Chancellor State College ranked richest school on the Sunshine Coast

New data has unveiled who takes the top spot when it comes to Sunshine Coast schools’ gross income, with two public schools leading the pack.

Dhivya Rajanala

2 min read

June 25, 2024 - 5:00AM

Chancellor State College has recorded the highest gross income on the Sunshine Coast. (Photo AAP/Megan Slade)

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Sunshine Coast’s richest school has raked in more than $215.6 million in five years with the total income per student sitting at $15,285 in 2022, the most recent school funding statistics reveal.

An independent analysis of school financial records from MySchool have shown the massive amount of money some schools make every year, and how little some schools are forced to scrape by on.

The analysis involves the newest data ranging between 2018 and 2022.

Chancellor State College in Sippy Downs has been revealed to have earned higher gross income than any other school in the Sunshine Coast region.

The school made a gross income of $215.6 million and its income increased by 20 per cent between 2018 and 2022, according to financial records from the combined past five years.

The region’s second richest school was Meridan State College, in Meridan Plains, which had a gross income of $181.5 million.

Its total gross income per student in 2022 was $16,201.

The school with the third highest gross income was Matthew Flinders Anglican College, in Buderim, which made $180.4 million.

Its total gross income per student in 2022 was $27,674.

Meridan State College ranked second in terms of gross income on the Sunshine Coast. Photo" Patrick Woods / Sunshine Coast Daily

A Queensland Education spokesman said public schools across the state have been “appropriately funded” for students to access learning regardless of their location.

The amount of state and federal funding is impacted by factors such as location, the number of attending students and staffing needs, available programs and the size of the school facilities, the spokesman said.

The figures include all fees, charges and parental contributions as well as state and federal government funding and any other private sources over the five years from 2018 to 2022.

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

The analysis does not include special schools or schools that did not have complete financial data in MySchool for one or more of the five years.

My Independent School at Beerwah had the lowest gross income of any school in the Sunshine Coast region.

It made just $4.1 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 197 per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $34,162.

Montessori Noosa at Sunshine Beach had the second lowest gross income of any school in the Sunshine Coast region.

It made just $5.3 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 78 per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $22,877.

Kenilworth State Community College at Kenilworth had the third lowest gross income of any school in the Sunshine Coast region.

It made just $6.3 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 10 per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $32,696.