St Andrew's Cathedral School vs Sydney Grammar School
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither St Andrew's Cathedral School nor Sydney Grammar School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. Both are day schools with fees in the same market band — see the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| St Andrew's Cathedral School | Sydney Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / National | National |
| Ages | 5–18 | 4–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | AUD 26,699–48,137/year (2026, domestic); overseas higher | AUD 52,410/year (College Street, Years 7–13, 2026) |
| Enrollment | — | 1,800 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School | NESA, AHISA, HMC |
Strengths
- ✓Genuine dual senior pathway — students pick the IB Diploma or HSC, rare and valuable for mobile families
- ✓IB MYP framework across Years 7–10, giving an internationally-coherent middle-school spine
- ✓Strong school-reported 2025 outcomes (IBDP median 37.5; 42% of cohort ATAR >90)
- ✓Exceptional languages and music depth (16 HSC subjects at 100% top-two-band in 2025)
- ✓Distinctive Gawura First Nations school and a stated K–12 First Nations strategy
- ✓Elite, publicly-verified HSC performance (3rd in NSW overall 2025; highest-placed independent school; 72% of cohort ATAR 95+)
- ✓Deep classical/academic curriculum including Latin, Classical Greek, German, French — multiple 'First in Course' state placements in 2025
- ✓Long heritage and prestige (founded 1854; alumni include three Australian Prime Ministers)
- ✓Three-campus K–12 continuity within Sydney (Edgecliff + St Ives prep feeding College Street senior)
- ✓Strong co-curricular breadth: music (scholarships), debating, drama, cadets, AAGPS sport (founding member)
Trade-offs
- !No boarding — non-Sydney or overseas families must arrange their own accommodation
- !Total enrolment and class-size data are not publicly published, reducing independent transparency
- !Vertical CBD campus means limited on-site green/playing-field space versus suburban peers
- !IB Diploma carries an extra fee surcharge on top of already-high city tuition; overseas fees plus a AUD 10,000 bond are steep
- !No early-years/preschool and no PYP — entry starts at Kindergarten, so no IB continuum for younger children
- !Not registered for international students — excludes visa-dependent expat families entirely (Australian/NZ citizens and PRs only)
- !Boys-only — no option for families with daughters
- !Academically selective entry (Entrance Assessment in English/Maths + interview) — admission not guaranteed
- !No IB and no Cambridge pathway — HSC-only, less portable for globally-mobile families
- !Day-only (no boarding) and high fees (AUD 52,410/yr at College Street, 2026)
Best Fit For
- • Expat / internationally-mobile families wanting an IB Diploma option inside a top Australian school
- • Families living or working in central Sydney who value a CBD campus
- • Musically or linguistically gifted students
- • Families seeking an Anglican, values-based co-educational environment
- • Academically high-achieving boys aiming for top ATAR/university outcomes
- • Sydney-resident families (citizens/PRs) wanting an elite HSC pathway
- • Families valuing a classical-languages, traditional academic ethos
- • Households seeking K–12 continuity within one institution
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: Class of 2025 — 42% of the combined HSC/IBDP cohort achieved an ATAR over 90; IBDP median score 37.5 (top-10% average ATAR 99.17); HSC median ATAR 84 (top-10% average 97.8). Figures are school-published, not independently verified.
School-reported (SMH league table), 2025 HSC: ranked 3rd overall for success rate (highest-placed independent school), 2nd for Top Achievers. Of 199 students: 72.4% ATAR 95+, 84.9% 90+; 175 Distinguished Achievers listings, 7 First-in-Course. Unverified against raw NESA/UAC data.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose St Andrew's Cathedral School or Sydney Grammar School?
St Andrew's Cathedral School is best for: Expat / internationally-mobile families wanting an IB Diploma option inside a top Australian school. Sydney Grammar School is best for: Academically high-achieving boys aiming for top ATAR/university outcomes. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between St Andrew's Cathedral School and Sydney Grammar School?
St Andrew's Cathedral School: AUD 26,699–48,137/year (2026, domestic); overseas higher. Sydney Grammar School: AUD 52,410/year (College Street, Years 7–13, 2026). Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do St Andrew's Cathedral School and Sydney Grammar School offer?
St Andrew's Cathedral School: IB, National. Sydney Grammar School: National.
Do St Andrew's Cathedral School or Sydney Grammar School offer boarding?
St Andrew's Cathedral School: day school only. Sydney Grammar School: day school only.
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →