Independent Catholic girls secondary school in Wollongong, NSW, educating 1128 students in Years 7–12.
NAPLAN modestly above national year-level averages; the result is a B overall.
St Mary Star of the Sea College is also known as SMSSC and SMSSC Wollongong.
3 HSC Top Achievers — #57 of 240 New South Wales schools.
St Mary Star of the Sea College has an overall SchoolRank score of 57.7/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 63/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1104, well above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at St Mary Star of the Sea College, Year 7 students averaged 559 across the tested NAPLAN domains, above the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 595, above the national average of 569 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Writing. 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.
St Mary Star of the Sea College is a large independent secondary school with approximately 1,128 students. It offers education for years 7-12. As a independent school, enrolment typically involves an application process. Contact the school directly for enrolment criteria, waiting lists, and open day information.
St Mary Star of the Sea College has approximate annual tuition fees of $9,576. Actual fees may vary by year level, and additional costs for uniforms, camps, and extracurricular activities typically apply. The school's value score is 48/100, which measures academic outcomes relative to the cost of attendance.
St Mary Star of the Sea College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.3:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 27% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 91%, which is moderate.
The Year 12 completion rate is 100%. 100% of students received a university offer.
St Mary Star of the Sea College is located in Wollongong, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1104 (85th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is above average, families tend to have higher education and income levels. 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.