Best Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia
19 schools assessed independently — no paid rankings.
Image: Xavier 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 19 Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia. The top 10 are ranked below; the rest are also assessed and listed beneath, without an individual rank. Read the full methodology.
Top 10
Select schools to compare them side by side.
| Rank | School | Suburb | Gender | Affiliation | S360 score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Xavier College | Gawler Belt | Co-ed | Catholic | 87.2% | |
| 2 |  Saint Ignatius' College | Athelstone | Co-ed | Catholic | 85.1% | |
| 3 |  Mercedes College | Springfield | Co-ed | Catholic | 82.4% | |
| 4 |  Nazareth Catholic College | Flinders Park | Co-ed | Catholic | 80.2% | |
| 5 |  St Francis De Sales College | Mount Barker | Co-ed | Catholic | 78.9% | |
| 6 |  Cardijn College | Noarlunga Downs | Co-ed | Catholic | 77.0% | |
| 7 |  Mount Carmel College | Rosewater | Co-ed | Catholic | 75.7% | |
| 8 |  Cabra Dominican College | Cumberland Park | Co-ed | Catholic | 75.2% | |
| 9 |  Thomas More College | Salisbury Downs | Co-ed | Catholic | 74.5% | |
| 10 |  St Mark's College | Port Pirie | Co-ed | Catholic | 74.2% |
- Best Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia
- Rank
- 1
- School
- Xavier College
- Suburb
- Gawler Belt
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 87.2%
- Compare
- Rank
- 2
- School
- Saint Ignatius' College
- Suburb
- Athelstone
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 85.1%
- Compare
- Rank
- 3
- School
- Mercedes College
- Suburb
- Springfield
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 82.4%
- Compare
- Rank
- 4
- Suburb
- Flinders Park
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 80.2%
- Compare
- Rank
- 5
- Suburb
- Mount Barker
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 78.9%
- Compare
- Rank
- 6
- School
- Cardijn College
- Suburb
- Noarlunga Downs
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 77.0%
- Compare
- Rank
- 7
- School
- Mount Carmel College
- Suburb
- Rosewater
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 75.7%
- Compare
- Rank
- 8
- School
- Cabra Dominican College
- Suburb
- Cumberland Park
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 75.2%
- Compare
- Rank
- 9
- School
- Thomas More College
- Suburb
- Salisbury Downs
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 74.5%
- Compare
- Rank
- 10
- School
- St Mark's College
- Suburb
- Port Pirie
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 74.2%
- Compare
In detail
Image: Saint Ignatius' College
Rank 1: Xavier College
Xavier College is a Catholic co-educational school in Gawler Belt, South Australia. It ranks 1st among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia 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. It is also Elite for Student Wellbeing, Learning Opportunities and Institutional Excellence. View full profile.
Rank 2: Saint Ignatius' College
Saint Ignatius' College is a Catholic co-educational school in Athelstone, South Australia. It ranks 2nd among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Institutional Excellence, scoring 92%, reaching Elite tier. It is also Elite for Student Wellbeing and Learning Opportunities. View full profile.
Rank 3: Mercedes College
Mercedes College is a Catholic co-educational school in Springfield, South Australia. It ranks 3rd among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Opportunities, scoring 88%, reaching Elite tier. View full profile.
Rank 4: Nazareth Catholic College
Nazareth Catholic College is a Catholic co-educational school in Flinders Park, South Australia. It ranks 4th among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Distinguished tier. It is a Mega school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Student Wellbeing, scoring 85%. View full profile.
Rank 5: St Francis De Sales College
St Francis De Sales College is a Catholic co-educational school in Mount Barker, South Australia. It ranks 5th among Catholic co-ed 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 Student Wellbeing, scoring 85%. View full profile.
Rank 6: Cardijn College
Cardijn College is a Catholic co-educational school in Noarlunga Downs, South Australia. It ranks 6th among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mega school by enrolment, teaching Prep to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 85%. View full profile.
Rank 7: Mount Carmel College
Mount Carmel College is a Catholic co-educational school in Rosewater, South Australia. It ranks 7th among Catholic co-ed 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 Student Wellbeing, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Rank 8: Cabra Dominican College
Cabra Dominican College is a Catholic co-educational school in Cumberland Park, South Australia. It ranks 8th among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Student Wellbeing, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Rank 9: Thomas More College
Thomas More College is a Catholic co-educational school in Salisbury Downs, South Australia. It ranks 9th among Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia and sits in the Leading tier. It is a Mid-Sized school by enrolment, teaching Year 7 to Year 12. Its strongest building block is Learning Environment, scoring 85%. View full profile.
Rank 10: St Mark's College
St Mark's College is a Catholic co-educational school in Port Pirie, South Australia. It ranks 10th among Catholic co-ed 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 Student Wellbeing, scoring 80%. View full profile.
Other Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia (9)
| School | Suburb | Gender | Affiliation | S360 score | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tenison Woods College | Mount Gambier | Co-ed | Catholic | 73.9% | |
 St Michael's College | Henley Beach | Co-ed | Catholic | 73.4% | |
 St Paul's College | Gilles Plains | Co-ed | Catholic | 73.3% | |
 St Columba College | Andrews Farm | Co-ed | Catholic | 72.0% | |
 Gleeson College | Golden Grove | Co-ed | Catholic | 72.0% | |
 Samaritan College | Whyalla | Co-ed | Catholic | 72.0% | |
 Sacred Heart College | Somerton Park | Co-ed | Catholic | 69.3% | |
 St Joseph's School Port Lincoln | Port Lincoln | Co-ed | Catholic | 67.4% | |
 Caritas College | Port Augusta West | Co-ed | Catholic | 64.5% |
- Best Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia
- School
- Tenison Woods College
- Suburb
- Mount Gambier
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 73.9%
- Compare
- School
- St Michael's College
- Suburb
- Henley Beach
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 73.4%
- Compare
- School
- St Paul's College
- Suburb
- Gilles Plains
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 73.3%
- Compare
- School
- St Columba College
- Suburb
- Andrews Farm
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 72.0%
- Compare
- School
- Gleeson College
- Suburb
- Golden Grove
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 72.0%
- Compare
- School
- Samaritan College
- Suburb
- Whyalla
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 72.0%
- Compare
- School
- Sacred Heart College
- Suburb
- Somerton Park
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 69.3%
- Compare
- Suburb
- Port Lincoln
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 67.4%
- Compare
- School
- Caritas College
- Suburb
- Port Augusta West
- Gender
- Co-ed
- Affiliation
- Catholic
- S360 score
- 64.5%
- Compare
Every Schools360 ranking uses the same independent, five-block assessment — explore how it plays out across other cohorts.
More rankings
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Common questions
How many schools are included in this ranking?
19 Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia clear the minimum size for a published ranking. The top 10 are shown by position; the rest are listed under "Other Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia", ordered by score but without an individual rank.
Why do only the top 10 schools get a numbered position?
Numbered positions reflect how confident Schools360 is in fine score differences near the top of Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia. Every school assessed still appears on the page: those beyond position 10 are listed under "Other Catholic co-ed schools in South Australia", ordered by score, without an individual rank attached.
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.