Selective schools and opportunity classes
Academically selective entry exists in a handful of states, and the rules differ in each. NSW has by far the largest system: 48 selective high schools and 87 primary schools hosting opportunity classes in Years 5 and 6.
NSW
One placement test for Year 7 entry, sat in Year 6, and one for opportunity classes, sat in Year 4. Places are allocated by score with an equity placement model. The department stopped publishing per-school minimum entry scores; it now publishes reserve-list bands only.
NSW selective guide · OC guideVictoria
Four selective-entry high schools (Melbourne High, Mac.Robertson Girls', Nossal and Suzanne Cory) take students from Year 9 by a common entrance exam sat in Year 8.
Victoria guideQueensland and WA
Queensland runs three academies (science, maths and technology; creative industries; health sciences) plus selective programs in some state highs. WA offers Gifted and Talented (GATE) academic, arts and languages programs inside selected public schools.
Queensland guide · WA guideNew South Wales
Selective high schools (48)
| School | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Park Community SchoolPartiallyOC | Alexandria | 1,312 | 1,052 |
| Armidale Secondary CollegePartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Armidale | 1,026 | 928 |
| Auburn Girls High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Auburn | 853 | 966 |
| Aurora CollegePartiallyOCGifted class: Gifted class | Lindfield | — | — |
| Baulkham Hills High SchoolFully | Baulkham Hills | 1,222 | 1,203 |
| Blacktown Boys High SchoolPartially | Blacktown | 898 | 1,053 |
| Blacktown Girls High SchoolPartially | Blacktown | 1,079 | 1,046 |
| Bonnyrigg High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Bonnyrigg | 1,641 | 962 |
| Caringbah High SchoolFully | Caringbah | 900 | 1,172 |
| Chatswood High SchoolPartially | Chatswood | 2,146 | 1,137 |
| Elizabeth Macarthur High SchoolPartially | Narellan | 1,399 | 1,014 |
| Farrer Memorial Agricultural High SchoolAgricultural | Calala | 606 | 1,025 |
| Fort Street High SchoolFully | Petersham | 916 | 1,176 |
| Girraween High SchoolFully | Girraween | 782 | 1,199 |
| Gorokan High SchoolPartially | Lake Haven | 978 | 923 |
| Gosford High SchoolFully | Gosford | 1,058 | 1,157 |
| Grafton High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Grafton | 768 | 941 |
| Granville Boys High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Granville | 832 | 961 |
| Hornsby Girls High SchoolFully | Hornsby | 720 | 1,209 |
| Hurlstone Agricultural High SchoolAgricultural | Glenfield | 934 | 1,147 |
| James Ruse Agricultural High SchoolAgricultural | Carlingford | 857 | 1,222 |
| Karabar High SchoolPartially | Queanbeyan | 723 | 982 |
| Kooringal High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: HPGE extension class | Kooringal | 839 | 959 |
| Macquarie Fields High SchoolPartially | Macquarie Fields | 1,089 | 1,081 |
| Merewether High SchoolFully | Broadmeadow | 1,071 | 1,206 |
| Moorebank High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Moorebank | 992 | 1,022 |
| Normanhurst Boys High SchoolFully | Normanhurst | 752 | 1,207 |
| North Sydney Boys High SchoolFully | North Sydney | 933 | 1,195 |
| North Sydney Girls High SchoolFully | Crows Nest | 911 | 1,203 |
| Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly CampusFully | North Curl Curl | 765 | 1,217 |
| Parramatta High SchoolPartially | Parramatta | 1,128 | 1,132 |
| Peel High SchoolPartially | Tamworth | 629 | 831 |
| Penrith High SchoolFully | Penrith | 928 | 1,186 |
| Prairiewood High SchoolPartially | Prairiewood | 1,284 | 978 |
| Richmond High SchoolPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Richmond | 750 | 987 |
| Rose Bay Secondary CollegePartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Dover Heights | 1,125 | 1,107 |
| Ryde Secondary CollegePartially | Ryde | 1,486 | 1,102 |
| Sefton High SchoolPartially | Sefton | 1,121 | 1,033 |
| Smiths Hill High SchoolFully | Wollongong | 735 | 1,186 |
| St George Girls High SchoolFully | Kogarah | 908 | 1,148 |
| Sydney Boys High SchoolFully | Moore Park | 1,202 | 1,189 |
| Sydney Girls High SchoolFully | Surry Hills | 929 | 1,193 |
| Sydney Secondary College Balmain CampusPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Rozelle | 854 | 1,112 |
| Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay CampusPartially | Glebe | 787 | 1,094 |
| Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt CampusPartiallyGifted class: Gifted class | Leichhardt | 784 | 1,104 |
| Sydney Technical High SchoolFully | Bexley | 906 | 1,136 |
| Tempe High SchoolPartially | Tempe | 984 | 1,096 |
| Yanco Agricultural High SchoolAgricultural | Yanco | 319 | 1,009 |
Primary schools with opportunity classes (87)
- Alexandria Park Community School Alexandria
- Alstonville Public School Alstonville
- Armidale City Public School Armidale
- Artarmon Public School Artarmon
- Ashfield Public School Ashfield
- Aurora CollegeGifted class: Gifted class Lindfield
- Balgowlah Heights Public School Balgowlah
- Balmain Public School Balmain
- Bathurst West Public School Bathurst
- Beecroft Public School Beecroft
- Biraban Public School Toronto
- Blacktown South Public School Blacktown
- Blacktown West Public School Blacktown
- Blaxcell Street Public School Granville
- Blaxland East Public School Blaxland
- Bradbury Public School Bradbury
- Brookvale Public School Brookvale
- Camden South Public School Camden
- Caringbah North Public School Caringbah
- Casula Public School Casula
- Cessnock West Public School Cessnock
- Chatswood Public School Chatswood
- Colyton Public School Mount Druitt
- Coonabarabran Public School Coonabarabran
- Cudgegong Valley Public School Mudgee
- Dubbo West Public School Dubbo
- Dural Public School Dural
- Earlwood Public School Earlwood
- Ermington Public School West Ryde
- Georges Hall Public School Georges Hall
- Glenbrook Public School Glenbrook
- Goonellabah Public School Goonellabah
- Gosford Public School West Gosford
- Goulburn West Public School Goulburn
- Greenacre Public School Greenacre
- Greystanes Public School Greystanes
- Harrington Street Public School Cabramatta
- Holsworthy Public School Holsworthy
- Hurstville Public School Hurstville
- Illaroo Road Public School North Nowra
- Ironbark Ridge Public School Rouse Hill
- Jewells Primary School Jewells
- Kingswood Public School Kingswood
- Leumeah Public School Leumeah
- Lindfield East Public School East Lindfield
- Lithgow Public School Lithgow
- Maroubra Junction Public School Maroubra
- Maryland Public School Maryland
- Matthew Pearce Public School Baulkham Hills
- Miranda Public School Miranda
- Mona Vale Public School Mona Vale
- Moree Public School Moree
- Moss Vale Public School Moss Vale
- Neutral Bay Public School Neutral Bay
- New Lambton South Public School New Lambton
- Newbridge Heights Public School Chipping Norton
- North Rocks Public School North Rocks
- Penrith Public School Penrith
- Picnic Point Public School Picnic Point
- Port Macquarie Public School Port Macquarie
- Quakers Hill Public School Quakers Hill
- Queanbeyan South Public School Queanbeyan
- Richmond Public School Richmond
- Rutherford Public School Rutherford
- Ryde Public School Ryde
- Smithfield Public School Smithfield
- Soldiers Point Public School Soldiers Point
- South Grafton Public School South Grafton
- St Andrews Public School St Andrews
- St Clair Public School St Clair
- St Johns Park Public School St Johns Park
- Sturt Public School Wagga Wagga
- Summer Hill Public School Summer Hill
- Sutherland Public School Sutherland
- Tahmoor Public School Tahmoor
- Tamworth Public School Tamworth
- Tamworth South Public School Tamworth
- Tighes Hill Public School Tighes Hill
- Toongabbie Public School Toongabbie
- Toormina Public School Toormina
- Wahroonga Public School Wahroonga
- Waitara Public School Wahroonga
- Wentworth Falls Public School Wentworth Falls
- Wilkins Public School Marrickville
- Wollongong Public School Wollongong
- Woollahra Public School Woollahra
- Wyong Public School Wyong
Victoria
Selective high schools (4)
| School | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacRobertson Girls High SchoolFully | Melbourne | 1,199 | 1,186 |
| Melbourne High SchoolFully | South Yarra | 1,405 | 1,195 |
| Nossal High SchoolFully | Berwick | 825 | 1,155 |
| Suzanne Cory High SchoolFully | Werribee | 924 | 1,165 |
Queensland
Selective high schools (3)
| School | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland Academy for Creative IndustriesFully | Kelvin Grove | 436 | 1,128 |
| Queensland Academy for Health SciencesFully | Southport | 468 | 1,109 |
| Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and TechnologyFully | Toowong | 1,358 | 1,220 |
Western Australia
Selective high schools (24)
| School | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Albany | 851 | 995 |
| Alkimos CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Alkimos | 1,335 | 1,006 |
| Applecross Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Ardross | 1,992 | 1,120 |
| Balcatta Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Balcatta | 1,106 | 1,045 |
| Bob Hawke CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Subiaco | 2,038 | 1,129 |
| Bunbury Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Bunbury | 1,101 | 1,008 |
| Carine Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Carine | 2,668 | 1,105 |
| Churchlands Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Churchlands | 2,215 | 1,115 |
| Comet Bay CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Secret Harbour | 1,887 | 1,004 |
| Duncraig Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Duncraig | 1,876 | 1,079 |
| Ellenbrook Secondary CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Ellenbrook | 1,484 | 968 |
| Fremantle CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Beaconsfield | 1,352 | 1,004 |
| Governor Stirling Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Woodbridge | 755 | 961 |
| Hampton Senior High SchoolGATE | Morley | 1,186 | 983 |
| Harrisdale Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Harrisdale | 2,423 | 1,072 |
| John Curtin College of the ArtsGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Fremantle | 1,736 | 1,129 |
| Kalamunda Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Kalamunda | 1,146 | 1,030 |
| Kelmscott Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Kelmscott | 1,410 | 984 |
| Melville Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Melville | 1,406 | 1,071 |
| Mount Lawley Senior High SchoolGATE | Mount Lawley | 2,117 | 1,103 |
| Perth Modern SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Subiaco | 1,479 | 1,230 |
| Rossmoyne Senior High SchoolGATE | Rossmoyne | 2,836 | 1,135 |
| Shenton CollegeGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Shenton Park | 2,760 | 1,160 |
| Willetton Senior High SchoolGATEGifted class: Gifted class | Willetton | 2,779 | 1,131 |