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Schools in Canberra

Canberra has one of Australia's most distinctive education systems. Unlike other states, the ACT runs a "college system" where Years 11 and 12 are completed at a separate college (rather than a senior school), and most primary and high schools are co-educational government schools with strong academic results. Canberra consistently ranks among Australia's top jurisdictions for school performance on NAPLAN.

Government Schools

ACT public schools are administered by the ACT Education Directorate. The system is structured as: Preschool (4-5 years), Primary (K-6), High School (Years 7-10), and College (Years 11-12). Notable government high schools include Melrose High School (Pearce), Erindale College and Lake Tuggeranong College for senior years, and the Canberra College of Education. School catchments apply — check the ACT Education website to find your local school.

Selective entry: the ACT does not have a selective high school system. All government high schools are zoned comprehensive schools. The closest thing to selective entry is the specialist music/performing arts programs at some schools.

Catholic Schools

Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CECG) operates a large network of schools across the ACT and southern NSW. Popular Catholic schools in Canberra include St Francis of Assisi Primary (MacGregor), Holy Family Primary (Gowrie), Mater Dei Primary (Ainslie), Caroline Chisholm School (Nicholls, K-12), and Daramalan College (Dickson) for Years 7-12. CECG schools generally accept Catholic and non-Catholic enrolments, subject to availability.

Independent Schools

Canberra has a significant independent school sector. Prominent schools include Canberra Grammar School (Red Hill, co-ed K-12, Anglican), Canberra Girls' Grammar School, St Edmund's College (Braddon, Catholic Brothers, Years 7-12), Radford College (Bruce, Anglican, co-ed K-12), and Burgmann Anglican School (Nicholls, co-ed). Independent schools typically charge substantial fees and have waiting lists — enrol early.

Finding and Enrolling

For government schools, enrol through the ACT Education Directorate's online portal. For Catholic schools, contact the school directly via CECG's website. Independent schools have their own admissions offices. Open days are typically held in Terms 2 and 3 for the following year.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.