Best private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory
10 schools assessed independently — no paid rankings.
Image: Canberra Grammar School
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.
Girls' schools are over-represented among qualifiers relative to their overall share, making up 50 percent of this list against 10 percent of assessed schools.
This page assessed 10 private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory. All 10 are ranked below. Read the full methodology.
All 10 ranked
Select schools to compare them side by side.
| Rank | School | Suburb | Gender | Affiliation | S360 score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Canberra Girls Grammar School | Deakin | Girls | Anglican | 91.0% | |
| 2 |  Canberra Grammar School | Red Hill | Co-ed | Anglican | 90.9% | |
| 3 |  Radford College | Bruce | Co-ed | Anglican | 85.0% | |
| 4 |  Marist College Canberra | Pearce | Boys | Catholic | 81.3% | |
| 5 |  Trinity Christian School | Wanniassa | Co-ed | Christian | 77.6% | |
| 6 |  Brindabella Christian College | Lyneham | Co-ed | Christian | 75.1% | |
| 7 |  Daramalan College | Dickson | Co-ed | Catholic | 74.2% | |
| 8 |  Burgmann Anglican School | Gungahlin | Co-ed | Anglican | 71.9% | |
| 9 |  St Edmund's College Canberra | Griffith | Boys | Catholic | 71.0% | |
| 10 |  Orana Steiner School | Weston | Co-ed | No religious affiliation | 66.3% |
- Best private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory
- Rank
- 1
- Suburb
- Deakin
- Gender
- Girls
- Affiliation
- Anglican
- S360 score
- 91.0%
- Compare
- Rank
- 2
- School
- Canberra Grammar School
- Suburb
- Red Hill
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Anglican
- S360 score
- 90.9%
- Compare
- Rank
- 3
- School
- Radford College
- Suburb
- Bruce
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Anglican
- S360 score
- 85.0%
- Compare
- Rank
- 4
- School
- Marist College Canberra
- Suburb
- Pearce
- Gender
- Boys
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 81.3%
- Compare
- Rank
- 5
- School
- Trinity Christian School
- Suburb
- Wanniassa
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Christian
- S360 score
- 77.6%
- Compare
- Rank
- 6
- Suburb
- Lyneham
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Christian
- S360 score
- 75.1%
- Compare
- Rank
- 7
- School
- Daramalan College
- Suburb
- Dickson
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 74.2%
- Compare
- Rank
- 8
- School
- Burgmann Anglican School
- Suburb
- Gungahlin
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Anglican
- S360 score
- 71.9%
- Compare
- Rank
- 9
- Suburb
- Griffith
- Gender
- Boys
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 71.0%
- Compare
- Rank
- 10
- School
- Orana Steiner School
- Suburb
- Weston
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- No religious affiliation
- S360 score
- 66.3%
- Compare
In detail
Image: Daramalan College
Rank 1: Canberra Girls Grammar School
Canberra Girls Grammar School is a Anglican girls' school in Deakin, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 1st among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Elite tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Academic Excellence, scoring 95%, reaching Elite tier. It is also Elite for Learning Opportunities, Learning Environment and Institutional Excellence. View full profile.
Rank 2: Canberra Grammar School
Canberra Grammar School is a Anglican co-educational school in Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 2nd among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Elite tier. It is a Mega school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 93%, reaching Elite tier. It is also Elite for Academic Excellence, Student Wellbeing, Learning Opportunities and Institutional Excellence. View full profile.
Rank 3: Radford College
Radford College is a Anglican co-educational school in Bruce, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 3rd among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Mega school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 92%, reaching Elite tier. View full profile.
Rank 4: Marist College Canberra
Marist College Canberra is a Catholic boys' school in Pearce, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 4th among private independent 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 5: Trinity Christian School
Trinity Christian School is a Christian co-educational school in Wanniassa, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 5th among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Student Wellbeing, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Rank 6: Brindabella Christian College
Brindabella Christian College is a Christian co-educational school in Lyneham, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 6th among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Student Wellbeing, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Rank 7: Daramalan College
Daramalan College is a Catholic co-educational school in Dickson, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 7th among private independent 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 8: Burgmann Anglican School
Burgmann Anglican School is a Anglican co-educational school in Gungahlin, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 8th among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Large school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 75%. View full profile.
Rank 9: St Edmund's College Canberra
St Edmund's College Canberra is a Catholic boys' school in Griffith, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 9th among private independent 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 10: Orana Steiner School
Orana Steiner School is a co-educational school in Weston, Australian Capital Territory. It ranks 10th among private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory and sits in the Trusted tier. It is a Boutique school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 75%. View full profile.
More rankings
Best private co-ed schools in Australian Capital Territory
See the full ranking
Best Catholic schools in Australian Capital Territory
See the full ranking
Best private schools in Australian Capital Territory
The overall Australian Capital Territory ranking
Best private independent schools in Australia
The same ranking, nationally
Common questions
How many schools are included in this ranking?
10 private independent schools in Australian Capital Territory clear the minimum size for a published ranking. All 10 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.