By AIDAN KNIGHT
LATROBE Valley students received their VCE results last Thursday (December 11) at 7am, joining a record-breaking graduating class across Victoria.
A total of 65,586 students will finish the Victorian Certificate of Education in 2025 – an increase of 3500 on last year.
Acting Education Minister, Lizzie Blandthorn congratulated the “commitment and dedication” shown by students statewide.
Lowanna College Newborough saw its best scores come from biology, general mathematics and psychology, while Trafalgar High School had English and math (general and methods) topping their stats.
This year’s cohort also includes more than 9700 students statewide who completed the Vocational Major, up from 8290 in 2024, reflecting the growing appetite for applied learning pathways.
More than 15,300 students across Victoria earned at least one study score of 40 or above, while a record 664 students achieved a perfect study score of 50.
Locally, St Paul’s Anglican Grammar reported an outstanding cohort, with a dux ATAR above 99. Around 15 per cent of the school’s students scored above 90, and 35 per cent scored above 80, with multiple perfect study scores across STEM, humanities, arts and VET subjects.
Lowanna College’s dux achieved an ATAR above 95, with top marks in English, General Mathematics, Biology, Legal Studies and Psychology, while Gippsland Grammar celebrated a dux ATAR above 97 and a median ATAR of 72.7, higher than the state average.
About 30 per cent of Gippsland Grammar’s students scored above 80, including several Year 11 students with perfect scores in subjects such as Biology and Applied Computing.
Across these schools, graduates are moving onto university, TAFE, trade pathways and competitive interstate or international programs. Some of the highest-scoring students outside the Valley came from Mazenod College, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Oakleigh Grammar, Northside Christian College, and Casey Grammar.
Across the state, the VCE completion rate remains steady at 97.3 per cent, with 3473 students awarded the VCE Baccalaureate for completing advanced maths and language sequences.
Local principals say this year’s results reflect the resilience and adaptability of students who have completed their schooling in a rapidly changing post-COVID education environment.
Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority Chief Executive, Andrew Smith said the organisation was proud to help celebrate the achievements of every student who received results on the day.
Associate Professor Glen Hosking of Latrobe University warns students: “It’s important not to let disappointing VCE results define you. An ATAR is just a number – a reflection of performance on specific assessments, not a measure of your worth, identity or future success.”
“If your result isn’t what you hoped for, remind yourself that your ATAR is not your identity. It is also important to practice self-care, seek support from those around you and try to limit comparisons with others – especially on social media.”
