This report shows the 2008 top students in each HSC subject, along with their ranking as assigned by the NSW Education Standards Authority.
Rankings are calculated from student HSC marks in the subject, or, where this results in a tie, from the average of the students' examination and assessment marks.
Students must achieve a band 6 or band E4 result in the relevant subject to appear in this list.
The number of top achievers reported varies from 5 to 20, according to the number of candidates taking each subject.
| 1 | Aboriginal Studies | Stewart, Emma Rae | 1 | Kiama High School | Kiama |
| 2 | Aboriginal Studies | Pryjma, Teegan Michelle | 2 | Camden Haven High School Distance Education Centre | Laurieton |
| 3 | Aboriginal Studies | Reveleigh, Bro Charles | 3 | Sydney Distance Education High School | Woolloomooloo |
| 4 | Aboriginal Studies | Matthews, James | 4 | Hunter School of Performing Arts | Broadmeadow |
| 5 | Aboriginal Studies | Hall, Brooke | 5 | Hunter School of Performing Arts | Broadmeadow |
| 6 | Accounting | Khor, Amanda Wen Ying | 1 | Northern Sydney Institute Hornsby College | Hornsby |
| 7 | Accounting | Poon, Angela Yan | 2 | Northern Sydney Institute Hornsby College | Hornsby |
| 8 | Accounting | Tan, Cecilia | 2 | Sydney Institute St George College | Kogarah |
| 9 | Accounting | Treeves, Shane | 2 | OTEN Open Training and Education Network | Strathfield |
| 10 | Accounting | Ward, Shaun Luke | 2 | Northern Sydney Institute Meadowbank College | Meadowbank |
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| 11 | Accounting | Yeo, Jie Sheng | 2 | Northern Sydney Institute Meadowbank College | Meadowbank |
| 12 | Accounting | Yeong, Lin-Lee | 2 | Northern Sydney Institute Hornsby College | Hornsby |
| 13 | Agriculture | Halder, Aditi | 1 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 14 | Agriculture | Hanamshet, Ameya | 2 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 15 | Agriculture | Cheung, Simone Charmaine | 3 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 16 | Agriculture | Yeo, Lee-Anne | 4 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 17 | Agriculture | Guan, Ting-Ting | 5 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 18 | Agriculture | Jung, Jung Yoon Jessie | 6 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 19 | Agriculture | Berry, David Maxwell | 7 | St Marys Senior High School | St Marys |
| 20 | Agriculture | Lai, Jacqueline Van | 8 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 21 | Agriculture | Tjondro, Michelle | 9 | James Ruse Agricultural High School | Carlingford |
| 22 | Agriculture | Duong, Lisa Thanh | 10 | Hurlstone Agricultural High School | Glenfield |
| 23 | Ancient History | Craven, Timothy Robin | 1 | Canberra Grammar School | Red Hill, ACT |
| 24 | Ancient History | Wolfenden, Ellen Marie | 2 | Kambala | Rose Bay |
| 25 | Ancient History | Zafiropoulos, Constantina | 3 | MLC School | Burwood |
| 26 | Ancient History | Ofner, Dominic Francis | 4 | St Patricks College Strathfield | Strathfield |
| 27 | Ancient History | Lai, Daniela Elise | 5 | Kambala | Rose Bay |
| 28 | Ancient History | Al-Zaidi, Zahra | 6 | Bankstown Girls High School | Bankstown |
| 29 | Ancient History | Hedemann, Nicole | 7 | The Hills Grammar School | Kenthurst |
| 30 | Ancient History | Hall, Madeline | 8 | Presbyterian Ladies College Sydney | Croydon |
| 31 | Ancient History | Witchard, Alison Monique | 9 | Karabar High School Distance Education Centre | Queanbeyan |
| 32 | Ancient History | Grant, Flora Jane Ellen | 10 | Hornsby Girls High School | Hornsby |
| 33 | Ancient History | Reed, Anna Jane | 11 | Pymble Ladies College | Pymble |
| 34 | Ancient History | Guyot, Lucienne | 12 | SCEGGS Darlinghurst | Darlinghurst |
| 35 | Ancient History | Liu, Stephanie Rachel | 13 | Pymble Ladies College | Pymble |
| 36 | Ancient History | Potter, Anna | 14 | SCEGGS Darlinghurst | Darlinghurst |
| 37 | Ancient History | Franklin, Anneliese Hannah | 15 | Hunter Valley Grammar School | Ashtonfield |
| 38 | Ancient History | Solomon, Rosie Jean | 16 | Kambala | Rose Bay |
| 39 | Ancient History | Allen, Keeley | 17 | Menai High School | Menai |
| 40 | Ancient History | Benson, Lauren Michelle | 17 | South Sydney High School | Maroubra |
| 41 | Ancient History | Mai, Han | 17 | Casimir Catholic College | Marrickville |
| 42 | Ancient History | Smit, Amelia | 20 | The Illawarra Grammar School | Wollongong |
| 43 | Ancient History | Tan, Lucy | 20 | Sydney Girls High School | Surry Hills |
| 44 | Arabic Continuers | Kassoua, Heba | 1 | Secondary College of Languages Arthur Phillip Campus | Parramatta |
| 45 | Arabic Continuers | Bejjani, Lorayne | 2 | St Charbels College | Punchbowl |
| 46 | Arabic Continuers | Kastoun, Jessica Adele | 3 | Secondary College of Languages Arthur Phillip Campus | Parramatta |
| 47 | Arabic Continuers | Thamer, Zoha | 4 | Auburn Girls High School | Auburn |
| 48 | Arabic Continuers | Georges, Ghady | 5 | Our Lady of Lebanon College | Harris Park |
| 49 | Arabic Extension | Kassoua, Heba | 1 | Secondary College of Languages Arthur Phillip Campus | Parramatta |
| 50 | Arabic Extension | Najjar, Leila | 2 | St Charbels College | Punchbowl |