Selective schools · Profile
Ryde Secondary College: Selective Entry & Places
Ryde Secondary College is a partially selective co-educational secondary college in Ryde, Northern Sydney. Its Year 7 selective place count is not separately published; entry is through the Selective High School Placement Test.
A co-educational college running two selective classes per year across Years 7–10, in a distinctive circular "doughnut" campus building.
Runs two selective classes per year (Years 7–10); a specific Year 7 place count is not separately published.
Ryde Secondary College at a glance
| Type | Partially selective |
|---|---|
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Suburb | Ryde, Northern Sydney |
| Year 7 places | Not separately published |
| Entry routes | Year 7 via the Selective High School Placement Test.Applications open for Years 8–11 selective-class entry (the 2027 round closed 24 July 2026). |
| Boarding | None — day school. |
| Official website | rydesc-h.schools.nsw.gov.au |
How entry works
Year 7 entry to Ryde Secondary College runs through the statewide NSW Selective High School Placement Test, sat in Year 6. There is no separate school exam and no catchment for selective places — you nominate the school among your preferences, and offers are made from a single statewide placement score. The steps and deadlines are in our application walkthrough.
About one applicant in four receives a selective place across the state. A miss says very little about a capable child — with roughly four applicants for every place, the maths alone means most well-prepared children miss out, and are fine.
Later years: Applications open for Years 8–11 selective-class entry (the 2027 round closed 24 July 2026).
The last-published entry score — read this honestly
The last time the Department published a per-school minimum entry score was for 2021 entry, on the retired 300-point scale. For Ryde Secondary College that figure was 198/300 (200/300 the year before).
That is a historical record, not a current cut-off. The test and its scoring have changed since — four equally-weighted components, computer-based, no school-assessment mark — the Department no longer publishes per-school minimums, and it states plainly that there is no set entry score. Treat any "current" cut-off you see quoted for Ryde Secondary College as an estimate, not a fact.
Where these figures come from, why the Department stopped publishing them, and how to sanity-check any number you read: our cut-off scores guide.
Known for
- An academically selective stream running two selective classes per year in Years 7–10, plus a support unit for students needing special education.
- Opened in 1965 as Malvina High School, renamed Ryde Secondary College in 2001, with the selective stream introduced from 2002.
- Music programs including concert band, jazz band, choir and ensembles, in a distinctive circular "doughnut" campus building.
Families near Ryde
Many families sitting for Ryde Secondary College come from the surrounding suburbs. We compare the selective coaching options — centre by centre, with published prices — for Eastwood, Epping and Carlingford.
Other nearby areas: West Ryde, Meadowbank, Denistone, Marsfield, Macquarie Park.