New data released in the National Report on Schooling in Australia 2024 confirms the long-term shift in enrolment towards Independent schools, with a 30.7 percent increase in student numbers across the sector since 2014.
The report, published by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), shows that 692,271 students* were enrolled in Independent schools in 2024—up from 529,857 in 2014—boosting the sector’s national enrolment share to 16.8 percent.
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Independent Schools Australia (ISA) Chief Executive Officer Graham Catt said the decade-long growth trend shows that Independent schools remain a trusted choice for Australian families.
“This data reinforces what we already know—families are choosing Independent schools in growing numbers because they value choice, quality, and a personalised approach to education,” Mr Catt said.
“Despite cost-of-living pressures, parents continue to prioritise their children’s education and are prepared to make significant sacrifices to access the school that best meets their needs.”
The ACARA figures also show that Independent schools now employ 18.5 percent of the nation’s teaching workforce, and have the lowest average student-teacher ratio across sectors—11.7 students per teacher—compared with 13.1 in government schools and 13.3 in Catholic schools.
“This shows that families choosing schools that offer strong academic support, strong pastoral care, and a values-based approach,” Mr Catt said.
“This growth is proof that Australians want choice, and we will be working with re-elected Albanese government to ensure they back that choice with fair, inclusive funding policies.”
* “The National Report on Schooling publication includes Independent Catholic schools with ‘Catholic.’ When including independent Catholic schools, the Independent sector has 1,230 schools, almost 745,000 (744,993) FTE students (sector share of 18.1%) and more than 104,200 (104,237.3) FTE staff.”
