ACT · ACT BSSS pathway · 8 schools

Private schools in Australian Capital Territory

Canberra's independent sector is small but high-performing — Canberra Grammar, Canberra Girls Grammar, Radford, Burgmann Anglican, St Edmund's, Daramalan. Year 12 results use the ACT BSSS (Board of Senior Secondary Studies) system, which converts to ATAR.

The Education Desk · Editorial team, schools + fertility + family services · Updated 13 May 2026 · How we rank · Editorial standards

Schools tracked

8

Boarding

2

25% offer boarding

Median Y12 fee

$17,000

Range $10,700 – $50,270

Senior credential

ACT BSSS

Year 12 qualification

Australian Capital Territory private school sector — what to know

Canberra Grammar leads ACT independents academically with median ATAR consistently above 92. The ACT's small size means most graduates head interstate for university — high cross-state flow to USYD, UMelb + ANU dominates.

The ACT BSSS system uses a continuous-assessment model, with the ATAR derived from scaled course scores. Several ACT independents (Canberra Grammar, Radford) also offer IB Diploma.

Authoritative source: Association of Independent Schools ACT (AIS ACT).

Sector breakdown — Australian Capital Territory

Anglican

4

schools

Catholic

3

schools

Christian

1

school

All 8 Australian Capital Territory private schools, ranked by ICSEA

# School Suburb Sector Gender ICSEA Y12 fee Boarding
1 Canberra Grammar School Red Hill Anglican co-educational 1194 $45k Yes
2 Radford College Bruce Anglican co-educational 1184 $26k
3 Burgmann Anglican School Forde Anglican co-educational 1158 $17k
4 Canberra Girls Grammar School Deakin Anglican girls (co-ed ELC-Year 3) 1155 $50k Yes
5 Marist College Canberra Pearce Catholic boys 1132 $15k
6 Daramalan College Dickson Catholic co-educational 1106 $15k
7 Trinity Christian School Canberra Wanniassa Christian co-educational 1095 $15k
8 St Edmund's College Canberra Griffith Catholic boys 1067 $11k