Top NSW High School Rankings based on ATAR99 Achievement

NSW High School Rankings Based on ATAR 99 Achievement

This ranking highlights the top-performing high schools in New South Wales (NSW), measured by the percentage of students who achieved an ATAR of 99 or above in the HSC or IB.

Why Use ATAR 99 as the Ranking Metric?

Most published school rankings focus on measures such as:

Number of Band 6 resultsAll-Round AchieversDistinguished AchieversHigh Achievers lists

While these statistics can be useful, they do not always provide the clearest picture of a school's academic performance.

The Problem with Traditional Rankings

A Band 6 achieved in a highly demanding subject is often treated the same as a Band 6 achieved in a less rigorous subject. As a result, schools can improve their published results by encouraging students to choose subjects that are perceived to be easier.

In some cases, even highly regarded selective and private schools restrict the number of students permitted to take subjects such as Mathematics Extension 2, which can influence overall performance statistics.

Because of this, metrics such as Band 6 counts, All-Rounders, and Distinguished Achievers can sometimes create a misleading impression of academic strength.

Why ATAR Matters More

The Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) uses ATAR as the primary benchmark for university admission.

Universities do not select students based on how many Band 6 results they achieved or whether they were classified as All-Round Achievers. What ultimately matters is their ATAR.

For that reason, the percentage of students achieving an ATAR of 99 or higher provides a cleaner and more meaningful measure of a school's academic outcomes.

Key Findings

Using the percentage of students achieving ATAR 99+, several conclusions emerge:

1. Sydney Grammar is the highest-performing private boys' school.

2. Abbotsleigh is the highest-performing private girls' school.

3. Selective schools generally outperform almost all private schools academically, with Sydney Grammar being the notable exception.

4. While James Ruse Agricultural High School and North Sydney Boys High School are widely recognised for their academic excellence, other standout performers include Normanhurst Boys High School and Hornsby Girls High School, both of which produce exceptionally strong ATAR outcomes.

Top 10 NSW Schools by Percentage of Students Achieving ATAR 99+

1. Sydney Grammar School                                       34%

2. Normanhurst Boys High School                       28%

3. North Sydney Girls High School                       25%*

4. Baulkham Hills High School                                 23%

5. Sydney Boys High School                                      23%

6. Hornsby Girls High School                                    18%

7. Abbotsleigh                                                                     13%

8. St Aloysius' College                                                    12%

9. Meriden School                                                             10%

10. Ravenswood School for Girls                               9%

*Estimated figure.

Important Notes:

1. This is not an exhaustive ranking of all NSW schools.

2. The data has been compiled from publicly available sources.

3. Some figures are estimates because many schools do not disclose the number of students achieving ATAR 99+. Having both HSC and IB cohorts can also distort the numbers. 

4. For some schools, including James Ruse Agricultural High School and North Sydney Boys High School, I was unable to locate publicly available ATAR 99+ data. These schools generally disclose statistics such as All-Round Achievers rather than the number of students achieving ATAR 99+.

The full dataset is available in Picture 2.

If you identify any errors or have access to additional school data, please leave a comment and I will update the table accordingly.