It’s all well and good to say that you can’t put a price on education, but with private tuition rates growing much faster than inflation, these kind of calculations are important for any Australian family.

James KirbyAssociate Editor - Wealth James Kirby, Associate Editor-Wealth, is one of Australia’s most experienced financial journalists. James hosts The Australian’s twice-weekly Money Puzzle podcast.He is a regular commentator on radio and television, the author of several business biographies and has served on the Walkley Awards Advisory BoardHe was a co-founder and managing editor at Business Spectator and Eureka Report and has previously worked at the Australian Financial Review and the South China Morning Post. Since January 2025 James is a director of Ecstra, the financial literacy foundation.
The soaring cost of private school fees will come as a surprise to no Australian parent, but what about the less obvious opportunity costs that are incurred at the same time?