The Year 12 Outcomes 2012 report, featuring the grouped percentage overall position (OP) results of the state's 47,000 graduating Year 12 students, has been posted to the Queensland Studies Authority website, for the examination of parents.

Commenting on the results, Education Minister John Paul Langbroek said last year's year 12s had improved on the results of 2011 school graduates, calling the overall results encouraging.

The report reveals 86 per cent of the state's 47,181 year 12 graduates achieved a Queensland Certificate of Education, an increase of 2 per cent from 2011.

Twenty per cent of OP-eligible students received an OP (Overall Position) of 1–5, an additional 233 students on last year.

Of those schools Brisbane Grammar had the highest percentage achievement (54.91 per cent).

Private schools St Joseph's College (41.09 per cent), Brisbane Girls Grammar (40.5 per cent) and St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School (40 per cent) were among the other schools to make up the top five in terms of OP1-5 ranking percentage.

But all three posted a marginally lower result than the state's largest government school Brisbane State High (42.69 per cent, up from 40.33 in 2011).

Brisbane State High School principal Wade Haynes said plans had been put together over the past two years to improve year 11 and year 12 results.

"We actually sit down with the students and show them where they are tracking and what they need to do to improve," Mr Haynes said.

"And we basically build up a plan for each of them."

Queensland-wide; 19.69 per cent of students fell into the OP1-5 band, 29.21 per cent received an OP6 to 10; 30 per cent received an OP11 to 15; 18.15 per cent a OP16 to 20 and three per cent an OP 21-25.

In the Brisbane Metropolitan area, the highest proportions are slightly higher: 21 per cent of students received an OP1 to 5, while 28 per cent received an OP 6 to 10.

The results show improvements in standards outside of tertiary entrance.

More than 75 per cent of students at Brisbane Bayside State College, Albany Creek, Corinda and Forest Lake State High Schools were awarded a VET Certificate II or higher.

The results also show above state average performance at Brisbane's largest high schools.

More than 25 per cent or more of OP-eligible students at Craigslea, Indooroopilly, Kenmore and The Gap State High Schools and Kelvin Grove State College attained an OP 1-5.

However at some regional schools - Dysart State High (67 per cent) and Mackay State High School (78 per cent) - comparitively fewer OP eligible students are offered a university place.

Former Cavendish Road High School student, Hayley Sheahan, told how she concentrated on her soccer career after shifting from Cairns State High School.

While Minister Langbroek said the statewide results were encouraging, he did have a warning for parents.

He said mums and dads should be mindful there were variations between schools on a range of criteria and it was not valuable to rank schools.

“Queenslanders can see a breakdown of student achievements by OP (Overall Position) band and Vocational Educational Training qualification levels for each school,” Mr Langbroek said.

“People should also remember the results did not rank schools and were only one indicator of a school's success.”

Fairfax Media has pulled out a file of "better performing" schools and identified some schools where a low percentage of students receive a university offer.

Other results revealed in the report are 40 per cent of all Year 12 students attained a VET Certificate II, 66 per cent of students undertook a school based apprenticeship or traineeship (SAT) or were awarded a VET qualification - an increase of 2 per cent, and 368 students received an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) - an increase of 64 students.