Overview
How many students are studying for the HSC?
The HSC is the most popular high school credential in Australia with 77,163 students studying one or more HSC courses in 2016. Of these students, 69,350 are on track to complete their HSC this year, the highest number on record.
Total HSC students studying one or more courses
| Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 37,813 | 39,350 | 77,163 |
Where are students studying their courses?
The majority are studying for the HSC at schools in the Sydney metropolitan area. The others are studying in regional areas of NSW, and a small number outside NSW.
| Region* | Total students |
|---|---|
| Sydney | 48,540 |
| Regional NSW | 28,212 |
| Outside NSW | 411 |
| Total | 77,163 |
*ABS Statistical Area 4
View enrolments by region.
What courses are students studying?
Over 140 Board Developed HSC courses, covering a broad range of subjects, are available to meet students’ diverse needs.
This includes:
- 104 examinable courses
- 13 Industry Curriculum Frameworks (with examinations)
- 27 Life Skills courses for students with special education needs.
In addition, there are over 130 Board Endorsed courses available, including vocational courses for which students can also achieve an Australian Qualifications Framework credential, and courses designed by schools to meet local needs.
English
It is compulsory to study an English course for the HSC. 70,432 students are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC English courses:
- English Standard
- English Advanced
- English as a Second Language
- English Extension 1
- English Extension 2
- English Studies
- English Life Skills.
Maths
57,989 students are enrolled in at least one of the following HSC Maths courses:
Mathematics
- Mathematics Extension 1
- Mathematics Extension 2
- Mathematics General 2
- Mathematics General 1
- Mathematics Life Skills.
Science
35,290 students are enrolled in at least one for the following HSC Science courses:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Earth and Environmental Science
- Senior Science
- Science Life Skills.
Languages
6077 students are enrolled in at least one HSC Language course.VET
21,563 students are enrolled in at least one HSC Vocational Educational and Training (VET) course. Of these, 19,283 are enrolled in one or more of the VET Industry curriculum frameworks.Life Skills
1948 students are enrolled in at least one HSC Life Skills course.Subject |
Unique enrolments |
|---|---|
1. English |
70,432 |
2. Mathematics |
57,989 |
3. Biology |
18,010 |
4. Business Studies |
17,557 |
5. Personal Development, Health and Physical Education |
16,763 |
6. Studies of Religion |
15,511 |
7. Modern History |
10,978 |
8. Chemistry |
10,736 |
9. Legal Studies |
10,565 |
10. Ancient History |
10,112 |
11. Visual Arts |
9330 |
12. Physics |
9296 |
13. Community and Family Studies |
8353 |
14. Hospitality |
7595 |
15. Senior Science |
7486 |
| Language | Unique enrolments |
|---|---|
| 1. French | 1412 |
| 2. Japanese | 1368 |
| 3. Chinese | 908 |
| 4. Italian | 725 |
| 5. German | 362 |
| Framework | Unique enrolments |
|---|---|
| 1. Hospitality | 7595 |
| 2. Construction | 3393 |
| 3. Business Services | 2134 |
| 4. Retail Services | 1924 |
| 5. Entertainment Industry | 1187 |
Fun facts
Top 10 names
| Rank | First name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua | 749 |
| 2 | Emily | 724 |
| 3 | Jack | 707 |
| 4 | Matthew | 669 |
| 5 | James | 662 |
| 6 | Daniel | 640 |
| 7 | Thomas | 638 |
| 8 | Jessica | 632 |
| 9 | Lachlan | 623 |
| 10 | Nicholas | 557 |
| Rank | Family name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smith | 507 |
| 2 | Nguyen | 439 |
| 3 | Lee | 318 |
| 4 | Chen | 298 |
| 5 | Brown | 285 |
| 6 | Williams | 266 |
| 7 | Tran | 233 |
| 8 | Jones | 232 |
| 9 | Li | 229 |
| 10 | Wilson | 223 |
Multiple births
| Sets of twins | Sets of triplets | Sets of multiple births |
|---|---|---|
| 864 | 18 | 882 |
View enrolments by course.
View enrolments by region.
NSW Government