Marsden State High School serves Waterford West as a traditional, structured government school that cares for a wide range of learners.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and growth below the national median; the result is a C+ overall.
Marsden State High School serves Waterford West as a traditional, structured government school that cares for a wide range of learners. It runs strong vocational and VET programs alongside academic enrichment for capable students, and backs this up with one-to-one support and personalised pathways for those who need it. The school is known for its sporting breadth and creative industries offerings, and has built a tight-knit community feel where students know they're supported in and beyond the classroom.
Marsden State High School is also known as MSHS, Marsden State HS and MSHS Waterford West.
Marsden State High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 32.1/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 38/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 943, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Marsden State High School, Year 7 students averaged 501 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 523, well below the national average of 569 for that year level. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Marsden State High School is a large government secondary school with approximately 3,857 students. It offers education for years 7-12. As a government school, enrolment is generally available to students living within the school's designated catchment zone. Families outside the zone may apply for out-of-area placement subject to availability.
Marsden State High School is a government school, so there are no tuition fees. Families may be asked to contribute to voluntary school fees covering materials, excursions, and activities. The school has a value score of 40/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Marsden State High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.8:1. This is around the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 29% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 84%, which is below the national benchmark.
Marsden State High School is located in Waterford West, QLD, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 943 (22th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is below average, which means the school serves a community with greater socio-educational challenges. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.