0°C | Saturday January 31, 2026 
18 December 2025
North Sydney region schools have again ranked amongst the best in the state in Higher School Certificate results, with North Sydney Boys High School securing the top spot in the state for the third year in a row.
The selective school saw multiple students earn places on the state’s merit list, highlighting their depth of achievement. Standout performances include Justin Liu, who achieved first place in German Extension, and Jiaao Jay Chen, who topped the state in Physics. School captain Ethan Huang also capped off a stellar year by achieving an exceptional 99.95 ATAR.
North Sydney Girls High School climbed back to fourth place in NSW, a return to their consistent ranking from 2022 and 2023 after a dip to eighth last year. In a remarkable shared achievement, students Emily Phi and Valery Lin were awarded equal first place in English Advanced.
Among the North Shore private schools, St Aloysius College Kirribilli achieved the highest rank at ninth in the state, improving from 12th last year. Their success was underscored by Yao Xiao securing first place in English Extension 2, highlighted by an impressive essay on Hamlet.
Other notable results for private institutions include Shore ranking 27th, Loreto Kirribilli 30th, and Wenona 35th. Jessica Ellis from Wenona topped the state in Visual Arts, demonstrating strong performance across diverse subjects.
The comprehensive school rankings were led once again by Willoughby Girls High School, which has now topped the list for the second year running and the fifth time in the last eight years. Cammeraygal High School saw a significant leap in its performance, ranking seventh among comprehensive schools and 96th overall in the state. Elsewhere in the district, Marist North Shore climbed seven places to finish 69th in the state.