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10 Best Suburbs for High Schools
High school is where academic performance starts shaping your child's future — ATAR preparation, subject specialisation, and pathways to university or trades all begin here. Choosing the right suburb can make the difference between a school that stretches your teenager and one that leaves them coasting.
How we ranked these suburbs
We queried individual school NAPLAN data and filtered for Secondary and Combined (K-12) schools only. For each suburb, we calculated:
- Average high school NAPLAN percentile — the mean score across all secondary/combined schools in the suburb, on a 0-100 scale relative to all WA schools
- High school count — how many qualifying schools contributed to the average
This ranking uses direct school-level data, not the blended suburb education score. Suburbs are ranked purely on how their secondary schools perform.
Why isolating high schools matters
The overall suburb school rating blends primary and secondary performance. A suburb with excellent primary schools but a weak high school would score respectably on the combined metric — but that doesn't help parents of Year 7-12 students.
By focusing exclusively on secondary and combined schools, this list gives you a targeted view of where Perth's best high school education is happening.
What drives high school performance?
Perth's top-performing high school suburbs tend to share several characteristics:
- Selective or academically-focused programs — GATE (Gifted and Talented Education), Academic Extension, or IB programs
- Higher ICSEA scores — socio-educational advantage correlates with (but doesn't guarantee) academic results
- Competition and choice — suburbs with multiple secondary options tend to drive performance
Rossmoyne
Rossmoyne is a quiet, established riverside suburb in Perth's south that families actively seek out for access to one of WA's top public high schools. Sitting along the Canning River, it offers leafy streets, parkland walks, and a peaceful atmosphere, though limited local dining and high property prices mean it appeals primarily to affluent families rather than young singles or retirees on a budget.
Claremont
One of Perth's most established and affluent western suburbs, Claremont revolves around the busy Claremont Quarter shopping precinct and the cafe-lined Bayview Terrace strip. Residents enjoy excellent train access, scenic walks along Lake Claremont and the Swan River foreshore, and a strong calendar of outdoor concerts and showground events. The private-school pedigree and high property values give it a reputation for exclusivity, but people say the lifestyle amenity and sense of place are genuinely hard to match.
Karrinyup
Karrinyup is anchored by one of Perth's largest and most frequented shopping centres, drawing crowds from across the northern suburbs for its retail, cinema, dining, and entertainment. Residential streets are quiet and established, with Hamersley Golf Course and nearby bushland reserves adding green space. The suburb sits firmly in the upper price bracket, regularly appearing on $1.5M family home shortlists. The shopping centre's chronic parking gridlock and a run of high-profile security incidents in recent years temper an otherwise comfortable and well-serviced address.
Bull Creek
Bull Creek is a well-established south-of-river suburb anchored by the Mandurah train line and the much-loved RAAFA Aviation Heritage Museum. It draws a mixed crowd: retirees on the Air Force Memorial Estate, commuting professionals, and families around All Saints College. Quiet and largely car-dependent, it sits comfortably in Perth's middle-ring southern suburbs, affordable, familiar, and a touch sentimental about its aviation heritage.
Shenton Park
Shenton Park is a quiet, established suburb in Perth's inner west, prized for its leafy streets, proximity to Lake Jualbup, and easy access to the city via the Fremantle train line. Local cafes and bakeries give it a neighbourhood feel, while abundant green space and wildlife sightings, from owls to possums, define its character. High demand and rezoning pressure reflect its desirability, making it one of Perth's more expensive western suburbs.
Kewdale
Kewdale is an affordable, established suburb straddling the residential and industrial worlds near Perth Airport. Tomato Lake draws locals for walks and photography, and tight-knit streets around Kewdale Primary have real community spirit. The trade-off is a suburb that wears its mixed-use zoning plainly, with freight corridors, airport proximity, and a patchy safety reputation.
Subiaco
Subiaco is one of Perth's most livable inner-western suburbs, anchored by a lively strip of cafes, restaurants, and a beloved weekly farmers market along Rokeby Road. Well-connected by train and highly walkable, it attracts young professionals and families who prize the heritage streetscapes and genuine community atmosphere. A surge of new apartment developments — including ambitious plans for the former oval site — signals rapid change, but the suburb's polished dining scene and established character keep it among Perth's most sought-after addresses.
Wembley Downs
Wembley Downs is one of Perth's most desirable western suburbs, prized by families for its proximity to City Beach and access to highly regarded public school catchments. Locals describe it as a quiet, established neighbourhood with a relaxed coastal character. Residents note the significant trade-off: prices are eye-watering, routinely in the millions, and the area is car-dependent, but the beach proximity and leafy streets keep demand consistently high.
South Perth
South Perth is defined by its prized Swan River foreshore. Locals describe it as one of Perth’s most walkable riverside precincts, packed on summer evenings and buzzing with families at fireworks events. People note it as established, leafy, and safe, with a genuine community feel. The flip side is steep property prices, patchy public transport, and a recurring tension between long-term residents protective of their river views and those wanting more trees and public amenity along the water.
Ardross
Ardross sits comfortably in Perth's south-of-river prestige belt, sharing borders and reputation with Applecross and Booragoon. It's a quiet, established suburb favoured by families and older residents, with Riseley Square providing a local retail and services hub. Property demand is strong and prices reflect it, but Ardross has also earned a tongue-in-cheek reputation for aggressive driving and an entitled local attitude, a backhanded compliment to its affluent character.
Beyond the average
These are suburb-level averages. A suburb with one outstanding public high school and one underperforming one might average out lower than a suburb with a single consistently good school. Check individual school data in our school ratings explorer for the full picture.
Factors NAPLAN doesn't capture
High school is about more than literacy and numeracy scores. Consider:
- Subject breadth — ATAR subject offerings, vocational pathways, languages
- Specialist programs — GATE, sports academies, performing arts, STEM
- Year 12 outcomes — university entry rates, ATAR medians (not in NAPLAN)
- School culture — wellbeing programs, anti-bullying, extracurriculars
Visit schools during open days and talk to current parents and students. For primary school rankings, see our Best Suburbs for Primary Schools. For a combined family ranking including safety, see Best Suburbs for Families.
Data & methodology
Suburbs are ranked by the average NAPLAN percentile score of secondary schools in each suburb (highest first). We query the schools table directly, filtering for schools with type = 'Secondary' or type = 'Combined' (K-12 schools that include secondary years). Each school's percentile score (0-100) reflects NAPLAN performance in reading, writing, numeracy, grammar, and spelling relative to all WA schools.
For each suburb, we average the percentile scores across all qualifying secondary/combined schools with NAPLAN data. Suburbs need at least one secondary or combined school with a score, a population above 500, and must be in Perth metro.
Both government and non-government (independent, Catholic) schools are included. NAPLAN is tested at Years 7 and 9 for secondary students. Data is sourced from ACARA via MySchool and refreshes annually.
Data sources: ACARA/MySchool (individual school NAPLAN results), ABS Census 2021 (population), real estate websites + WA Rental Bonds (rent context).
Nick Lilleyman
Founder & Data Lead, Burb Score
Nick built Burb Score to give Perth families a data-driven view of where to live. He works directly with the ACARA, WA Police, ABS Census, WA Rental Bonds and real estate datasets that power every ranking on this site. Rankings are generated programmatically from official data sources, not opinions, and refresh automatically. No sponsored content or paid placements.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the overall suburb school rating?
The overall suburb school rating averages NAPLAN scores across all school types — primary, secondary, and combined. This ranking isolates secondary and combined (K-12) schools only, giving parents of high school students a more relevant picture.
Does this include ATAR results?
No. NAPLAN (Years 7 and 9) and ATAR (Year 12) are different assessments. NAPLAN measures foundational literacy and numeracy; ATAR is a university entrance ranking. We use NAPLAN because it's the most broadly comparable metric across all schools. ATAR data may be added in a future update.
Are selective/GATE schools included?
Yes. Schools offering GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) programs, Academic Extension, or selective entry streams are included. Their strong NAPLAN results contribute to the suburb average. Note that not all students at these schools may be in selective streams.
What about boarding schools?
Boarding schools are included if they're physically located in a suburb and have NAPLAN data. Students at boarding schools come from many suburbs, so a boarding school's NAPLAN results reflect its student body, not necessarily the local community.
How many high schools does Perth have?
Perth metro has approximately 100+ secondary and combined schools across government, independent, and Catholic sectors. Not all suburbs have a high school — many students travel to neighbouring suburbs. This ranking only includes suburbs that physically contain at least one secondary or combined school.
Explore these suburbs further