What your school earns: The richest – and poorest – schools in Adelaide and South Australia

The state’s wealthiest colleges are raking in up to 100 times more than some small, cash-strapped rural schools, new data reveals. So how does your school compare?

Nazareth Catholic College has experienced strong growth due to a surge in enrolment. Principal Andrew Baker is pictured with year 11 students Sahana, Dion and Alexia Snowdon who’ll move into a brand new senior campus in Kidman Park in Term 3. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The state’s wealthiest inner-city colleges are raking in up to 100 times more than some small, cash-strapped rural schools, new data reveals.

All-boys’ St Peter’s College, which charges $29,450 in year 12 and spans across 32ha of “magnificent grounds” on the edge of the Adelaide CBD, boasts a five-year gross income of almost a quarter of a billion dollars.

In contrast, at public Port Neill Primary School, on the eastern side of the Eyre Peninsula, the corresponding gross income is just over $2.5 million.

An independent analysis of school financial records from the MySchool website reveals huge disparities in school coffers across the state.

The figures include all fees, charges and parental contributions, as well as state and federal government funding and any other private sources.

The state’s 15 top-earning schools in the five years from 2017 include independent, Catholic and public schools.

But total income tells only part of the story. Nazareth Catholic College in Adelaide’s west, for example, sits sixth overall with a five-year gross income of $172,608,378, reflecting a 35 per cent growth from 2017 to 2021.

But its per-student income in 2021 of $18,544 was only around half that of independent schools St Peter’s College at $36,456, Scotch College $36,497 and Prince Alfred College $35,134. And tiny public Port Neill Primary, which had 16 students last year, had per student income outstripping them all at $49,310.

There are huge discrepancies both between and within every category of school. Some public high schools, for example, run on $14,000 per student, others on $23,000, depending on their needs.

Nazareth, which charges $7500 in year 12, is readying to open a new, purpose-built campus at Kidman Park for its year 10, 11 and 12 students in just a few weeks, when Term 3 starts.

Principal Andrew Baker says the healthy figures reflect his school’s enrolment growth.

He said there had been no increase in school fees in the past three years.

“Demand for a Nazareth education continues to be unprecedented, with an additional 400-plus students enrolled across our senior years in the past five years,” Mr Baker said.

“Families continue to seek the strong community and educational pathways that Nazareth provides, at a price point that is affordable and accessible.

“Our increase in income can be directly correlated to our increase in enrolments.”

Nazareth Catholic College year 11 students Sahana, Dion and Alexia Snowdon inside their school’s soon-to-be-opened ‘integrated, innovative and collaborative learning space’ at the school’s new Kidman Park campus. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“The new Kidman Park campus is an exciting expansion.

“(It will offer) integrated, innovative and collaborative learning spaces, enabling us to continue to deliver curriculum and create community in a modern and ever-changing context.”

Westminster School at Marion, which charges $25,564 in year 12, and Scotch College at Torrens Park, which charges $28,960, sit in fifth and eighth spots respectively.

Each of the independent coeducational schools has recently invested heavily in new infrastructure, with Westminster unveiling a $40m redevelopment and Scotch opening a $27m state-of-the-art gym and wellbeing centre.

Two big northern suburbs public high schools also feature in the 15 highest earning schools over the five-year period.

At tenh spot is Roma Mitchell Secondary College at Gepps Cross ($154,046,066) and sitting at 12th is Mark Oliphant College at Munno Para ($142,562,044).

Catholic Education South Australia director Dr Neil McGoran cautioned that statistics told just part of the story.

“Ranking schools by income is unhelpful and misleading … complex formulas are applied to (determine) school funding,” he said.

Education Department chief executive Martin Westwell added many variables were considered to ensure schools were appropriately funded, including the number of students and student needs.

“With regard to the student enrolments, the two government schools … Mark Oliphant College (B-12) and Roma Mitchell Secondary College are among the state’s largest government schools and as a result, will generate a greater level of income than other schools of lesser enrolments,” Professor Westwell said.

The analysis does not include any deductions for capital works or debt servicing.

Nor does it include special schools or schools that did not have complete financial data on the federal MySchool website for one or more of the five years.

SA school income statistics snapshot

IN contrast to a school’s gross income, the highest gross income per student is skewed to schools in the most remote areas of the state, including Marree Aboriginal School in the state’s north ($145,657), Oodnadatta Aboriginal School ($137,442), Woomera Area School ($101,257) and Oak Valley Anangu School, on the edge of the Great Victorian Desert ($99,405).

THIS compares to figures at metropolitan public schools of $13,901 per student at Heathfield Primary School and $13,147 at Magill Primary School.

SCOTCH College’s Torrens Park Campus boasts the highest gross income per student at $36,497, with all-boys’ St Peter’s College a close second at $36,456.

INDEPENDENT Playford College at Elizabeth has seen the biggest growth in income between 2017 and 2021, with a rise of 465.4%, followed by IQRA College O’Halloran Hill at 387.9%, Annesley College, an independent primary school at Wayville, 272.4%, Saint Spyridon College, an independent primary school at Unley, 229.1% and Seaview Christian College at Port Augusta, 140.5%.

SCHOOLS to see a drop-off in gross income in the five years from 2017 to 2021 include Glossop Community School (-42.2%), Scott Creek Primary School (-24.2%) and Concordia College – St Peters Campus, Blackwood (-22.5%)

SA’s 15 richest schools

1. St Peter’s College, St Peters, charges $29,450 in year 12: $245,487,311

2. Pembroke School, Kensington Park, charges $29,418 in year 12: $237,515,274

3. Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, charges $10,740 in year 12: $190,450,083

4. St Michael’s College, Henley Beach, charges $10,741 in year 12: $175,839,812

5. Westminster School, Marion, charges $25,564 in year 12: $173,682,642

6. Nazareth Catholic College, Findon Campus, charges $7500 in year 12: $172,608,378

7. Prince Alfred College, Kent Town, charges $29,190 in year 12: $170,485,155

8. Scotch College, Torrens Park Campus, charges $28,960 in year 12: $168,519,507

9. Saint Ignatius’ College, senior school campus, Athelstone, charges $19,274 in year 12: $164,596,540

10. Roma Mitchell Secondary College, Gepps Cross, charges a “materials and services charge” of $505 in year 12: $154,046,066

11. Mercedes College, Springfield, charges $18,020 in year 12: $147,244,785

12. Mark Oliphant College (B-12), Munno Para West, charges a “materials and services charge” of $355 in year 12: $142,562,044

13. Concordia College, Highgate, charges $17,150 in year 12: $140,038,162

14. Tyndale Christian School, Salisbury East, charges $9320 in year 12: $138,868,400

15. Trinity College North, Evanston South, charges $7060 in year 12: $133,232,682

* Gross income over five years

SA’s 10 lowest-income schools

1. Port Neill Primary School, Port Neill: $2,509,006

2. Robertstown Primary School, Robertstown: $2,657,425

3. Booborowie Primary School, Booborowie: $3,256,028

4. Tarlee Primary School, Tarlee: $3,353,629

5. Kalangadoo Primary School, Kalangadoo: $3,423,376

6. Raukkan Aboriginal School, Raukkan: $3,512,738

7. Melrose Primary School, Melrose: $3,699,085

8. Rendelsham Primary School, Rendelsham: $3,714,638

9. Manoora Primary School, Manoora: $3,716,388

10. Keyneton Primary School, Keyneton: $3,721,715

* Gross income over five years