Best Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory
7 schools assessed independently — no paid rankings.
Image: Daramalan 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.
Catholic schools are one of the two major strands of Australian private education alongside the independent sector, enrolling around one in five Australian students nationally. Many trace their identity to a founding religious order — Loreto, Mercy, Presentation, Marist and Jesuit traditions among them — and combine that heritage with a pastoral, community-oriented approach to schooling that shapes everything from parish primaries to the large systemic colleges ranked below.
This page assessed 7 Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory. All 7 are ranked below. Read the full methodology.
All 7 ranked
Select schools to compare them side by side.
| Rank | School | Suburb | Gender | Affiliation | S360 score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Marist College Canberra | Pearce | Boys | Catholic | 81.3% | |
| 2 |  Daramalan College | Dickson | Co-ed | Catholic | 74.2% | |
| 3 |  Merici College | Braddon | Girls | Catholic | 72.4% | |
| 4 |  St Edmund's College Canberra | Griffith | Boys | Catholic | 71.0% | |
| 5 |  St Mary Mackillop College | Isabella Plains | Co-ed | Catholic | 68.6% | |
| 6 |  St Clare's College | Griffith | Girls | Catholic | 66.9% | |
| 7 |  St Francis Xavier College | Florey | Co-ed | Catholic | 62.0% |
- Best Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory
- Rank
- 1
- School
- Marist College Canberra
- Suburb
- Pearce
- Gender
- Boys
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 81.3%
- Compare
- Rank
- 2
- School
- Daramalan College
- Suburb
- Dickson
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 74.2%
- Compare
- Rank
- 3
- School
- Merici College
- Suburb
- Braddon
- Gender
- Girls
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 72.4%
- Compare
- Rank
- 4
- Suburb
- Griffith
- Gender
- Boys
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 71.0%
- Compare
- Rank
- 5
- Suburb
- Isabella Plains
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 68.6%
- Compare
- Rank
- 6
- School
- St Clare's College
- Suburb
- Griffith
- Gender
- Girls
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 66.9%
- Compare
- Rank
- 7
- Suburb
- Florey
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 62.0%
- Compare
In detail
Rank 1: Marist College Canberra
Marist College Canberra is a Catholic boys' school in Pearce, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 1st among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Large school by enrolment, teaching Year 4 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 90%, reaching Elite tier. View full profile.
Rank 2: Daramalan College
Daramalan College is a Catholic co-educational school in Dickson, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 2nd among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Large school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 82%. View full profile.
Rank 3: Merici College
Merici College is a Catholic girls' school in Braddon, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 3rd among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 78%. View full profile.
Rank 4: St Edmund's College Canberra
St Edmund's College Canberra is a Catholic boys' school in Griffith, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 4th among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 4 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Rank 5: St Mary Mackillop College
St Mary Mackillop College is a Catholic co-educational school in Isabella Plains, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 5th among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Mega school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 75%. View full profile.
Rank 6: St Clare's College
St Clare's College is a Catholic girls' school in Griffith, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 6th among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Academic Excellence, scoring 72%. View full profile.
Rank 7: St Francis Xavier College
St Francis Xavier College is a Catholic co-educational school in Florey, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 7th among Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Highly Capable tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Student Wellbeing, scoring 70%. View full profile.
More rankings
Best private co-ed schools in Australian Capital Territory
See the full ranking
Best private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory
See the full ranking
Best private schools in Australian Capital Territory
The overall Australian Capital Territory ranking
Best Catholic schools in Australia
The same ranking, nationally
Common questions
How many schools are included in this ranking?
7 Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory clear the minimum size for a published ranking. All 7 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.