Rostrevor College vs Saint Ignatius' College
Rostrevor College (Woodforde) and Saint Ignatius' College (Athelstone) are both catholic schools in Adelaide. Rostrevor College is a boys’ school; Saint Ignatius' College is co-educational. Both teach R-12. Only Rostrevor College takes boarders. Rostrevor College has 985 students and Saint Ignatius' College has 1,421 (ACARA 2025). They are about 1150.1 km apart in a straight line.
Photos: Rostrevor College (school website) · Saint Ignatius' College: Photo: Ashton 29, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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 | Rostrevor College | Saint Ignatius' College |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb | Woodforde | Athelstone |
| Region | Adelaide - Central and Hills | Adelaide - Central and Hills |
| Sector | Catholic | Catholic |
| Students | Boys | Co-ed |
| Year levels | R-12 | R-12 |
| Religion | Catholic (Edmund Rice) | Catholic (Jesuit) |
| Boarding | Yes | No |
| Senior years | SACE | SACE |
| Facilities and sport (school site) | Gym, Oval, Boarding, Tennis courts, Australian rules football, Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Volleyball, Badminton, Water polo | Early learning centre, Science / STEM labs |
| Distance apart | About 1150.1 km in a straight line | |
Facts from ACARA (2025) and each school’s own website.
Which suits whom
- Families wanting a single-sex school for a son: Rostrevor College takes boys only.
- Families wanting a co-educational school: Saint Ignatius' College is co-ed.
- Families needing boarding: only Rostrevor College takes boarders.
- Families choosing by faith: Rostrevor College is Catholic (Edmund Rice); Saint Ignatius' College is Catholic (Jesuit).
- Size: Saint Ignatius' College is the larger school, with 436 more students.
- Smaller ratio: Saint Ignatius' College has fewer students per teacher (11.2 against 13.6, ACARA 2025).
- Listed by Rostrevor College but not Saint Ignatius' College: Gym, Oval, Boarding, Tennis courts, Australian rules football, Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Volleyball, Badminton and Water polo.
- Listed by Saint Ignatius' College but not Rostrevor College: Early learning centre and Science / STEM labs.
History
Rostrevor College
Rostrevor College was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1923 to take the overflow of boarders from Christian Brothers College in Wakefield Street. Under its first headmaster, Brother Purton, the first students arrived on 6 May 1923 and the boarders lived on the top floor of Rostrevor House, a mansion built in 1858.
Source: rostrevor.sa.edu.au
Saint Ignatius' College
Saint Ignatius’ opened on 13 February 1951 in Queen Street, Norwood, with 52 boys and six Jesuit fathers, after Archbishop Matthew Beovich encouraged more Catholic schooling in Adelaide. It is part of the worldwide network of Jesuit schools and is named for Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between Rostrevor College and Saint Ignatius' College?
Rostrevor College is a boys’ school; Saint Ignatius' College is co-educational. Both teach R-12. Only Rostrevor College takes boarders.
Is Rostrevor College or Saint Ignatius' College co-ed?
Rostrevor College is a boys’ school and Saint Ignatius' College is co-educational.
Which is bigger, Rostrevor College or Saint Ignatius' College?
Saint Ignatius' College is bigger: 1,421 students against 985 (ACARA 2025).
How many students per teacher do Rostrevor College and Saint Ignatius' College have?
Rostrevor College has 13.6 students per teacher and Saint Ignatius' College has 11.2 (ACARA My School 2025: total enrolments divided by full-time-equivalent teaching staff).
Which is older, Rostrevor College or Saint Ignatius' College?
Rostrevor College is older. Rostrevor College was founded in 1923 and Saint Ignatius' College in 1951.
Do Rostrevor College and Saint Ignatius' College take boarders?
Only Rostrevor College takes boarders.
How far apart are Rostrevor College and Saint Ignatius' College?
About 1150.1 km in a straight line: Rostrevor College is in Woodforde and Saint Ignatius' College is in Athelstone.
How do Rostrevor College and Saint Ignatius' 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.
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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