Is Melbourne High School a Good School? A Parent's Review

Is Melbourne High School a good school? Yes, it is a strong option for a high-achieving boy who wants a selective peer group and can get to South Yarra each day. It is boys only, so girls look at Mac.Rob, Nossal or Suzanne Cory instead, and for most families the real question is fit.

Want the exam details first? See the Melbourne High entrance exam page. Want the bigger picture? Start with our complete guide to selective entry schools in Melbourne.

Melbourne High at a glance

Melbourne High School at a glance

• Type: Government selective entry school, Years 9 to 12
• Gender: Boys only
• Location: Forrest Hill, South Yarra VIC 3141
• History: Roots go back to 1854; the Melbourne Continuation School opened in 1905, and the boys’ school has been at Forrest Hill since 1927 (per the school’s Our Story page)
• Main entry: Year 9, through the selective entry exam sat in Year 8
• Later entry: A minimum of 26 students at Year 10, and a small Arts and Humanities intake at Year 11. No Year 12 entry.
• Fees: No annual tuition fee. Voluntary contributions are requested.
• Who can apply: Australian or New Zealand citizens, or holders of a visa or ImmiCard that exempts them from International Student Fees

Is Melbourne High boys only?

Yes. The school describes itself as “an academic Selective Entry (Year 9-12) State Government school for boys only”.

If you have a daughter, she sits the same exam and can list the other selective schools:

• Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School is girls only. Read Is Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School a good school?
• Nossal High School in Berwick is co-ed. Read Is Nossal High School a good school?
• Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee is co-ed. Read Is Suzanne Cory High School a good school?

So families are never choosing between Melbourne High and Mac.Rob for the same child. The choice is usually between a single-sex selective school, a co-ed one, or a strong local school. For a side-by-side look at the two single-sex schools, see Melbourne High School review & Mac.Rob comparison.

Why do families rate Melbourne High?

A selective peer group. Most boys enter in Year 9 through the same selective entry exam, so your son learns alongside boys who enjoy being stretched. The school calls itself “Victoria’s leading government secondary boys’ school”. That is the school’s own phrase, not a ranking from us.

A public school with no tuition fee. Melbourne High is a government school. For families also weighing private boys’ schools, that can make a big difference.

More than one way in. Beyond the main Year 9 intake, there is a Year 10 intake and a Year 11 Arts and Humanities intake. A boy who misses out in Year 9 may have another chance.

Help for families under financial pressure. The school offers scholarships and bursaries, including some for students in financial need.

A motto that looks past results. The school’s own motto, shown on its enrolment page, is “More Than Just Marks”.

What are the honest caveats?

• A competitive setting is not for every boy. Being surrounded by strong students motivates some boys. Others find it stressful, especially if they are used to being top of the class. Think honestly about how your son handles that.
• The commute. For families outside the inner south-east, a daily trip to South Yarra can be long. Weigh the travel time against sleep, homework and the things your son loves doing.
• A change of school at Year 9. There is no Year 7 or Year 8 entry. Your son will start high school somewhere else and move after two years, leaving friends behind.
• Boys only. Some boys would rather be at a co-ed school. Nossal and Suzanne Cory are both co-ed selective options.

Does Melbourne High charge fees?

No annual tuition fee. In the school’s words, “As a government school, parents are not required to pay an annual tuition fee.”

The school does ask for voluntary contributions under its Parent Payment Policy, and these are paid through Compass. Details are on the school’s enrolment page.

Scholarships include:

• Lindsay Fox Scholarship: $3,000 a year for a commencing Year 9 student in severe financial need.
• Pratt Indigenous Scholarship: $3,000 a year for a commencing Year 9 or Year 10 student of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

The selective entry exam has its own application fee. See how much the Melbourne High entrance exam costs.

How hard is it to get into Melbourne High?

It is competitive. According to the school, about 1,500 students sitting the entrance exam list Melbourne High as their first preference.

Offers for Year 9 are made by rank, using this split:

• 85% of places by exam rank
• Up to 10% through the equity category
• Up to 5% at the principal’s discretion
• No more than 4% of places to students from any one source school

Neither the school nor the Department publishes a cut-off score or an acceptance rate. Any percentage you see online is an estimate, not an official figure. For a step-by-step plan, read how to get into Melbourne High School.

What are the ways into Melbourne High?

Year 9

Most boys start in Year 9. They sit the Victorian selective entry exam in Year 8, through a centralised process for all four selective schools. ACER runs the exam, and the school has no control over it.

• The exam for 2027 entry was held on Saturday 20 June 2026.
• Applications for Year 9 entry in 2028 open in March 2027.
• The 2027 exam date has not been announced. Expect June 2027.

The exam has three parts:

• Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning: 60 minutes
• Reading and Verbal Reasoning: 55 minutes
• Writing: 40 minutes

Year 10

Melbourne High takes a minimum of 26 students into Year 10. Selection has several parts:

1. Sit the EduTest Academic Assessment Test (in 2026 it was held on Monday 15 June).
2. Submit an application form with a handwritten personal statement and responses to the selection criteria.
3. Provide recent school reports and evidence of co-curricular involvement.
4. Attend an interview, if shortlisted.

The 4% rule and Principal’s Discretion do not apply at Year 10.

Year 11

There is a small Arts and Humanities intake at Year 11 for a two-year VCE arts and humanities course. There is no entry at Year 12.

For dates, exam format and what to expect, see the Melbourne High entrance exam page.

How should your son prepare for the exam?

Practise the exam’s skill areas under timed conditions, so the real day feels familiar. EduSpark has 120 VIC Selective Entry papers, with one free paper per subject and no card needed. You can also try 5 sample questions without signing up.

Writing needs its own practice, because we don’t mark writing.

If you want more papers later, full access is $149 for all four subjects plus full-length mocks, or $59 for one subject. It is a one-time payment for 12 months, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. See pricing or the VIC selective entry overview.

Get your free VIC Selective Entry paper

Bottom line: Melbourne High is a strong choice for a boy who wants a selective, boys-only school and can manage the trip to South Yarra. Choose it because it fits your son, not because of a ranking table.

Sources

• Melbourne High School, Enrol
• Melbourne High School, Our Story
• Victorian Government, Selective entry high schools
• ACER, Prepare for the Victorian selective entry exam

EduSpark is not affiliated with Melbourne High School, ACER or the Victorian Department of Education.