New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that total school enrolments reached a record high of 4,160,918 in 2025.
While the overall student population grew by 0.7%, the independent sector remained the primary engine of growth, rising by 3.4% over the past year.
The outpaced Catholic schools, which grew by 1.4%, while government school enrolments saw a slight decline of 0.2%.
ABS Head of Education Statistics, Mell Plumb, highlighted a significant long-term shift in the educational landscape.
"Between 2016 and 2025, we’ve seen enrolments in independent schools rise by 31%," Plumb noted.
This represents an additional 168,448 students choosing private education over the last decade, compared to a 5% increase in the government sector.
Enrolments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students rose by 3.2% to 283,611, now representing 6.8% of the national student body.
The proportion of Indigenous students staying at school from Year 10 to Year 12 jumped to 59.7%, doubling the previous year's growth rate.
Overall, secondary school enrolments rose by 1.9% as more students remained in the system; the national retention rate from the start of high school to Year 12 climbed to 81.3%.