Loreto College vs Mary MacKillop College
Loreto College (Marryatville) and Mary MacKillop College (Kensington) are both catholic schools in Adelaide. Both are a girls’ school. Loreto College teaches R-12 and Mary MacKillop College teaches 7-12. Only Loreto College takes boarders. Loreto College has 717 students and Mary MacKillop College has 291 (ACARA 2025). They are about 0.7 km apart in a straight line.
Photos: Loreto College: Photo: Orderinchaos, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Mary MacKillop 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 | Loreto College | Mary MacKillop College |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb | Marryatville | Kensington |
| Region | Adelaide - Central and Hills | Adelaide - Central and Hills |
| Sector | Catholic | Catholic |
| Students | Girls | Girls |
| Year levels | R-12 | 7-12 |
| Religion | Catholic (Loreto) | Catholic (Josephite) |
| Boarding | Yes | No |
| Senior years | SACE | SACE (VET options) |
| Facilities and sport (school site) | Gym, Theatre / performing arts centre, Music centre, Boarding, Early learning centre, Library, Science / STEM labs, Tennis courts, Australian rules football, Soccer, Netball, Basketball, Rowing, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Hockey, Volleyball, Badminton, Water polo | Gym, Theatre / performing arts centre, Music centre, Library, Science / STEM labs, Australian rules football, Soccer, Netball, Basketball, Athletics, Tennis, Volleyball, Badminton |
| Distance apart | About 0.7 km in a straight line | |
Facts from ACARA (2025) and each school’s own website.
Which suits whom
- Families needing boarding: only Loreto College takes boarders.
- Families choosing by faith: Loreto College is Catholic (Loreto); Mary MacKillop College is Catholic (Josephite).
- Size: Loreto College is the larger school, with 426 more students.
- Listed by Loreto College but not Mary MacKillop College: Boarding, Early learning centre, Tennis courts, Rowing, Swimming, Hockey and Water polo.
History
Loreto College
Loreto in Adelaide began in 1905, when sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) opened a convent school in a small house on Sydenham Road, Norwood, with five students. Two years later it moved to a larger house on The Parade, and in 1921 it settled at “The Acacias”, a 5.25-acre property in Marryatville, where the ballroom became the junior school and the boarders slept upstairs.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Mary MacKillop College
Mary MacKillop lived and worked at Kensington for many years and opened the first Josephite school there in 1872. The college itself began in 1944, during the Second World War, when the Sisters of St Joseph brought together the secondary girls from their parish schools in Queen Street, Norwood.
Source: marymackillop.sa.edu.au
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between Loreto College and Mary MacKillop College?
Both are a girls’ school. Loreto College teaches R-12 and Mary MacKillop College teaches 7-12. Only Loreto College takes boarders.
Is Loreto College or Mary MacKillop College co-ed?
Both are a girls’ school.
Which is bigger, Loreto College or Mary MacKillop College?
Loreto College is bigger: 717 students against 291 (ACARA 2025).
How many students per teacher do Loreto College and Mary MacKillop College have?
Loreto College has 10.9 students per teacher and Mary MacKillop College has 10.8 (ACARA My School 2025: total enrolments divided by full-time-equivalent teaching staff).
Which is older, Loreto College or Mary MacKillop College?
Loreto College is older. Loreto College was founded in 1905 and Mary MacKillop College in 1944.
Do Loreto College and Mary MacKillop College take boarders?
Only Loreto College takes boarders.
How far apart are Loreto College and Mary MacKillop College?
About 0.7 km in a straight line: Loreto College is in Marryatville and Mary MacKillop College is in Kensington.
How do Loreto College and Mary MacKillop 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.
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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