Somerset College vs The Southport School
Somerset College (Mudgeeraba) and The Southport School (Southport) are both independent schools on the Gold Coast. Somerset College is co-educational; The Southport School is a boys’ school. Both teach P-12. Only The Southport School takes boarders. Somerset College has 1,612 students and The Southport School has 1,621 (ACARA 2025). They are about 12.6 km apart in a straight line.
Photos: Somerset College (school website) · The Southport School (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.
Compare these schools in full →A$9.99 a year, cancel anytimeSecure payment by Stripe
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 | Somerset College | The Southport School |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb | Mudgeeraba | Southport |
| Region | Mudgeeraba - Tallebudgera | Southport |
| Sector | Independent | Independent |
| Students | Co-ed | Boys |
| Year levels | P-12 | P-12 |
| Religion | No religious affiliation stated | Anglican |
| Boarding | No | Yes |
| Senior years | QCE | QCE |
| Facilities and sport (school site) | Swimming pool, Gym, Indoor sports centre, Theatre / performing arts centre, Early learning centre, Library, Science / STEM labs, Australian rules football, Netball, Basketball, Rowing, Swimming, Athletics, Tennis, Hockey, Volleyball | Swimming pool, Gym, Music centre, Boarding, Early learning centre, Australian rules football, Soccer, Cricket, Basketball, Rowing, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball |
| Distance apart | About 12.6 km in a straight line | |
Facts from ACARA (2025) and each school’s own website.
Which suits whom
- Families wanting a co-educational school: Somerset College is co-ed.
- Families wanting a single-sex school for a son: The Southport School takes boys only.
- Families needing boarding: only The Southport School takes boarders.
- Families choosing by faith: Somerset College is No religious affiliation stated; The Southport School is Anglican.
- Location: Somerset College is in Mudgeeraba (Mudgeeraba - Tallebudgera); The Southport School is in Southport (Southport).
- Smaller ratio: The Southport School has fewer students per teacher (10.9 against 14.7, ACARA 2025).
- Listed by Somerset College but not The Southport School: Indoor sports centre, Theatre / performing arts centre, Library, Science / STEM labs, Netball, Athletics and Hockey.
- Listed by The Southport School but not Somerset College: Music centre, Boarding, Soccer and Cricket.
History
Somerset College
Somerset College opened on 27 January 1983 with 158 students in Years 1 to 8 and reached 248 by the end of its first year. Its first Year 12 class graduated in 1987.
Source: somerset.qld.edu.au
The Southport School
The Southport School was founded in 1901 by the Reverend Horace Dixon and has grown into a large Anglican school for boys, with a preschool and preparatory school as well as its senior campus at Southport.
Source: tss.qld.edu.au
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between Somerset College and The Southport School?
Somerset College is co-educational; The Southport School is a boys’ school. Both teach P-12. Only The Southport School takes boarders.
Is Somerset College or The Southport School co-ed?
Somerset College is co-educational and The Southport School is a boys’ school.
Which is bigger, Somerset College or The Southport School?
The Southport School is bigger: 1,621 students against 1,612 (ACARA 2025).
How many students per teacher do Somerset College and The Southport School have?
Somerset College has 14.7 students per teacher and The Southport School has 10.9 (ACARA My School 2025: total enrolments divided by full-time-equivalent teaching staff).
Which is older, Somerset College or The Southport School?
The Southport School is older. Somerset College was founded in 1983 and The Southport School in 1901.
Do Somerset College and The Southport School take boarders?
Only The Southport School takes boarders.
How far apart are Somerset College and The Southport School?
About 12.6 km in a straight line: Somerset College is in Mudgeeraba and The Southport School is in Southport.
How do Somerset College and The Southport School 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