how many high schools in nsw

There are a bit over 500 high schools in New South Wales (NSW) when you combine public and private secondary schools, depending on how “high school” is defined in the data (pure secondary vs combined K–12 or 7–12 schools). Different official datasets sometimes count standalone secondary schools separately from combined primary–secondary schools, which is why you will usually see an approximate figure rather than a single precise number.

What counts as a “high school”?

When people ask “how many high schools in NSW” , they usually mean schools that teach Years 7–12 (or at least Years 7–10). In NSW data, those schools can appear as:

• Government secondary schools (Years 7–12).

• Non‑government secondary schools and combined primary/secondary schools that include secondary year levels.

Because combined schools are very common in the non‑government sector, total “high schools” will be higher than just the pure “secondary school” count.

NSW government vs non‑government

From recent NSW school statistics and national school collections:

• NSW has around 400–420 government secondary schools (high schools, central schools, senior colleges etc.).

• Non‑government schools add roughly 200+ schools with secondary students (Catholic and independent), once you include combined primary–secondary schools.

This is why an overall estimate “just over 500 high schools in NSW” is reasonable rather than a single exact number.

Why the number can change

The count is not static, because:

• New schools open and some close or merge each year as populations shift.

• Some primary schools add secondary years and become combined schools, changing how they are classified in statistics.

For the latest official number , checking the most recent NSW education statistical bulletin or the national Schools release for NSW is the safest way to get a precise, year‑specific figure.

TL;DR: If you just need a usable figure, there are a little over 500 schools in NSW that provide high‑school (secondary) education , with roughly 400+ public and 200 or so non‑government secondary/combined schools.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.