Tasmania’s most overcrowded government school will cap enrolments in some subjects after student numbers climbed well beyond capacity.
Hobart College, a Year 11 and 12 college at Mount Nelson in the state’s south, recorded 1,459 students at the start of 2026.
That equates to 1,414.6 full-time students against an estimated capacity of 1,200, putting the college 17.9% over capacity.
Estimates figures prepared by the Department for Education, Children and Young People and released under Right to Information laws show Hobart College is more crowded than any other government school in the state.
To accommodate the growing student population, the department installed four modular classrooms at the start of the year to provide extra learning space.
Traffic and parking upgrades were also completed to handle the increase in vehicles entering the site.
A department spokesperson said enrolments had been climbing.
“Student enrolments at Hobart College have been growing in recent years and work is underway to help manage the increasing demand,” they told Pulse.
The department is now developing an enrolment management plan for the college and has brought in timetabling experts.
The spokesperson said the plan would involve “managing enrolments in some subjects and making adjustments to the timetable”.
“Work is underway to keep the wider community informed about the college’s capacity and the steps being taken to manage it,” they said.
Hobart College is not the only school running out of room.
Franklin Primary School is also over capacity and will cap its kindergarten intake at 80% of capacity.
Perth Primary and Bagdad Primary schools are close behind and have stopped accepting out-of-area enrolments for the year.
The figures show most of the state’s other senior secondary colleges still have room to spare, with Launceston College at 85.9% capacity and Rosny College, on Hobart’s eastern shore, at 81.2%.
