Cornerstone College vs St Francis de Sales College
Cornerstone College (Mount Barker) is a independent school and St Francis de Sales College (Mount Barker) is a catholic school. Both are co-educational. Cornerstone College teaches 7-12 and St Francis de Sales College teaches R-12. Cornerstone College has 754 students and St Francis de Sales College has 1,047 (ACARA 2025). They are about 1.4 km apart in a straight line.
Photos: Cornerstone College (school website) · St Francis de Sales College (school website)
See both schools’ full fees, ATAR results and cost to Year 12
Every year level’s fees from each school’s own schedule, the results each school publishes, and the total cost to Year 12, side by side.
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Key numbers
Students, ICSEA, students per teacher and girls/boys: ACARA My School 2025 (students per teacher is total enrolments divided by full-time-equivalent teaching staff; it isn’t class size).
Fees and results
Side by side
| Fact | Cornerstone College | St Francis de Sales College |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb | Mount Barker | Mount Barker |
| Region | Adelaide - Central and Hills | Adelaide - Central and Hills |
| Sector | Independent | Catholic |
| Students | Co-ed | Co-ed |
| Year levels | 7-12 | R-12 |
| Religion | Lutheran | Catholic |
| Boarding | No | No |
| Senior years | SACE (VET options) | SACE (VET options) |
| Facilities and sport (school site) | Gym, Oval, Theatre / performing arts centre, Tennis courts, Netball, Basketball, Tennis, Hockey | Gym, Oval, Indoor sports centre, Music centre, Early learning centre, Library |
| Distance apart | About 1.4 km in a straight line | |
Facts from ACARA (2025) and each school’s own website.
Which suits whom
- Families choosing by faith: Cornerstone College is Lutheran; St Francis de Sales College is Catholic.
- Size: St Francis de Sales College is the larger school, with 293 more students.
- Smaller ratio: Cornerstone College has fewer students per teacher (13.4 against 15.3, ACARA 2025).
- Listed by Cornerstone College but not St Francis de Sales College: Theatre / performing arts centre, Tennis courts, Netball, Basketball, Tennis and Hockey.
- Listed by St Francis de Sales College but not Cornerstone College: Indoor sports centre, Music centre, Early learning centre and Library.
History
Cornerstone College
Cornerstone College began with a vision in 1984, when Adelaide Hills residents from several Christian denominations wanted a Christian secondary school for the Hills. They joined with the Lutheran Church to set it up, and the college opened at Mount Barker in 1990 with 49 students, six staff and a handful of temporary buildings.
Source: cornerstone.sa.edu.au
St Francis de Sales College
The school’s story starts in 1902, when Sisters of Mercy from Broken Hill and inland New South Wales set up a convent at Mount Barker, with a day school, a girls’ boarding school and a primary school, all called St Scholastica. By 1945 it had 46 day students and 64 boarders.
Source: stfrancis.catholic.edu.au
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between Cornerstone College and St Francis de Sales College?
Both are co-educational. Cornerstone College teaches 7-12 and St Francis de Sales College teaches R-12. Cornerstone College has 754 students and St Francis de Sales College has 1,047 (ACARA 2025).
Is Cornerstone College or St Francis de Sales College co-ed?
Both are co-educational.
Which is bigger, Cornerstone College or St Francis de Sales College?
St Francis de Sales College is bigger: 1,047 students against 754 (ACARA 2025).
How many students per teacher do Cornerstone College and St Francis de Sales College have?
Cornerstone College has 13.4 students per teacher and St Francis de Sales College has 15.3 (ACARA My School 2025: total enrolments divided by full-time-equivalent teaching staff).
Which is older, Cornerstone College or St Francis de Sales College?
St Francis de Sales College is older. Cornerstone College was founded in 1990 and St Francis de Sales College in 1902.
Do Cornerstone College and St Francis de Sales College take boarders?
Neither takes boarders.
How far apart are Cornerstone College and St Francis de Sales College?
About 1.4 km in a straight line: Cornerstone College is in Mount Barker and St Francis de Sales College is in Mount Barker.
How do Cornerstone College and St Francis de Sales College fees compare?
Each school publishes its own fee schedule. Members see both schedules year by year, the results each school reports and the total cost to Year 12. Always confirm current fees with the school.
Related comparisons
School profiles
Get the full picture: fees, ATAR results and cost to Year 12
Every year level’s fees from each school’s own schedule, the results each school publishes, and the total cost to Year 12, side by side.
Compare these schools in full →A$9.99 a year, cancel anytimeSecure payment by Stripe
Source and date
Enrolment, ICSEA, students per teacher and girls/boys: ACARA My School 2025. Other facts: each school’s website, checked 21 October 2026. Distance is a straight line between the schools’ map points, not travel distance. Check details with the schools before deciding. Methodology