2024 school fees: How much it will cost to send a child to every private school in Bendigo
Private schools are increasing their fees in 2024, but some Bendigo colleges are far more affordable than others. See the cost of every private school and how they performed in 2023.
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Parents of private school students are facing another cost of living hit for 2024 with fees set to increase across Bendigo colleges.
So how much are non-government schools charging for tuition and what are the extra costs?
See our comparison of pricing for year 7 to 12 students at Bendigo private schools and how they performed in 2023.
Note that discounts are typically offered for sibling enrolments and early fee payments, and we’ve excluded boarding fees.
Bendigo’s most expensive private school, Girton Grammar, will see almost a $1000 increase in tuition fees per year.
It will cost $16,424 for annual tuition fees at Girton Grammar School in 2024, a 5.91 per cent increase from the 2023’s tuition of $15,508 – $916 more per year.
Catherine McAuley College will see a 5.99 per cent increase in tuition fees at $6,810 in 2024, a $385 jump from $6,425 in 2023.
Victory Christian College will see a 3.24 per cent increase in tuition fees at $3820 for year 7 – 10 and $3930 for years 11 and 12.
Creek Street Christian College’s 2024 fees are still to be confirmed, however parents can expect an increase.
However, the increase does not take into account levies and additional charges added on top of tuition fees and the real cost is much more.
Many private schools charge an additional levee to cover the cost of school equipment, facilities, excursions and electives.
We have detailed the real cost once levies are added and put together a snapshot of some of the highest academic achievers to showcase what each school is charging for.
Girton Grammar School
NAPLAN rank: 49, year 9 average of 612.8.
On top of the $16,424 annual tuition fee Girton Grammar charges a $110 “non-refundable” application fee per child and a “capital fee” of $1250 for the first child and $500 for the second.
The Girton also charges a levy in addition per year level. The 2024 levies are to be confirmed, but the 2023 levies were: year 7 $618, year 8 $594, year 9 $764, year 10 $754, year 11 $377, year 12 $496.
Camps are charged separately and in 2023 cost: year 7 $597, year 8 $486, year 9 $495, year 10 $313, VCE $268.
This pushes the yearly cost to more than $17,000 per year, per student.
In 2023, Girton’s Median VCE study score was 33 with 15.9 per cent of study scores over 40.
Seven students achieved ATARs above 99, with 6.7 per cent of students finishing in the top 1 per cent of the state.
Zoe MacGregor was named dux of Girton Grammar School with a score of 99.75 and was awarded the 2023 Departing Girtonian Scholarship to support her study in Melbourne.
She has been offered a place at Monash University’s Mannix College where she will study medicine.
Girton graduates Miriam Henry, Viran Dhanapala, Li Hindson, Eliza Hauler, Aksharan Shobanan and Augustine Leung also achieved ATARs above 99, or within the top one per cent of students across the state.
19 per cent of Girton’s students finished in the top 5 per cent of the state, 32.4 per cent in the top 10 per cent of the state and 57.1 per cent in the top 20 per cent of the state.
“Our ultimate goal is to empower our students to pursue the future of their choice, and I’m confident these graduates will be able to do just that by drawing not only on their excellent study scores but every element of their Girton education,” Girton principal Dr Emily O'Reilly said.
Catherine McAuley College
NAPLAN rank: 356, year 9 average of 554.2.
Catherine McAuley College is the only private school to include levies in their tuition fees.
In 2024 annual fees for one student is $6810 and $13,620 for two or more students.
When enrolling your child, the college takes a “non-refundable” deposit of $250 to “hold a place on the waiting list”.
In 2023 the college’s median VCE study score was 29 with 4 per cent of study scores over 40.
Catherine McAuley College’s 2023 dux was Tess Rule who scored a 95.25 ATAR.
The college’s dux proximus is Maggie Keating with an ATAR of 94.90, followed by Alexandra Duke, with an ATAR of 94.80.
Alexandra Duke received a perfect study score of 50 in VCE Physical Education.
All three women will be heading to university in 2024.
Ms Rule intends to study law at La Trobe in Bendigo while Ms Keating will also be attending La Trobe in Bendigo studying physiotherapy or speech pathology.
Ms Duke will study a Bachelor of Science at Melbourne University specialising in either genetics or nutrition
Victory Christian College
NAPLAN rank: 274, year 9 average: 568.2.
On top of the $3820 tuition fees for 7-10 and $3930 for 11s and 12s in 2024, Victory Christian College also charges additional levies on top: $1230 for year 7s and 8s, $1460 for year 9s and 10s and $1770 for year 11s and 12s.
Including costs of school camps, this brings the total cost per year to: $5550 for year 7s, $5620 for year 8s, $5930 for year 9s, $6,130 for year 10s and $5700 for year 11s and 12s.
The college also takes a $100 “non-refundable” application fee per child.
In 2023, the median VCE study score for the college was 28 with 4 per cent of study scores over 40.
Victory Christian College’s 2023 dux was school captain Kyla Slingo, who achieved an ATAR of 96.8. She is set to fly overseas to study in Canada.
The college’s dux proximus was fellow school captain Aston Wilson who achieved an ATAR of 84.1.
Creek Street Christian College
NAPLAN rank: 142, year 9 average of 589.
The private school was contacted about 2024 school fees and levies, but they have not been made available – however parents can expect an increase.
In 2023 tuition fees were $3685 for year 7s and 8s, $3845 for year 9s and 10s and $3890 for year 11s and 12s.
However, the college took an additional annual year level levy of more than $1000: year 7s and 8s $1120, year 9s and 10s $1770, year 11s and 12s, $1385.
This brought the total fees for 2023 to $4,805 for year 7s and 8s, $5,615 for year 9s and 10s and $5,275 for year 11s and 12s.
The college’s 2023 VCE results were not made available, however year 12 dux Caley Schultz scored a selection rank of 95.40, receiving the highest possible subject score, a seven, for French.
Ms Schultz received an offer for her preferred university course at Monash where she will be studying study a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Global Studies.
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