Schools in Geelong: Public, Private & University

Geelong's education landscape is one of regional Victoria's finest: the city's proximity to Melbourne (70 minutes by V/Line) and its own strong education institutions (Deakin University, Geelong Grammar School, and the excellent government school network) create an education environment that rivals much larger cities. Geelong Grammar School (the most famous private school in Australia, the alma mater of King Charles III and numerous prime ministers, premiers, and business leaders) is Geelong's most internationally recognised educational institution and one of Australia's most prestigious schools.

Government Schools in Geelong, the Victorian Department of Education operates approximately 140 government schools in the Geelong metropolitan area. Geelong's strongest government high schools include Geelong High School (the most academically competitive government secondary school in the Geelong area, with strong VCE results and a significant proportion of students achieving high ATARs), Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, and the specialist arts secondary school Geelong Secondary College. The selective entry programs within some Geelong government schools provide additional pathways for academically gifted students. The Geelong East and North Geelong areas are served by excellent government primary schools with strong community ties.

Geelong Grammar School and the Independent Sector, Geelong Grammar School (the Corio campus, 5km north of Geelong, with additional Toorak, Bostock House, and Glamorgan campuses) is Australia's most famous boarding school and one of its most prestigious: founded 1855, GGS educated King Charles III (as Prince Charles, spending a term at the Timbertop campus in 1966), six Australian Prime Ministers, and an extraordinary list of Australian business, cultural, and political leaders. The extraordinary facilities (the Corio campus features farm, lake, theatre, arts centre, and sporting facilities that rival a small university) and the school's international reputation make Geelong Grammar one of the world's most remarkable schools. Other significant Geelong independent schools include Christian College Geelong, Geelong College (another prestigious long-established independent school, with both boys' and girls' campuses), and Sacred Heart College (the Catholic girls' school).

Deakin University, Deakin University (Waurn Ponds campus, 10km south-west of Geelong, and the Waterfront campus in central Geelong) is one of Australia's most highly regarded regional universities and one of the fastest-rising in international rankings: Deakin is particularly strong in nursing and health sciences (the Deakin nursing program is one of Australia's largest and most well-regarded), business, law, and the sports sciences (the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition is one of Australia's leading sports science research centres). The Geelong Waterfront campus (on the former Geelong port land) is one of Australia's most beautifully positioned university campuses.