Search the list: Parent incomes for every private school in the nation
Ever wanted to see how much families earn at the state’s top private schools? Here’s a full list of the average income of families at every elite school in Tasmania. Search now.
The richest Tasmanian parents send their children to the prestigious single-sex schools of Fahan and Hutchins in Hobart, exclusive new data obtained by News Corp shows.
The Sandy Bay schools, which have annual year 12 fees in excess of $20,000, have heritage buildings, extensive sports grounds and top-class facilities.
The schools’ parents have a median family income of $240,000 – nearly three times the national household earnings.
Fahan and Hutchins are both single-sex schools, catering to girls and boys respectively.
Average fees at Hutchins ($26,000) and Fahan ($24,000) are a fraction of parents’ median earnings, which is nearly three times the national average.
Despite families’ high earnings, both schools receive millions in state and federal school funding.
In 2023, Hutchins received $10m in government funding while the smaller Fahan received $3.5m.
The Friends School has the second richest parents in Tasmania with a median income of $230,000.
Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston is also high on the earnings chart ($225,000).
The family income data is used to calculate the $18b in school funding given to private schools by the federal government each year in addition to state funding. In general terms, schools with wealthier parents get less federal funding.
The 2024 figures show the annual net median income of all private school parents in the country is $406m dollars.
But there is a wide gap between those on the top of the list and those at the bottom. Parents at the top 20 schools have a combined annual median income of $8.4m. Parents whose children attend the bottom 20 on the list of 2621 schools have a combined annual median income of $551,000, proving that private schools are not just for the wealthy.
The average median family income from the schools on the list is $159,496, which is well above the ABS household median income of $92,040.
In the national top 20, there are 17 NSW schools, one from Victoria and two from Western Australia.
A private girls’ school occupying a prime historic campus in the centre of Sydney has the richest families in the nation the data shows.
SCEGGS Darlinghurst has parents with a median family income of $505,000 a year, according to the federal government figures obtained by News Corp.
The prestigious school, which charges fees of almost $50,000 a year for year 12, is the only one in Australia with parents earning a median income of more than half a million dollars. It receives $2.7m in federal funding a year.
Next on the national parental rich-list is Wenona School, another Sydney girls’ school, where parents earn a median family income of $480,000, followed by SCECGS Redlands ($470,000).
Dr Daniel Pampuch, CEO of Christian Schools Australia, said many Christian school parents are low- to middle income earners.
“They are regular mum and dads wanting to provide the best opportunities they can for their kids. As the cost of living keeps climbing, making ends meet isn’t easy,” he said.
“However, they continue to prioritise Christian education as their child’s learning and development comes first.”
Independent Schools Australia CEO Graham Catt said most independent school families are “ordinary hard-working Australians, 60% are from low and middle-income households, often working two jobs, and - especially as cost of living pressures continue - are making real sacrifices so their children can attend the school that’s right for them.”
“The stereotype that all independent school parents are wealthy is simply wrong and, for parents, upsetting and offensive,” he said.
“Independent schools receive an average of $13,080 per student in government funding, compared to $24,860 for public school students. Many students receive far less.
“Continued, stable, needs-based government funding is vital to ensure every student, in every community, gets the support they need, regardless of which school their parents choose,” Mr Gatt said.
Leave a comment or email us at education@news.com.au
Originally published as Search the list: Parent incomes for every private school in the nation
NAPLAN: The full list of Tasmania’s top schools revealed
