Grammar School

• Italian Continuers – Alessia Savi
• Italian Extension – Alessia Savi

Kesser Torah College

• Classical Hebrew Continuers – Oliver Lobel
• Classical Hebrew Extension – Rachel Butnaro

Knox Grammar School

• Design and Technology – Brodie Thomas Shearer

Loreto Normanhurst

• Drama – Joy Wang

Meriden School

• Japanese Beginners – Hezhen Zhang
• Music 2 – Selina Wang
• Music Extension – Selina Wang

Mount St Joseph Milperra

• Business Services Examination – Allanah Touma

Newington College

• Construction Examination – Maxwell Laidlaw
• Mathematics Standard 2 – Daniel Beretta
• Physics – Sebastian Cheuk-Hei Wong

OneSchool Global NSW – Maitland

• Financial Services Examination – Bonnita Earl
• Financial Services Examination – Haigh Proctor

Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney

• Chinese Continuers – Youtan Yang
• English Extension 1 – Jio Yim

Pymble Ladies’ College

• Modern History – Emily Abadee
• Textiles and Design – Abby Christopher

Reddam House

• Mathematics Standard 2 – Zoey Jia En Spiteri

Redeemer Baptist School

• Information and Digital Technology Examination – Emmanouel Voudouris

Roseville College

• Chemistry – Stacy Zhang
• Legal Studies – Sophie Firek

Saint Ignatius’ College

• Construction Examination – Dougald James Hook

Santa Sophia Catholic College (Secondary)

• English Standard – Mankirat Kaur

SCEGGS Darlinghurst

• Mathematics Advanced – Chuyu Luo

Southern Cross Catholic College

• Entertainment Industry Examination – Claire Naschenweng

St Aloysius’ College

• English Extension 2 – Yao Xiao

St Gregory’s College Campbelltown

• Studies of Religion I – Domenico Cocco

St Joseph’s Catholic High School

• Electrotechnology Examination – Finn Carson

St Luke’s Grammar School

• Music 1 – Zachary Buchanan

St Mary Star of the Sea College

• Dance – Maddison McRae

St Vincent’s College

• Dance – Abbie Burnell
• Studies of Religion II – Chelsea Cannes

Stella Maris College

• English EAL/D – Tsz Yan Tsui

Sydney Grammar School

• Classical Greek Continuers – William Chung
• Classical Greek Extension – William Chung
• French Extension – Jackson Chan
• Geography – Alastair Herbert
• Geography – Savya Mishra
• German Continuers – Matthew Gu
• Latin Continuers – Matthew Gu

Tangara School for Girls

• Music 1 – Heidi Jilwan

Tara Anglican School for Girls

• Hospitality Examination – Hannah Victoria Roberts

The King’s School

• Enterprise Computing – Xujing Mao

Waverley College

• Economics – Liam Robert Coughlin

Wenona School

• Dance – Audrey Metcalfe
• Visual Arts – Jessica Ellis

William Clarke College

• Science Extension – Rowen Netty McLean

Image credit: Sydney Grammar School, Darlinghurst

Key Insights from 2025 HSC First in Course Results

Private schools demonstrate broad subject leadership, not narrow specialisation. The 2025 First in Course results show private schools achieving top outcomes across an unusually wide range of subjects, including advanced mathematics, sciences, humanities, languages, creative arts and vocational courses. This breadth suggests depth of teaching capability across entire faculties, rather than excellence concentrated in a small number of subjects.

Languages are a standout strength across the private sector. Private schools dominate First in Course results in languages, particularly Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, French, German, Japanese, Armenian and Arabic. This reflects long-term investment in specialist language programs, continuity of instruction and strong student pipelines from junior years into senior study.

Some schools show repeated excellence across multiple subjects. Several schools appear multiple times, indicating sustained academic leadership rather than one-off results. Abbotsleigh, Sydney Grammar School, Meriden School, Bethany College, Newington College and Pymble Ladies’ College all recorded multiple First in Course achievements across different disciplines, highlighting institutional depth and consistency.

Strong performance spans both ATAR and vocational pathways. First in Course results were achieved not only in traditionally academic HSC subjects, but also across vocational and applied courses such as Construction, Hospitality, Business Services, Financial Services, Electrotechnology and Entertainment Industry. This underscores the strength of private schools in supporting diverse post-school pathways alongside high ATAR outcomes.

Creative and performing arts remain a differentiator for leading schools. Dance, Music, Drama and Visual Arts feature prominently in the First in Course list, with schools such as Wenona, Meriden, Reddam House, Loreto Normanhurst and St Vincent’s College demonstrating strong creative arts capability. These results reflect schools with well-resourced arts programs and specialist staff.

Faith-based schools show notable academic diversity. Catholic and faith-based schools feature strongly across academic, vocational and humanities subjects, including languages, mathematics, religion, sciences and creative arts. This reinforces that strong academic outcomes are not limited to one school type or governance model.

First in Course results highlight depth beyond headline ATARs. While ATAR rankings capture overall cohort performance, First in Course results reveal subject-level excellence that may not always be visible through ATAR data alone. Schools with strong First in Course representation typically demonstrate long-term curriculum strength, experienced teachers and stable academic cultures.

Image credit: Loreto Kirribilli, Kirribilli

Sydney Catholic Schools HSC Results 2025: System-Wide Academic Excellence

Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) delivered one of its strongest ever HSC performances in 2025, with results highlighting academic depth, subject breadth and consistent high achievement across the system.

Nearly 4,500 Sydney Catholic Schools students completed the HSC in 2025, collectively achieving 2,875 Distinguished Achiever listings, alongside 43 Top Achievers and 53 All Rounders. These outcomes place Sydney Catholic Schools among the strongest performing education systems in New South Wales.

Strong Representation in NSW HSC Rankings

Sydney Catholic Schools featured prominently in the Sydney Morning Herald 2025 HSC rankings, with five Catholic schools ranked in the NSW Top 100 and 17 schools placed in the Top 150.

Top-ranked Sydney Catholic schools included:

• Brigidine College Randwick (53)
• Marist Catholic College North Shore (69)
• St Clare’s College Waverley (77)
• Bethany College Hurstville (80)
• Marist Catholic College Penshurst (99)

This breadth of representation reflects strong performance across multiple regions and school types within the Catholic system.

First in Course Success Across Sydney Catholic Schools

Eight Sydney Catholic Schools students achieved HSC First in Course honours in 2025, topping the state in their respective subjects. Notably, Bethany College Hurstville produced five First in Course recipients, ranking second in NSW for First in Course results, behind only Sydney Grammar School.

Subjects topped by Sydney Catholic Schools students included:

• Entertainment Industry Examination
• Business Services Examination
• Dance
• Design and Technology (two recipients)
• Industrial Technology
• Studies of Religion I
• Italian Beginners

These results highlight strong subject-level teaching capability across both academic and vocational disciplines.

Record Band 6 and High-End Performance

Band 6 and E4 outcomes across Sydney Catholic Schools reached their highest level in five years, with the total number of top-band results setting a new system record.

Several schools recorded particularly strong top-band percentages, including:

• Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer – 28.4% Band 6/E4, more than double the NSW state average
• Brigidine College Randwick – 26.6%
• Marist Catholic College North Shore – 23.2%
• St Clare’s College Waverley – 21.8%

The 2025 cohort also marked a milestone year for Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer and De La Salle Catholic College Caringbah, both celebrating their first Year 12 cohorts following expansion, with early results indicating strong academic foundations.

Distinguished Achievers, All Rounders and Top Achievers

Sydney Catholic Schools demonstrated depth across multiple measures of excellence:

• Distinguished Achievers: Bethany College Hurstville and Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights (184 each), Brigidine College Randwick (178), St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove (170)
• All Rounders: Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights (9), Marist Catholic College North Shore (5), St Clare’s College Waverley (4), Aquinas Catholic College Menai (4)
• Top Achievers: Brigidine College Randwick and Bethany College Hurstville (6 each), St Patrick’s College Sutherland (5), All Saints Catholic College Liverpool (4)

Strength in Creative Arts and Vocational Pathways

Sydney Catholic Schools also recorded exceptional outcomes beyond traditional academic subjects.

In Creative and Performing Arts, students received a record 321 HSC Showcase nominations, including 21 inclusionsacross CALLBACK, OnSTAGE, ENCORE, ARTEXPRESS and Young Writers.

In Technology and Applied Studies, there were 139 nominations across SHAPE, InTech and TexStyle.

In Vocational Education and Training (VET), Sydney Catholic Schools students attained 1,989 nationally recognised Certificate II and III qualifications, reinforcing the strength of multiple post-school pathways.

Schools360 perspective

The 2025 HSC results confirm Sydney Catholic Schools as a high-performing, system-wide education network, combining strong academic outcomes with depth in creative, vocational and applied learning pathways. Consistent top-band results, First in Course achievements and broad school representation in NSW rankings underline the system’s academic credibility and long-term institutional strength.

SMH Rankings 2025 – Private School Results by School | HSC Success Rate

Sydney Grammar School Ranked 3rd in NSW, Sydney Grammar delivered the strongest results in this cohort with 763 high scores from 1,251 entries, a 60.99% success rate, and 199 HSC students, placing it among the state’s most academically elite schools.

St Aloysius’ College Ranked 9th in NSW, St Aloysius’ achieved a 48.03% success rate with 488 high scores across 1,016 entries, reflecting consistently strong academic depth across 162 students.

Reddam House Ranked 10th in NSW, Reddam House recorded a standout 46.99% success rate, supported by 390 high scores from 830 entries, highlighting exceptional academic efficiency with 154 students.

Abbotsleigh Ranked 11th in NSW, Abbotsleigh achieved a 45.58% success rate, dramatically outperforming the NSW median, with 495 high scores across 1,086 entries and 184 HSC students.

Ascham School Ranked 12th in NSW, Ascham posted a 45.43% success rate with 288 high scores, reinforcing its reputation for academic excellence among 119 students.

Ravenswood School for Girls Ranked 14th in NSW, Ravenswood achieved a 42.68% success rate, supported by 344 high scores from 806 entries, demonstrating strong top-band performance.

Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney Ranked 16th in NSW, PLC Sydney recorded a 42.41% success rate, with 391 high scores across 922 entries and 164 students.

Pymble Ladies’ College Ranked 18th in NSW, Pymble delivered 644 high scores and a 40.63% success rate, reflecting large-cohort academic strength with 286 students.

SCEGGS Darlinghurst Ranked 21st in NSW, SCEGGS achieved a 39.02% success rate, supported by 256 high scores across 656 entries.

Meriden School Ranked 24th in NSW, Meriden recorded a 38.11% success rate, with 452 high scores from 1,186 entries, demonstrating strong academic scale.

Shore (Sydney Church of England Grammar School) Ranked 27th in NSW, Shore achieved a 37.59% success rate, backed by 465 high scores across 1,237 entries.

Knox Grammar School Ranked 29th in NSW, Knox recorded 724 high scores and a 35.97% success rate, reflecting strong academic performance across a large cohort.

Loreto Kirribilli Ranked 30th in NSW, Loreto Kirribilli delivered a 35.44% success rate, supported by 291 high scores.

Queenwood Ranked 32nd in NSW, Queenwood achieved a 34.1% success rate, with consistent high-band outcomes across 91 students.

Kincoppal – Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart Ranked 34th in NSW, Kincoppal posted a 33.76% success rate, supported by 212 high scores.

Wenona School Ranked 35th in NSW, Wenona achieved a 33.75% success rate, with 322 high scores across 954 entries.

Kambala Ranked 36th in NSW, Kambala delivered a 33.7% success rate, reflecting strong academic consistency in a smaller cohort.

Northholm Grammar School Ranked 37th in NSW, Northholm recorded a 33.2% success rate, with high academic concentration across 49 students.

St Catherine’s School Ranked 38th in NSW, St Catherine’s achieved a 33.14% success rate, supported by 233 high scores.

Tara Anglican School for Girls Ranked 39th in NSW, Tara posted a 32.45% success rate, reflecting steady high-band performance.

Loreto Normanhurst Ranked 40th in NSW, Loreto Normanhurst achieved a 31.35% success rate, with 316 high scores.

The King’s School Ranked 42nd in NSW, The King’s School recorded a 30.82% success rate, supported by 417 high scores across 1,353 entries.

Cranbrook School Ranked 47th in NSW, Cranbrook achieved a 28.44% success rate, reflecting strong academic output across 181 students.

Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College Ranked 49th in NSW, Monte Sant’ Angelo delivered a 27.54% success rate, with 260 high scores.

Barker College Ranked 50th in NSW, Barker recorded 540 high scores and a 27.51% success rate, demonstrating scale and breadth.

Newington College Ranked 52nd in NSW, Newington achieved a 26.86% success rate, supported by 281 high scores.

Tangara School for Girls Ranked 54th in NSW, Tangara posted a 25.64% success rate, with strong results in a small cohort.

MLC School Ranked 58th in NSW, MLC achieved a 24.95% success rate, reflecting consistent academic outcomes.

Saint Ignatius’ College Ranked 59th in NSW, St Ignatius’ recorded a 24.94% success rate, supported by 333 high scores.

Moriah College Ranked 60th in NSW, Moriah delivered a 24.82% success rate, across 552 entries.

Newcastle Grammar School Ranked 61st in NSW, Newcastle Grammar achieved a 24.7% success rate, demonstrating regional academic strength.

St Luke’s Grammar School Ranked 65th in NSW, St Luke’s recorded a 23.54% success rate, supported by steady high-band results.

Danebank – An Anglican School for Girls Ranked 70th in NSW, Danebank achieved a 22.67% success rate, with 95 high scores.

St Augustine’s College Sydney Ranked 71st in NSW, St Augustine’s posted a 22.64% success rate, reflecting solid academic performance.

St Andrew’s Cathedral School Ranked 74th in NSW, St Andrew’s achieved a 22.12% success rate, across 669 entries.

Santa Sabina College Ranked 79th in NSW, Santa Sabina recorded a 21.49% success rate, reflecting balanced outcomes.

The Scots College Ranked 81st in NSW, Scots delivered a 21.33% success rate, with 250 high scores.

Pittwater House Schools Ranked 82nd in NSW, Pittwater House achieved a 20.92% success rate, supported by consistent subject performance.

Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta Ranked 95th in NSW, OLM Parramatta recorded a 19.31% success rate, reflecting steady academic outcomes.

Redlands Ranked 102nd in NSW, Redlands achieved a 17.55% success rate, across 416 entries.

St Mary’s Cathedral College Ranked 109th in NSW, St Mary’s recorded a 16.85% success rate, reflecting improving senior outcomes.

Oxford Falls Grammar School Ranked 115th in NSW, Oxford Falls achieved a 16.2% success rate, across 92 students.

Trinity Grammar School Ranked 117th in NSW, Trinity recorded a 16.16% success rate, with 132 high scores.

Rosebank College Ranked 124th in NSW, Rosebank achieved a 15.22% success rate, across a large HSC cohort.

The Hills Grammar School Ranked 129th in NSW, The Hills recorded a 14.41% success rate, reflecting developing senior performance.

Snowy Mountains Grammar School Ranked 153rd in NSW, Snowy Mountains achieved a 12.18% success rate, within a small cohort.

All Saints Grammar Ranked 168th in NSW, All Saints Grammar recorded an 11.24% success rate, reflecting a specialist subject profile.

The Armidale School Ranked 183rd in NSW, The Armidale School achieved a 10.14% success rate, within a regional boarding context.

We’ll be updating the full 2025 HSC and ATAR results for private schools in Sydney as schools release more data.

Explore our Sydney school rankings below: