The cost of sending your kids to Ballarat’s private schools

With the cost of schooling only going up, how much are private Ballarat schools charging for tuition in 2024 and what are the extra costs?

Ballarat boasts some of the state’s best private secondary schools and each is more expensive in 2024 than in previous years.

So how much are non-government schools charging for tuition and what are the extra costs?

See below for a comparison of pricing for domestic students from years 7 to 12 at Ballarat schools.

Note that discounts are typically offered for sibling enrolments and early fee payments, and we’ve excluded boarding fees.

Ballarat private secondary school annual tuition fees in 2024

SCHOOL	YEAR 7	YEAR 8	YEAR 9	YEAR 10	YEAR 11	YEAR 12
Ballarat Christian College	$6140	$6140	$6670	$6670	$6670	$6670
Ballarat Clarendon College	$16,300	$19,400	$20,600	$22,120	$22,470	$22,470
Ballarat Grammar School	$16,520	$20,240	$21,160	$24,080	$24,540	$24,540
Damascus College	$6290	$6460	$6940	$7100	$7420	$7420
Loreto College	$8255	$8055	$8330	$8330	$8860	$8860
St Patrick’s College	$7660	$7660	$8040	$8040	$8520	$8520

Compared with 2023, Ballarat Christian College is charging $150 more for years 7 and 8, and $170 more for years 9 to 12.

Clarendon College’s fees have increased by more than $1000 at each year level, with years 11 and 12 costing parents $1470 more than last year.

The cost of attending Ballarat Grammar has increased similarly: VCE years are $1380 more expensive than in 2023.

Damascus College’s fees have gone up between $240 and $290 compared with last year.

Loreto College’s and St Patrick’s College’s prices are hundreds more, in VCE up from $8400 and $7900 respectively.

ADDITIONAL CHARGES

Ballarat Christian College

NAPLAN year 9 average: 589.2

Median VCE score: 29

Ballarat Christian College charges a $460 annual levy for years 7 to 9, and $600 for years 10 to 12.

Other applicable fees include an application fee of $200 a student (up to $400 a family), an annual capital levy of $100 a year per family, and a family bond of $500.

Ballarat Clarendon College

NAPLAN year 9 average: 666.8

Median VCE score: 39

Clarendon charges a $150 registration fee and a $3000 confirmation deposit, $2800 of which is deducted from fees later on.

Students in years 7, 8, and 9 are required to purchase a laptop from the school.

Ballarat Clarendon College.

Ballarat Grammar

NAPLAN year 9 average: 593.6

Median VCE score: 32

Ballarat Grammar charges a $250 application fee and a $640 laptop levy each year on top of its tuition fees.

An acceptance deposit of $6000 must also be paid for entrance into the middle or senior school, which then goes towards tuition fees.

Damascus College

NAPLAN year 9 average: 594.6

Median VCE score: 28

Damascus College’s additional fees include a $400 capital levy per family and a $320 technology charge for each student.

Loreto College.

Loreto College

NAPLAN year 9 average: 573.2

Median VCE score: 31

Loreto College charges compulsory fees beyond the cost of tuition, including a $100 application fee, a $300 offer acceptance fee, a $600 ICT levy per student, and a $500 building maintenance levy per family – making up an extra $1500 for a family’s first enrolment.

St Patrick’s College

NAPLAN year 9 average: 546.4

Median VCE score: 28

Tuition fees at St Patrick’s exclude resource, IT, and capital levies.