Private school fees up on Gold Coast amid rising cost of living

Private school fees for 2023 are up on the Gold Coast amid growing cost of living pressures. See how much your local school is charging.

Fees at Gold Coast private schools have risen at their fastest rate in years amid soaring costs across the economy.

But the rises still lag far behind the overall rate of inflation, which stands at 7.3 per cent.

Analysis by the Bulletin reveals parents will fork out an average of just over four per cent more for fees at schools outside the state sector in 2023.

In contrast, schools in the city raised fees at an average of about 3 per cent in 2019 and 2020, imposed little or no increases in 2021, and held rises to an average of 2.5 per cent last year.

At the Gold Coast’s most expensive schools – The Southport School (TSS) and St Hilda’s – fees are up 3.5 per cent and four per cent respectively.

Years 10-12 education now cost $26,176 per annum at TSS (up from $25,168) and $22,170 at St Hilda’s (up from $21,317).

Somerset College in Mudgeeraba – where three students were last year among the few in Queensland to achieve perfect ATAR scores of 99.95 – charges $18,952 for Year 11 and 12 education while senior school fees at AB Paterson in Arundel are $14,609.

However fees on the Gold Coast remain well below what is charged in capital cities, with parents paying up to $30,000 per year in Brisbane, $45,000 in Sydney and $46,000 in Melbourne.

Sarah Megginson from comparison site Finder.

Sarah Megginson, a Gold Coast mother of three and money expert with comparison site Finder said its Annual Parenting Report 2023 found 16 per cent of Queensland families were considering switching from private to public schools to save money.

However despite the financial pressures the majority of parents with children in private schools intended on staying put.

“Many families are having to prioritise other expenses like housing, groceries and petrol costs,” Ms Megginson said.

“It’s tough to pay school fees when every other bill is creeping up at the same time.”

Analysis by the firm also showed parents across all school sectors faced rising back to school costs, with tuition, supplies and other expenses averaging $2325 for primary school children and $4212 for high school students.

It said school supplies – including textbooks, stationery and a uniform – will set parents back an average of $571 at primary school level and $771 for secondary students.

“With the cost of living continuing to skyrocket, many parents will struggle to afford the necessary supplies, clothing, and technology for their children,” Ms Megginson said.

“Some families are forced to make difficult decisions about which supplies to buy and which to go without.

“Many will reach breaking point as rising fuel and food costs, Christmas debt hangover and back to school costs collide.”

Despite the pressures caused by inflation not all schools on the Gold Coast have raised their fees this year, with one, Mother Teresa Primary School in Ormeau, holding its modest $2975 annual charge steady for the second year in a row.

A Brisbane Catholic Education spokesperson told the Bulletin its 15 Gold Coast schools offered “outstanding teaching and learning outcomes” while they strove “to keep their fees affordable for families to ensure a quality Catholic Education is available to as many people as possible.”

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