As South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) results for 2025 are released, students, families, and educators across the state are examining how schools performed academically.
In this blog, we break down the key highlights of the 2025 SACE results, explain how to interpret the ATAR data, and explore what the latest rankings say about school performance across the state.
Key Highlights from the 2025 SACE Results
From the data currently available, several strong trends stand out in the 2025 SACE and ATAR results:
- Student Participation: Approximately 17,099 students completed SACE in 2025
- Top ATAR Performers: 13 students achieved the perfect ATAR of 99.95, placing them in the top 0.05% of the state.
- High Achievement: A significant portion of students achieved high subject results and merits (A+ with merit), with over 1,468 subject merits awarded to 1,221 students.
- Median Excellence: Early school-level data suggests some institutions recorded median ATARs above 90, demonstrating cohort-wide academic strength.
How to Read the Scores Below and What They Mean
Before diving into the school rankings, it helps to understand what the key numbers represent and how to interpret them within the SACE/ATAR context:
What is the ATAR?
The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a percentile ranking used across Australia to compare the academic performance of students who complete senior secondary qualifications. It reflects how a student performed relative to all other students in the state. For example, an ATAR of 80.00 means a student performed better than approximately 80% of their peers.
💡For a clearer breakdown of how these rankings translate into university entry outcomes, it’s helpful to understand how the ATAR is calculated and what different ATAR bands mean in practice.
Top ATAR Bands:
- 99+ (%) — Percentage of students achieving at least 99 ATAR, placing them in the top 1%
- 95+ (%) — Percentage of students achieving at least 95 ATAR, placing them in the top 5%
- 90+ (%) — Percentage of students achieving at least 90 ATAR, placing them in the top 10%
- These bands help illustrate both the elite performance (99+) and broader academic success (90+ and 95+) within a school’s cohort.
Median ATAR:
The median ATAR is the midpoint of a school’s ATAR distribution. Unlike top-end bands, the median reflects how the entire cohort performed, showing whether most students achieved strong results or if outcomes were driven by a few high achievers.
Why These Matter:
- A high median ATAR indicates widespread academic strength across the cohort.
- A high percentage in top bands (99+, 95+, 90+) indicates a strong ability to produce elite performers.
- Comparing both gives a balanced view of a school’s performance, beyond just its top few students.
💡School-level outcomes are also influenced by subject selection and cohort strength, which is explored further in our analysis of how SACE subject scaling affects ATAR results.
How Schools Performed in SACE in 2025
The 2025 SACE results highlight a strong year of academic achievement across South Australia, with clear differentiation between schools excelling at the top end of the ATAR scale and those demonstrating consistent cohort-wide performance. Independent and faith-based schools were particularly prominent across multiple ranking categories, often appearing in the top lists for median ATAR as well as high ATAR bands.
Schools such as Wilderness School, St Peter’s College, and St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School stood out for their ability to produce both elite performers (99+ ATARs) and strong overall outcomes, reflected in high median ATARs. Meanwhile, schools like IQRA College demonstrated impressive results relative to cohort size, particularly in the 90+ ATAR category, highlighting the impact of targeted academic support and subject strength.
💡For families comparing outcomes across states, our analysis of the top VCE schools in Victoria for 2025 provides useful context on how senior secondary results differ nationally.
Overall, the data shows that SACE success in 2025 was not driven by a single pathway or school type. Instead, high performance was achieved through a combination of strong teaching quality, effective subject selection, and consistent student support, with several schools appearing across multiple performance categories—an indicator of sustained academic excellence rather than isolated high achievers.
Top Schools by Median ATAR
Ranking schools by median ATAR provides one of the clearest indicators of overall cohort performance. Unlike top-end ATAR bands, the median reflects how the typical student performed, making it a strong measure of consistency and academic depth.
Top Schools by Median ATAR (2025 SACE)
Sorted by schools’ median ATAR.
In the 2025 SACE results, schools with the highest median ATARs demonstrated not only strong academic cultures but also effective teaching and support across their entire Year 12 cohort. Many of these schools combine rigorous academic programs with selective entry or long-established pathways to tertiary study, resulting in median ATARs well above the state average.
💡Schools with strong median ATARs often emphasise consistent study habits and evidence-based learning approaches, similar to these scientifically proven strategies for improving study outcomes.
Top Schools by Percentage of 99+ ATARs
The percentage of students achieving an ATAR of 99 or above highlights schools that consistently produce elite, top-tier academic performers. This metric is particularly useful for identifying environments that support students aiming for highly competitive university courses.
💡Consistently strong results at the top end are often supported by effective exam preparation, including targeted revision and regular practice with past papers.
Top Schools by Percentage of 99+ ATARs (2025 SACE)
Sorted by % of students achieving an ATAR of 99 or above.
In 2025, only a small number of South Australian schools recorded notable proportions of 99+ ATARs, reflecting just how challenging it is to reach this level. Schools appearing in this category tend to have strong subject offerings, experienced teaching staff, and cultures that encourage academic ambition and excellence.
Schools with the Most 99.95 Scorers
Achieving an ATAR of 99.95 places a student in the top 0.05% of the state, making it one of the most significant academic accomplishments in the SACE. Schools with multiple 99.95 scorers in 2025 demonstrated exceptional top-end performance.
These outcomes often reflect a combination of highly motivated students, strong subject scaling, and targeted academic support. While cohort size can influence raw numbers, schools appearing repeatedly in this category show a consistent ability to nurture the very highest achievers year after year.
💡At an individual level, this student story provides insight into what achieving a 99+ ATAR looks like in practice, beyond school-wide statistics.
Top Schools by Percentage of 95+ ATARs
The 95+ ATAR band captures a broader group of high-achieving students and is often used as a benchmark for entry into competitive university programs. Schools with a high percentage of students in this range tend to offer both academic rigour and strong cohort-wide support.
Top Schools by Percentage of 95+ ATARs (2025 SACE)
Sorted by % of students achieving an ATAR of 95 or above.
In the 2025 SACE results, schools performing well in this category demonstrated depth beyond a handful of elite students, with a significant proportion of their cohort achieving outstanding results across multiple subjects.
Top Schools by Percentage of 90+ ATARs
Looking at the percentage of students achieving an ATAR of 90 or above provides insight into overall academic strength across a school’s senior cohort. This measure captures not just elite performers, but a wider group of students achieving strong outcomes.
Top Schools by Percentage of 90+ ATARs (2025 SACE)
Sorted by % of students achieving an ATAR of 90 or above.
Schools leading this category in 2025 showed a clear ability to lift a large proportion of students to a high academic standard, often through structured learning programs, effective assessment preparation, and strong pastoral support alongside academic guidance.
Notable School Achievements
Beyond rankings and percentages, several schools stood out in the 2025 SACE results for notable achievements.
- Wilderness School
- Ranked first by median ATAR (96.7) in South Australia.
- Recorded the highest percentage of 99+ ATARs (21%) and 95+ ATARs (65%).
- Appeared at the top of every major performance category, demonstrating exceptional academic depth and consistency.
- St Peter’s College & St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School
- Both schools featured prominently across multiple ATAR bands, including 99+, 95+, and 90+ categories.
- Strong median ATARs reflect sustained cohort-wide performance alongside elite top-end results.
- IQRA College
- Achieved a high median ATAR (90.7) and ranked strongly in the 90+ ATAR category.
- Stood out for delivering excellent results relative to cohort size, highlighting the impact of focused academic support.
- Walford Anglican School for Girls
- Ranked highly in the 99+ and 95+ ATAR categories.
- Demonstrated strong top-end achievement across a competitive academic cohort.
- St Ignatius’ College & Pulteney Grammar School
- Both schools appeared across multiple performance categories, including 95+ and 90+ ATARs.
- Their results reflect balanced academic programs that support both high achievers and broader cohort success.
- Broad Patterns Across 2025
- Several schools featured in multiple ranking tables, indicating consistent performance rather than isolated high achievers.
- Success in SACE 2025 was driven by a combination of elite ATAR outcomes, strong median results, and effective cohort-wide support.
💡As students prepare for their final assessments, having a clear understanding of timelines and workload is essential, making it useful to refer to the full SACE exam timetable for 2025.
Conclusion
The 2025 SACE results reinforce the strength and diversity of academic performance across South Australia. While a small group of schools continue to dominate the very top end of the rankings, the broader data shows that strong outcomes are being achieved across a wide range of school types and contexts.
By examining median ATARs alongside high-end ATAR bands, families and students gain a more balanced understanding of school performance. Ultimately, the best outcomes come from schools that combine academic rigour with effective support, helping students achieve results that open doors to future study, training, and career pathways.
💡While rankings highlight academic performance, families may also wish to consider broader factors such as cohort size, pathways, and outcomes when assessing school value beyond raw ATAR results.
