In their words
Academic results and pressure at Brisbane high schools: what families say
831 comments about academic results and pressure from verified reviews and 2026 Open Day Reflections, across more than 40 Brisbane schools. Here are the schools where people say most, with one thing someone said at each.
Brisbane State High School
Co-ed · State, competitive entry · South Brisbane · No tuition fees
62 comments · 20 speak well of it · 6 raise concerns
Read what people said at Brisbane State High School →“…There were also lunchtime tutorials and study sessions for subjects like Maths and English, which made a big difference.”
Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology
Co-ed · State, competitive entry · Toowong · No tuition fees
62 comments · 18 speak well of it · 7 raise concerns
Read what people said at Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology →“I did not do any specific preparation solely for the entrance exam.”
Mansfield State High School
Co-ed · State, competitive entry · Mansfield · No tuition fees
43 comments · 18 speak well of it · 8 raise concerns
Read what people said at Mansfield State High School →“I had high academic expectations for Mansfield and was greatly pleased, as the school has many high achievers who get into great courses and the teachers are highly skilled at teaching and controlling classes.”
Indooroopilly State High School
Co-ed · State · Indooroopilly · No tuition fees
36 comments · 18 speak well of it · 1 mixed · 3 raise concerns
Read what people said at Indooroopilly State High School →“Indooroopilly State High School effectively balances academic rigor with student well-being and character development.”
St Joseph’s College (Gregory Terrace)
Boys · Catholic · Spring Hill · $26,439 a year
35 comments · 15 speak well of it · 1 mixed · 2 raise concerns
Read what people said at St Joseph’s College (Gregory Terrace) →“I love here that academic excellence is celebrated […] There's no tall poppies.…”
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Girls · Independent · Spring Hill · $34,088 a year
31 comments · 14 speak well of it · 1 mixed · 5 raise concerns
Read what people said at Brisbane Girls Grammar School →“I don't think it's too competitive […] maybe with sciences […] some things can get…”
Brisbane Grammar School
Boys · Independent · Spring Hill · $37,960 a year
28 comments · 19 speak well of it
Read what people said at Brisbane Grammar School →“It's really just down to that individual […] if they don't want to do it,…”
St Peters Lutheran College
Co-ed · Independent · Indooroopilly · $26,786 a year
25 comments · 12 speak well of it · 3 raise concerns
Read what people said at St Peters Lutheran College →“I also really like studying religion […] I like knowing what's going on in the…”
Anglican Church Grammar School
Boys · Independent · East Brisbane · $36,232 a year
21 comments · 9 speak well of it · 1 raises concerns
Read what people said at Anglican Church Grammar School →“When you walk around Churchie, what stands out isn't just the size of the campus…”
All Hallows' School
Girls · Catholic · Fortitude Valley · $23,485 a year
20 comments · 12 speak well of it · 2 raise concerns
Read what people said at All Hallows' School →“In my opinion, All Hallows' does a fairly good job of balancing academic rigor with…”
Brisbane Boys' College
Boys · Independent · Toowong · $36,492 a year
19 comments · 13 speak well of it
Read what people said at Brisbane Boys' College →“[The study periods are] supervised, so there's a teacher who teaches [the] subject […] which…”
Northside Christian College
Co-ed · Independent · Everton Park · $14,855 a year
19 comments · 9 speak well of it · 3 raise concerns
Read what people said at Northside Christian College →“there is a relatively good balance, however students who are less academically inclined may struggle…”
St Joseph's Nudgee College
Boys · Catholic · Boondall · $25,035 a year
19 comments · 6 speak well of it · 1 mixed · 1 raises concerns
Read what people said at St Joseph's Nudgee College →“There's help – teachers that can come in and support [with] additional tutoring sessions at…”
Mt St Michael's College
Girls · Catholic · Ashgrove · $15,657 a year
17 comments · 5 speak well of it · 1 mixed · 2 raise concerns
Read what people said at Mt St Michael's College →“yes.…”
Queensland Academy for Creative Industries
Co-ed · State, competitive entry · Kelvin Grove · No tuition fees
17 comments · 4 speak well of it
Read what people said at Queensland Academy for Creative Industries →“They had a good range of subjects and once I wanted to study something they didn't offer and they supported me to do this online.”
Ormiston College
Co-ed · Independent · Ormiston · $19,412 a year
15 comments · 8 speak well of it
Read what people said at Ormiston College →“It seems like the homework given is not a lot for bellow year 10.…”
Craigslea State High School
Co-ed · State · Chermside West · No tuition fees
12 comments · 9 speak well of it
Read what people said at Craigslea State High School →“I would recommend this school to those particularly interested in volleyball as a significant part of the school budget seems to go purely to improving the volleyball team and facilities with not as much thought to other…”
Lourdes Hill College
Girls · Catholic · Hawthorne · $16,000 a year
12 comments · 4 speak well of it
Read what people said at Lourdes Hill College →“Girls are able to do an ATAR pathway [or an] applied pathway […] we run…”
San Sisto College
Girls · Catholic · Carina · $7,889 a year
11 comments · 4 speak well of it · 1 raises concerns
Read what people said at San Sisto College →“It's open till four in the afternoon, Monday to Thursday […] they have homework, they…”
St Margaret's Anglican Girls School
Girls · Independent · Ascot · $33,216 a year
11 comments · 3 speak well of it
Read what people said at St Margaret's Anglican Girls School →“Last year […] seven out of 11 [teams won their championships] […] And I think…”
How to read this
Each comment is an answer in a published review (parents and former students, who show us proof of their link to the school) or an Open Day Reflection: what the school's own principals, teachers and students told visitors at 2026 open days. “Speaks well” and “raises concerns” are worked out by software, sentence by sentence, from the parts about academic results and pressure; it's right most of the time but not always, so read what people said. Schools are listed by how much people say about it. It isn't a ranking of how good a school is, and some comments need a free account or Full Access. How reviews work
Other topics
- Sport
- Music, drama and art
- Teachers and teaching
- Subjects and senior pathways
- Extension and gifted programs
- Getting extra help
- Careers and life after school
- Wellbeing and pastoral care
- Starting and settling in
- Camps, houses and school life
- Diversity and inclusion
- Faith and values
- Service and leadership
- Phones, laptops and AI
- Parent community and communication
- Facilities and campus
- Enrolment and getting in