Complete guide to all 47 NSW Selective High Schools including James Ruse, North Sydney Girls, Sydney Boys, and Fort Street. Compare fully selective vs partially selective schools, explore unique programs, and make informed school preference decisions.
Discover the 47 selective high schools across New South Wales offering 4,248 Year 7 places. These prestigious schools provide academic excellence and specialized programs for high-achieving students.
Fully Selective
Compulsory agricultural education with practical farm experience
Consistently achieving top HSC results in NSW
Advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Fully Selective
Comprehensive leadership and character development for young women
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Comprehensive creative arts and cultural programs
Fully Selective
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Comprehensive sports programs and athletic development
Leadership and character building programs
Fully Selective
Empowering young women through feminist education principles
Comprehensive creative arts and cultural programs
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Fully Selective
Comprehensive sports programs and athletic development
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Leadership and character building programs
Fully Selective
Comprehensive creative arts and cultural programs
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Rich educational heritage and tradition
Fully Selective
Advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Strong community partnerships and involvement
Fully Selective
Comprehensive leadership and character development for young women
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Comprehensive creative arts and cultural programs
Fully Selective
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Comprehensive sports programs and athletic development
Leadership and character building programs
Fully Selective
Advanced technical education and skills development
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics excellence
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Fully Selective
Comprehensive leadership and character development for young women
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Comprehensive creative arts and cultural programs
Agricultural Selective
Compulsory agricultural education with practical farm experience
Residential facilities for rural and remote students
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Agricultural Selective
Compulsory agricultural education with practical farm experience
Residential facilities for rural and remote students
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Agricultural Selective
Compulsory agricultural education with practical farm experience
Residential facilities for rural and remote students
Consistently high HSC results and university placements
Virtual Selective
Online selective education for rural and remote students
Face-to-face learning opportunities through residential camps
Maintains community connections while providing selective education
| Factor | James Ruse Agricultural High School | North Sydney Girls High School | North Sydney Boys High School | Sydney Girls High School | Sydney Boys High School | Fort Street High School | Baulkham Hills High School | Hornsby Girls High School | Normanhurst Boys High School | Sydney Technical High School | St George Girls High School | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School | Yanco Agricultural High School | Aurora College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Type | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Fully Selective | Agricultural Selective | Agricultural Selective | Agricultural Selective | Virtual Selective |
| Gender | Co-educational | Girls only | Boys only | Girls only | Boys only | Co-educational | Co-educational | Girls only | Boys only | Boys only | Girls only | Co-educational | Boys only | Co-educational | Co-educational |
| Year 7 Places | 120 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 180 | 150 | 180 | 120 | 120 | 150 | 150 | 120 day, 30 boarding | 50 day, 60 boarding | 30 boarding | Virtual selective education |
| Special Focus | Agricultural Studies | Leadership & Arts | Academic & Sports | Feminist Education | Sports & Character | Arts & Culture | STEM & Community | Leadership & Arts | Academic & Sports | Technical & STEM | Leadership & Arts | Agricultural Studies | Agricultural Studies | Agricultural Studies | Virtual Learning |
Get expert guidance on selecting the best NSW selective school for your child and start your preparation journey today.
The NSW Department of Education does not publish an official selective school ranking. The list below summarises the schools families most often compare, ordered by historical placement competitiveness drawn from the Department’s most recent test-score thresholds and ACARA NAPLAN/Year-9-band data. Sydney Girls High School ranking, Sydney Boys, James Ruse and North Sydney Girls are shown alongside their cohort context so parents can compare like-for-like rather than treat the order as definitive.
| # | Selective school | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Fully selective | Highest cut-off score in NSW for over a decade |
| 2 | North Sydney Boys High School | Fully selective | Strongest NAPLAN Year 9 averages in the boys’ cohort |
| 3 | North Sydney Girls High School | Fully selective | Sister-school equivalent of North Sydney Boys |
| 4 | Baulkham Hills High School | Fully selective | Top placement school for Hills District families |
| 5 | Sydney Boys High School | Fully selective | Long-running co-ed campus partnership with Sydney Girls |
| 6 | Sydney Girls High School | Fully selective | Sydney Girls High School ranking sits in the top 10 NSW year on year; consistently top-quartile HSC performance |
| 7 | Hornsby Girls High School | Fully selective | Major drawcard for Upper North Shore families |
| 8 | Normanhurst Boys High School | Fully selective | Pairs with Hornsby Girls in the same catchment |
| 9 | Fort Street High School | Fully selective | Inner-city co-ed; strong humanities programme |
| 10 | Penrith High School | Fully selective | Leading western-Sydney fully selective option |
Sources: NSW Department of Education — Minimum entry scores for selective placement (most recent published year); ACARA My School (NAPLAN Year 9 banding, most recent release). Ordering reflects long-term placement competitiveness, not a single-year ranking. For each school’s precise programme and contact details, scroll up to the directory above.
Explore more comprehensive resources to help your child succeed in the NSW Selective School placement test
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40+ comprehensive answers