Entry for Mac.Rob, which is operated by the Victorian Department of Education, is by competitive academic examination.

Each year, up to 8,000 candidates sit the entrance examination for a total of approximately 960 places (across all four schools).

[3][a] The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School has a long tradition of academic excellence with Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) scores propelling the school to be ranked first in the State of Victoria for seven consecutive years from 2002 to 2008, inclusive.

Sybil Llewelyn was appointed as head in 1933 but she soon resigned due to illness,[7] In 1934, with the help of a donation from Macpherson Robertson, a new building was constructed the north-east corner of Albert Park Reserve.

[8] The school was used as United States Army Headquarters in 1942 and later by the Royal Australian Air Force.

She was always assessed as a high performer but she was paid less than her male peers even after she was finally recognised as a Principal in 1945.

Mac.Rob celebrated by inviting Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks to witness the restarting of the school clock tower (which did not in fact start when the time came).

[10] In 2019, a burglar broke into Lakeside building and flooded the bottom floor; students then needed to walk to neighbouring schools to study because of the lack of space.

In Year nine, students take core subjects including Maths, Foreign Language, English, Science, Physical Education and School Singing.

Students must also continue education of a foreign language either in school or as an external subject.