Queensland’s best boarding schools: What you pay and what you get
There are almost 50 boarding schools across Queensland, with our exclusive analysis revealing the amazing perks offered at some of the state’s top educating facilities and what it will cost to send your kids there. See the list.
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From Nerf wars after class, the option to bring your own horse to school and having a 300-acre boarders’ backyard to multimillion-dollar refurbishments, Queensland’s top boarding schools have found unique ways to offer bang for the parents’ buck.
Among the several Sunshine State schools to showcase major refurbishments in recent years, Brisbane Grammar School in Spring Hill recently completed a $5 million redevelopment of its boarding facilities to provide individual, modern rooms for boys in Years 5-12.
Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) also recently refurbished its Gerald House and Goodwin House, including improvements to common and recreational areas, increased privacy in residential wings, as well as larger beds for senior boys.
Rockhampton Grammar School has also undergone a major refurbishment of its girls boarding facilities over the past 18 months. They included redesigning bedrooms, full refurbishments of the bathroom and laundry areas.
Meanwhile, St Brendan’s College in Yeppoon on the central coast offers a sprawling 300-acre campus, and All Souls & St Gabriels School in Charters Towers in the state’s north has a spacious 45 hectares and allows students to bring their own horse to school.
But it’s not just onsite dormitories where Queensland boarding students live, John Paul College in Logan offers homestay accommodation as well as boarding house rooms.
While
St John’s Anglican College in Forest Lake in Brisbane offers only homestay accommodation.
In Toowoomba, The Glennie School offers boarders giant board games, Nerf wars, and the chance to learn basic car mechanics.
There are almost 50 boarding schools across the state. The Courier-Mail analysed each based on their annual tuition and annual boarding fees for both domestic and international students, their facilities, extra-curricular activities offered, awards won, and recent improvements.
Below is a selection of the best offerings, in no particular order.
Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie), East Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7–12: $27,016
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7–12: $26,840
International Tuition:
Years 7-10: $44,143
Years 11-12: $43,013
International Boarding:
Years 7-10: $37,902
Years 11-12: $39,084
Churchie’s boarding houses – Gerald House and Goodwin House – have been recently refurbished, including improvements to common and recreational areas, increased privacy in residential wings, as well as larger beds for senior boys and room for a small fridge.
Individual rooms are provided to all boarders.
Visits and excursions to the cultural complex, theatres, cinemas, sporting events and theme parks all feature in a vibrant recreational program.
Brisbane Boys’ College, Toowong, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7–12: $27,380
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7–12: $30,196
International Tuition:
Years 7–12: $44,238
International Boarding:
Years 7–12: $35,068
Since 1909 boarding has been a major part of BBC and the college accommodates up to 150 students from Years 7 to 12 today. Boarders enjoy a recreational, cultural and wellbeing program, as well as support in their academic development through year-level or subject-specific tutorials and compulsory nightly supervised prep.
Outside of the classroom, boarders enjoy liberal access to ovals, tennis courts, library, multi-games courts, weights area, swimming pool and music facilities.
Brisbane Grammar School, Spring Hill
Domestic Tuition:
Years 5-6: $25,300
Years 7-12: $30,320
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-6: $23,840
Years 7-12: $29,780
International Tuition:
Years 5-6: $32,020
Years 7-12: $39,480
International Boarding:
Years 5-6: $22,800
Years 7-12: $28,500
BGS Boarding has undergone a $5 million redevelopment to provide individual, modern rooms for each boy in Years 5 to 8 (Griffith House) and Years 9 to 12 (Harlin House). Griffith House provides boys in Years 5 to 8 with a private space.
Harlin House is home to boys in Years 9 to 12 and offers individual rooms with a space to recharge.
The school recognises teenage boys need wholesome food, physical activity, relaxation time and adequate sleep. The school also offers academic enrichment programs.
Ipswich Grammar School
Domestic Tuition:
Year 7: $12,960
Year 8: $17,000
Years 9-11: $18,960
Year 12: $18,960
Domestic Boarding:
Year 7: $21,900
Year 8: $21,900
Years 9-11: $21,900
Year 12: $21,900
International Tuition:
Year 7: $34,920
Year 8: $38,960
Years 9-11: $40,920
Year 12: $40,920
International Boarding:
Year 7: $21,900
Year 8: $21,900
Years 9-11: $21,900
Year 12: $21,900
Ipswich Grammar School offers full boarding, weekly boarding and selective overnight/evening stays for boys from Year 7 to Year 12.
Weekends are busy with supervised and structured activities such as beach trips, and theme parks visits, in addition to onsite facilities such as pool, weights room, gym, and spacious grounds.
There is also Broxy – the school’s boarding dog.
Marist College Ashgrove, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-10: $12,660
Years 11-12: $14,330
Domestic Boarding:
Full Boarding: $22,810
Weekly Boarding: $19,560
International Tuition:
Years 7-10: $31,364
Years 11-12: $34,608
International Boarding:
Years 7-12: $22,810
All students have their own individual study/bed space with a lockable cupboard for each.
All five boarding houses have large screen TVs, pool and table tennis tables, and recreation areas.
A kitchenette is provided in each residence for the preparation of supper and snacks.
Activities include beach trips, movies, ice skating, dances, river cruises, fishing and Laser Skirmish.
Boarders can also secure their boat licence, scuba diving certification, or join the technical crew who manage the operation of the theatre.
St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-12: $5080
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-12: $18,870
International Tuition (2022):
Years 7-12: $24,185
International Boarding (2022):
Years 7-12: $17,640
A sprawling 300 acre-campus located minutes from Yeppoon Town Centre and the Capricorn Coast’s beaches, and a short half an hour drive from Rockhampton.
The college has four boarding residences – all have kitchenettes and barbecues. Boarders are educated in basic home care skills like bed-making and room cleanliness, and are responsible for various house duties.
Academic support includes individual and group areas for study and lesson preparation. Weekends include a BBQ dinner on Saturday, and roast dinner on Sunday.
St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Boondall, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 5-6: $14,550
Years 7-12: $17,120
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-6: $18,930
Years 7-12: $23,280
International Tuition:
Years 5-12: $32,040
International Boarding:
Years 5-12: $23,280
The Bathersby Boarding Village, completed in 2015, provides individual rooms and the larger boarding house contains open common rooms.
A large courtyard sits at the centre of the facility. Boarders are part of an academic tutoring program with teachers across a range of subjects assisting boys. The health centre is staffed by nurses 24/7, with doctors, dentists, podiatrists and physiotherapists on call.
Boarding also has its own fully-equipped industrial kitchen and dining room.
The weekends feature trips to theme parks or sporting matches, cinema or shopping centre visits, laser skirmish, hiking, and beach outings.
The Southport School, Southport, Gold Coast
Domestic Tuition:
Year 7: $21,306
Year 8: $22,648
Year 9: $23,993
Years 10-11: $24,867
Year 12: $24,869
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-11: $21,766
Year 12: $21,765
International Tuition:
Years 7-10: $36,592
Years 11-12: $37,871
International Boarding:
Years 7-12: $27,649
All five boarding houses have been refurbished in the past five years.
Each is equipped with recreation areas which include pool tables, table tennis tables and televisions with cable. Kitchen facilities include toasters, fridges and microwaves.
Students in Years 8-10 have dormitory-style accommodation with their own private study area. Students in Years 11 and 12 have their own private room.
Weekend activities include Sunday Surf bus, Pacific Fair excursions, outdoor movie nights, golf driving range, surfing and stand up paddle boarding lessons, fishing, visits to local theme parks, as well as disco nights with St Hilda’s School.
Toowoomba Grammar School
Domestic Tuition:
Year 5: $12,380
Year 6: $15,450
Years 7-10: $17,950
Year 11: $18,270
Year 12: $18,270
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-12: $25,110
International Tuition:
Years 5-6: $33,760
Years 7-12: $34,585
International Boarding:
Years 5-12: $25,110
One of the largest and established boys’ boarding schools in the country, with boarding dating back to 1877.
Each boy has his own private space which includes bed, desk and wardrobe. Each boarding house has its own common areas, kitchenettes, shared bathrooms, and rooms.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served in the Centenary Dining Hall.
The on-site health centre operates 24 hours a day. Specialists, such as physiotherapists and doctors, visit regularly.
Weekend excursions include ten-pin bowling, laser skirmish, movies, day trips to the beach, theme parks or rugby matches at Suncorp Stadium.
All Souls & St Gabriels School, Richmond Hill, Charters Towers
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $4000
Year 7: $9060
Year 8: $9060
Year 9: $9780
Years 10-12: $10,080
Domestic Boarding:
Years 6-8: $14,500
Years 9-12: $15,500
International Tuition:
Year 6: $19,500
Years 7-8: $28,500
Year 9: $29,200
Years 10-12: $29,500
International Boarding:
Year 6: $34,000
Years 7-8: $43,000
Year 9: $44,700
Years 10-12: $45,000
A spacious 45-hectare environment for boarders with boys’ and girls’ dormitories at opposite ends of the campus. Around 240 students, staff and their families live on-campus.
There are registered nurses with a 12-bed sickbay, and a doctor on-site weekday mornings. Teachers supervise homework periods. Dormitories are airconditioned and each student has their own study area with a desk.
Extensive weekend and after-school recreation and sports programs. Students may bring their own horse to school.
John Paul College, Daisy Hill, Logan
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-12: $15,480
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-12: $21,500
Domestic Homestay:
Years 7-12: $18,600
International Tuition:
Years 7-12: $27,600
International Boarding:
Years 7-12: $21,500
International Homestay:
Years 7-12: $18,600
JPC opened its boarding village in 2015 and was the first to offer a unique experience, housing all boarders in a village-style environment.
Fenton Village is nestled into native bushland, adjacent to the main college campus and boarders are housed in villa accommodation which accommodates eight students in twin share rooms with ensuites.
Alternatively, the college has its own homestay operation with families, often of past or present JPC students, acting as homestay parents.
The College Homestay Program is open to students in Years 7-12.
St John’s Anglican College, Forest Lake, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $9,356
Year 7: $11,564
Years 8-9: $12,844
Years 10-12: $13,620
Domestic Homestay:
Year 6-12: $16,952
International Tuition:
Year 6: $22,812
Years 7-10: $26,600
Years 11-12: $26,600
International Homestay:
Year 6-12: $15,322
The college is located in Forest Lake, in the greater western corridor of Brisbane.
It consists of two separate campuses minutes apart and connected by shuttle buses. Facilities include sporting fields, International College, Performing Arts Centre with 750-seat auditorium, sports centre, and STEM Institute Design Centre.
St John’s offers private boarding with established and trusted homestay families. The program offers weekly or term-time private boarding with homestay families for Years 6-12.
The college ensures every homestay provides students with their own room with desk and wardrobe, and live within 30 minutes of the campus.
St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $18,244
Year 7: $20,356
Years 8-9: $21,432
Years 10-12: $21,496
Domestic Boarding:
Years 6-12: $26,540
International Tuition & Overseas Student Levy:
Year 6: $32,614
Year 7: $42,676
Years 8-10: $43,752
Years 11-12: $43,816
International Boarding:
Years 6-12: $26,540
St Peters began as a coeducational boarding school in 1945.
When the college first opened there were just 56 boarding students, today that figure exceeds 150.
The dormitories and bathrooms in the boys and girls boarding houses have undergone recent renovation. There are four boarding houses – two male and two female.
All boarders are required to undertake supervised study time from Monday to Friday, and on Sunday afternoons.
External activities include trips to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, excursions to matches at Suncorp Stadium or The Gabba, movie nights, and trips to the beach, BOUNCE or minigolf.
The Cathedral School, Townsville
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-9: $12,450
Years 10-12: $13,300
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-12: $20,600
International Tuition:
Years 7-9: $30,150
Years 10-12: $30,150
International Boarding:
Years 7-12: $20,600
Boarders live in dormitories featuring their own desk and lockable storage.
Year 11 and 12 students have private rooms while younger boarders share with one to four other students.
The school has invested eight million dollars on extensions and refurbishments to both the boys’ and girls’ dormitories in recent years.
Many students participate in a wide variety of sports, as well as Defence Force Cadets. Other activities include trips to The Strand, Crystal Creek, roller skating, dances, Zumba, shopping, or sport matches.
Rockhampton Grammar School
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $8,748
Years 7-11: $12,200
Year 12: $12,200
Domestic Boarding:
Years 6-11: $20,924
Year 12: $20,924
International Tuition:
Year 6: $27,658
Years 7-10: $31,122
Years 11-12: $31,122
International Boarding:
Years 6-12: $20,924
The private school promotes itself as Queensland’s largest independent boarding school and the second largest coeducational boarding school in Australia.
It has undertaken a major refurbishment of girls’ boarding facilities over the past 18 months. Weekend activities include shopping, cinemas, cooking, movie and pizza nights, fishing and beach trips.
Boarders are also encouraged to join the co-curricular program including 36 sports and activities including rugby union/league, netball, show cattle, cricket, music, and cadets.
Toowoomba Anglican School
Domestic Tuition:
Year 1: $8,416
Year 2: $8,979
Year 3: $9,538
Years 4-5: $10,660
Year 6: $11,783
Years 7-8: $12,795
Years 9-10: $14,366
Years 11-12: $15,692
Domestic Boarding:
Years 1-12: $21,821
International Tuition:
Year 1: $17,571
Year 2: $18,129
Year 3: $18,692
Years 4-5: $19,815
Year 6: $20,938
Years 7-8: $22,841
Years 9-10: $24,413
Years 11-12: $25,743
International Boarding:
Years 1-12: $21,821
Advertised as Australia’s only coeducational K-12 day and boarding school, offering boarding from Years 1-12. Also, in 2020 and 2021, Toowoomba Anglican School was among the Excellence Awardees in the Australian Education Awards’ ‘Boarding School of the Year’.
Boarding houses are split into age and gender groups, students are encouraged to join in on excursions and activities on the 16-acre campus.
Outings include DFO Brisbane, Eat Street Brisbane, The Ekka, Gold Coast theme parks, ten pin bowling, laser tag, mini golf, trampoline park, as well as local sporting matches and theatrical performances.
Townsville Grammar School
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-9: $14,356
Years 10-12: $14,816
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-9: $21,352
Years 10-12: $21,352
International Tuition:
Years 7-12: $30,760
International Boarding:
Years 7-12: $21,352
The school offers after-school Prep supported by staff with an academic and/or teaching background, or a university student.
There is also free academic tutoring in most subjects available. Boarding facilities include on-site kitchen and health centre, structured study and tutoring programs, and on-site sports and arts facilities.
The calendar of recreational activities features movies, bowling, laser skirmish, ice skating, shopping, markets, The Strand, Magnetic Island, national parks, festivals, and Cowboys NRL home games.
Clayfield College, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 5-6: $20,310
Years 7-12: $23,585
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-6: $24,190
Years 7-12: $24,190
International Tuition:
Years 5-6: $36,955
Years 7-12: $40,360
International Boarding:
Years 5-12: $24,190
Centrally located just north of Brisbane City and close to the domestic and international airports. Boarders will have academic support through structured and supervised Prep sessions each evening, Sunday to Thursday.
Nurses visit the boarding house each morning, and a psychologist visits once a fortnight. Facilities include kitchenettes, plus a television lounge with Xbox Kinect and Wii, and large screen for movie nights.
Also provided is a gym, library, music room, pool table, and table tennis. Excursions include the beach, South Bank, museums, ice skating, theme parks, shopping, and socials with other boarding schools. There is also representative and club sport, rowing, horse riding, and dancing.
Fairholme College, Toowoomba
Domestic Tuition:
Years 5-6: $10,520
Years 7-9: $15,930
Years 10-12: $17,550
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-12: $24,290
International Tuition:
Years 5-6: $10,520
Years 7-9: $15,930
Years 10-12: $17,550
International Boarding:
Years 5-12: $24,290
The college promotes itself as one of the largest boarding schools in the country, with 200 boarding girls.
The boarding house was recently refurbished with modern facilities and furnishings.
Years 5-10 live in bedrooms of up to four girls, Year 11s enjoy twin-share bedrooms and there are single bedrooms for Year 12s.
The menu offers an assortment of hot and cold dishes, with sweet treats like ginger bread, banana loaf, sticky date pudding, and blueberry muffins. Recreation includes movies, trampolining, laser skirmish, mini golf, theatre productions, cooking, themed dinners, and visits to theme parks.
Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School
Domestic Tuition:
Year 5: $9,940
Year 6: $10,312
Year 7: $15,976
Years 8-12: $17,952
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-6: $22,420
Year 7: $22,420
Years 8-12: $22,420
International Tuition:
Year 5: $27,348
Year 6: $30,118
Year 7-12: $35,844
International Boarding:
Years 5-12: $22,798
Cribb House consists of five wings, each with its own bathroom, laundry and common room. Facilities include lounges, fridge and microwave. Room allocations are changed each term to increase social connections.
Food is led by a qualified chef and overseen by a nutritionist. Tutoring is available for students who would like extra support.
Boarders visit the Gold Coast, and Brisbane’s South Bank Parklands, Queensland Museum, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Closer to home there are walking trails, local markets and shopping centres.
Somerville House, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $22,760
Years 7-11: $26,520
Year 12: $26,520
Domestic Boarding:
Years 6-11: $26,880
Year 12: $26,880
International Tuition:
Year 6: $36,600
Years 7-12: $41,390
International Boarding:
Years 6-12: $26,880
Somerville House is a stone’s throw from the city, situated on the edge of the South Bank Parklands and Brisbane River. It is the only private boarding school for girls in the heart of Brisbane. Boarders have running and walking paths around South Bank Parklands and the Kangaroo Point cliffs on their doorsteps on weekends.
The boarding house accommodates around 100 students from Years 6 to 12, featuring modern bedrooms, shared leisure spaces, in-house kitchens, modern bathrooms, supervised study spaces, and Brisbane City views.
St Hilda’s School, Southport, Gold Coast
Domestic Tuition:
Year 6: $18,233
Years 7-9: $21,410
Years 10-11: $22,170
Year 12: $22,170
Domestic Boarding:
Years 6-10: $22,772
Year 11: $23,492
Year 12: $23,492
International Tuition:
Year 6: $27,716
Years 7-9: $34,136
Year 10: $36,716
Years 11-12: $36,716
International Boarding:
Years 6-10: $22,772
Years 11-12: $23,492
An independent Anglican school for girls from Prep to Year 12. Four residential houses accommodating 170 boarders. Twin-share rooms for Years 10 and 11 girls, and single rooms for Years 11 and 12 girls.
Each house has common rooms, kitchens, lounges and TVs. Academic support includes teacher-led tutorials, formal prep times. dedicated study venues, and access to external tutors.
Boarders are also given opportunities to attend theatre productions, theme parks, camps, museums, markets, shopping centres, cinemas, ice-skating, ten pin bowling, mini golf and surfing.
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Ascot, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Year 5: $22,192
Year 6: $23,392
Years 7-11: $27,135
Year 12: $27,135
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-11: $24,400
Year 12: $24,400
International Tuition:
Year 5: $34,208
Year 6: $35,156
Years 7-11: $40,416
Year 12: $40,416
International Boarding:
Years 5-11: $24,400
Year 12: $24,400
The school was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent. Students are divided among nine dormitories, with the most recent addition being the Longman wing, dedicated exclusively to Years 5-7.
Girls in Years 8 to 10 are in rooms of four, Year 11 boarders share a room with one other, and seniors have their own room. Boarders have scheduled daily prep time in the afternoons and external tutors can visit.
On the weekends, boarders can use their own mini-gym and a personal trainer visits weekly. Across the road, a boarders’ backyard has been created adjacent to the Head of Boarding’s residence – featuring trampoline, cricket set, softball gear and basketball hoop.
Stuartholme School, Toowong, Brisbane
Domestic Tuition:
Years 7-9: $22,110
Years 10-11: $23,454
Year 12: $23,454
Domestic Boarding:
Years 7-11: $25,410
Year 12: $25,410
International Tuition:
Years 7-9: $46,576
Years 10-11: $47,246
Year 12: $47,246
International Boarding:
Years 7-11: $25,410
Year 12: $25,410
Situated at the base of Mt Coot-tha and only six kilometres from Brisbane CBD. The Boarding House is centrally positioned over three floors and was built in 1920.
The common room includes a kitchenette, couches, games and a large screen TV.
There are study sessions, an academic tutoring program and additional support available. The school offers pet therapy with staff bringing their pets in for the afternoon.
This is in addition to trips to the cinema, shopping centres, ice skating, lawn bowls, beaches and theme parks.
Stuartholme is also part of activities with Marist College Ashgrove and St Josephs Nudgee College.
The Glennie School, Newtown, Toowoomba
Domestic Tuition:
Years 5-6: $8100
Year 7: $11,760
Years 8-9: $12,285
Years 10-12: $14,490
Domestic Boarding:
Years 5-7: $21,126
Years 8-12: $23,058
International Tuition:
Years 7-10: $28,800
Years 11-12: $28,800
International Boarding:
Years 7-10: $23,500
Years 11-12: $23,500
Giant board games, Nerf wars, gardening, and car mechanic courses are among the points of difference. Boarders are split across three residential houses.
Students in Years 5-11 have their own roomette, as well as spacious common rooms, lounges and kitchens.
Year 12 boarders enjoy their own bedroom in a dedicated building complemented by shared lounges, kitchenettes and bathrooms.
The school offers social justice programs, arts and crafts, health and fitness. Regular outings include theme parks, movies, markets, bowling, and zoos.
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