In Australia’s modern schooling landscape, sector loyalty often takes a back seat to fit. New data suggests that shift is playing out at scale across NSW, with Independent schools now the state's fastest-growing sector, educating 252,268 students across NSW, or 20% of the state's total enrolments
Enrolment Dynamics, an annual analysis of trends by Independent Schools NSW, shows the Independent sector added more students than both the Catholic and government sectors combined between 2020 and 2025, despite having fewer schools than either.
NSW's 434 Independent schools have grown by 38,074 students since 2020, an increase Independent Schools NSW likens to adding a new city the size of Bathurst every five years. Over the same period, the state's 547 Catholic schools added 14,826 students, while the 2,177 government schools lost 36,700, with two-thirds of that decline, 23,064 students, occurring outside Sydney.
Regional and rural Independent schools accounted for a significant share of the growth, adding 14,714 students since 2020, despite making up just 189 of the 1,707 schools outside Sydney. That growth was strongest along the coast between Sydney and the Queensland border, led by Richmond-Tweed (up 2,048 students), Newcastle-Lake Macquarie (1,838) and the Central Coast (1,599). Within Sydney, Blacktown was the fastest-growing region across all sectors, adding 11,333 students since 2020, followed by southwest Sydney (7,370) and Baulkham Hills-Hawkesbury (4,530).
Independent Schools NSW Chief Executive Margery Evans said the data reflects a broader shift in how families choose schools, particularly in rural and regional areas.
"Parents choose a school that's right for their child, not a sector," Evans said.
"Australia's governments need to adjust policy settings to reflect the larger role played by non-government schools in educating Australian children and recognise the choices and contributions made by hundreds of thousands of families."
Evans said much of the growth has come from low- and mid-fee, faith-based Independent schools serving families in Sydney's newest and fastest-growing suburbs.
"In an increasingly uncertain world, families regard education as an important investment for their child," she said. "They also value the strong community links, explicit wellbeing programs, and co-curricular sports and arts opportunities available in many Independent schools."
Practical factors are also shaping parents' decisions, Evans said, with more than 85% of Independent schools co-educational and over 60% combining primary and secondary schooling under one roof.