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 HillFirst 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, DarlinghurstKey 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, KirribilliSydney 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: