Revealed: Full list of private school fees as costs almost hit $500k

Parents wanting to send their children to private school will need to budget up to half a million dollars as fees at Queensland’s most expensive elite schools surge. SEE THE FULL LIST

Parents hoping to send two children to Queensland’s most prestigious private school will need to budget almost half a million dollars for Year 5 to 12 alone, as school fees tip over $30,000 a year.

Brisbane Grammar School has increased its senior day student fees by 2.7 per cent to $29,000 a year for 2022, with their junior school fees up to $24,200 per year, with parents also required to pay a further $1250 compulsory technology fee.

The increase means if a parent was to send two children from Year 5 – assuming no further increase in fees – it would cost families at least $456,000.

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Brisbane Grammar School’s tuition fees are pushing $30,000 per year, making it the state’s most expensive school. Pic: Richard Walker

Neighbouring school Brisbane Girls Grammar School also upped its fees, charging parents an all-inclusive fee of $27,325, a 2.9 per cent or $770 higher than in 2021.

Six years of schooling at BGGS, assuming no further increases or discounts, would now cost parents $327,000 for two daughters.

But Queensland private school fees are still well below their counterparts in Sydney and Melbourne, with multiple top schools down south charging well in excess of $35,000 a year.

Edstart chief executive Jack Stevens said after many schools froze fees last year as a result of the pandemic, the trend had reversed for 2022.

“Talking to schools, many would love to be able to hold off increasing fees, but because of a combination of factors they just don’t have that choice, budget wise.

“Certainly this year we will see more standard increases such as we saw pre-Covid.”

Brisbane Girls Grammar School is the state’s most expensive girls’ school, with fees topping $27,000 per year. Photo: Supplied

Mr Stevens said more families were turning to services like Edstart, which allows families to pay their school fees weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, but many would still feel the pinch over the coming years.

“The days of paying a big lump sum for schools fees are disappearing,” he said.

“But it’s important to note the big expensive schools are not the norm – about 40 per cent of students will go to a fee-paying school for some part of their education, but most will not attend the elite school group.

Private schools have revealed their fee increases for 2022.

“The elite schools have always been expensive, and will continue to be expensive, but the average private school is about $10,000 per year.”

While the majority of Sunshine State private schools saw their fees rise between 2 and 4 per cent on 2021, Clayfield College saw their listed fees up more than 14 per cent.

But this rise was due to a change in their structure which means parents now pay a single, all-inclusive fee, rather than separate tuition fees and expenses.

Clayfield College’s new principal Dr Andrew Cousins says the school has changed to an all-inclusive fee structure in 2022. Pic: AAP Image/Claudia Baxter

New principal Dr Andrew Cousins said the College had undertaken the change to provide greater clarity for families about the cost of their child’s education.

“Our families are extremely supportive of this change as we move towards going coeducational Pre-Prep to Year 12 from 2023,” he said.

Without the change in fee structure, Clayfield’s total costs actually fell slightly, from $22,040 to $21,940 for Years 7 to 12.

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School principal Ros Curtis said the 2022 fees saw a very moderate increase in line with CPI, which she said would enable “appropriate reinvestment in the school’s facilities, and ensuring continued outstanding educational outcomes for our students”.

She also said St Margaret’s fees, which were up 3.2 per cent to $25,360 for 2022, were all-inclusive, without any additional levies for technology or camps.

Anglican Church Grammar School in East Brisbane saw fees rise 3.5 per cent. Pic: Steve Pohlner

The prestigious Anglican Church Grammar School saw fees rise 3.5 per cent to $24,784, with headmaster Dr Alan Campbell saying the variance was in-line with the school’s historical average, and followed a lower-than-average rise (2 per cent) last year.

“The school places a great deal of thought and care into setting fees, ever mindful of the significant commitment parents make to their children’s education,” he said.

“Entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, where families and schools continue to face many challenges, we are grateful for the faith parents place in us to keep delivering high quality teaching and educational programs.”

TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE SCHOOLS 2022

Brisbane Grammar School: $29,000

Brisbane Girls Grammar School: $27,325

Brisbane Boys’ College: $25,468

St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School: $25,360

Anglican Church Grammar School: $24,784

Somerville House: $24,660

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School: $22,890

Clayfield College**: $21,940

The Southport School: $21,564

St Hilda’s School: $20,587

Stuartholme School: $20,572

*fees based on Year 7

**changed from tuition only to all inclusive fee structure

~ some schools may charge addition levies