How much it really costs to send your child to private school in Victoria

As the annual fees for private school in Victoria soar, compulsory levies and extra charges are adding thousands of dollars to already whopping costs. See what you’ll pay.

The real cost of private schooling for 2025 can be revealed, with compulsory levies adding thousands of dollars and propelling 13-year costs to more than $1m for two children.

Add-on charges for camps, laptops, payroll tax and building funds make up almost a quarter of some schools’ total fees and come amid fee rises of up to 20 per cent.

In 2025, it will cost more than one million dollars to put two children through a school such as St Michael’s Grammar in St Kilda from kindergarten to year 12, when extras such as uniforms and books are added in.

At Geelong Grammar, the cost could be as high as $1.2m for two children, with extras including $3000 a year for uniforms and $350 for the formal graduation dinner.

In comparison, state schools can only charge parents voluntary fees, meaning parents can pay nothing if they wish.

At Geelong Grammar, the cost could be as high as $1.2m for two children.

At St Michael’s Grammar, a levy of between $3713 (kinder) to $7955 (year nine) for camps, maintenance and computer networks is added onto tuition fees. Like many other high-fee private schools, the school also charges parents more than $1500 per child per year for the state government payroll tax. This brings add-ons to 23 per cent of the $41,040 cost of year nine fees.

At Trinity Grammar, laptop and camp fees bring year ten fees to more than $50,000, with extras adding 15 per cent to the total bill.

Mid-range private schools such as Nunawading Christian College — which does not have to pay payroll tax — levies a $1980 consumables levy and a $250 building levy on all students to pay for excursions, camps, stationary, buses, computers, school photos and the library.

Billanook, which charges more than $20,000 for year ten to 12 tuition fees, has a flat rate “composite fee” for senior students of $6540, bringing total fees closer to $30,000.

Even lower cost schools such as Al-Taqwa College in Truganina charged parents a levy of $930, which is 21 per cent of the total fees.

At Trinity Grammar, laptop and camp fees bring year ten fees to more than $50,000, with extras adding 15 per cent to the total bill. Picture: Mark Stewart

The two Catholic schools surveyed had total fees of less than $7000, although there are some that charge considerably more.

A Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) spokesperson said that with “cost-of-living pressures increasing, we are committed to keeping fees as low and affordable as possible for the one in five Victorian families who choose a Catholic education for their children”.

State schools, which rely primarily on taxpayer funds, charge much more modest fees that are voluntary.

Cheltenham Secondary College has unveiled its 2025 fees, and will charge parents $210 in voluntary curriculum contributions and $250 for voluntary non-curriculum items. With contributions of $100 for the building fund, the total bill for year 12 students comes to $590. The school has kept its fees at the 2023 and 2024 levels for 2025.

Cheltenham Secondary College will charge parents $210 in voluntary curriculum contributions and $250 for voluntary non-curriculum items. Picture: Facebook

Gail McHardy, CEO of Parents Victoria said Victorian government schools “would not have to seek any form of state school fee or parent contribution for their child’s education if public schools were fully funded by the Federal and state government to 100 per cent of the schooling resource standard (SRS)”.

A Victorian government spokeswoman said public schools “are free and they’ll stay that way – and no child can be disadvantaged or refused instruction regardless of payment”.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jess Wilson said a “future Liberals and Nationals Government will lower school fees and support educational choice by repealing Labor’s unfair Schools Tax”.

Rachel Holthouse, chief executive of Independent Schools Victoria, said the payroll tax “is having a significant impact on fees paid by parents with children in 55 Independent schools forced to pay the tax this year and in 2025”.

‘These schools will pay more than $100 million to the Victorian Government, a cost that’s inevitably passed on to parents who are being punished for choosing to send their children to an Independent school.

State schools, which rely primarily on taxpayer funds, charge much more modest fees that are voluntary. Picture: iStock

Geelong Grammar council chair Paddy Hanbury told parents the council “acknowledges the financial impact of fee increases on our families and remains committed to

a cost-conscious approach that identifies inefficiencies and opportunities”.

Carey Grammar principal Jonathan Walter said: “The payroll tax imposes a significant burden, exceeding our funding, and adds increased pressure on independent schools. We are transparent about the breakdown of our fees to help give parents the context for fee increases and detailed information on how we set annual fees.”

Trinity Grammar principal Adrian Farrer agreed the payroll tax presents “ongoing challenges” for the school financial planning and ability to deliver education services.

Nikki Kirkup, principal of The Knox School, said the school increased fees by 3.5 per cent which takes “into account the continued inflationary pressures and escalating operational costs”.

A spokesman for Al-Taqwa College said the school “is very mindful of the costs of their children’s quality education for our families, especially in relation to the household challenges of a high cost-of-living”.

“We do everything we can to keep our fees, and related mandatory and voluntary educational expenses, as low and affordable to our families as possible.”

Professor Elizabeth Labone, CEO of the Victorian Catholic Education Authority said: “parents at schools affected by the Victorian Government’s payroll tax may be shocked to see the full annual impact of the payroll tax surcharge on their child’s school fees in 2025”.