Search the list: Parent incomes for every private school in the nation
You’ll be astonished to learn how much parents at Australia’s elite schools are earning. Here’s the official data showing the average family income at hundreds of private schools.
A private girls’ school occupying a prime historic campus in the centre of Sydney has the richest families in the nation, new exclusive data shows.
SCEGGS Darlinghurst has parents with a median family income of $505,000 a year, according to 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).
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.
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.
The first boys’ school on the richest national list is Shore, the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, a college that bills itself as maintaining “extraordinary standards of academic performance for all students commensurate to their individual abilities”.
Shore parents have a median family income of $460,000, followed by Loreto Kirribilli and Queenwood (both on $455,000) and then Cranbrook, another Sydney boys’ school. and Mosman Preparatory School (both $450,000).
Two more up-market Sydney schools round out the national and NSW top ten, with St Catherine’s School in Waverley ($425,000) and St Ignatius College Lane Cove, which is the richest Catholic school with parents earning a median income of $415,000.
Dallas McInerney, CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, said Australia’s school system “ranks high on equity by international standards”.
“The non-government school funding model works to deliver more funding to schools with lower income families and less funding to schools with higher income families,” he said.
“The funding model is more tightly means-tested than Medicare and well targeted.”
Dr Daniel Pampuch, CEO, 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.
National wrap-up
The richest Victorian parents send their children to the Jewish co-ed school Mount Scopus Memorial College, where the median family income is $380,000.
Mount Scopus is followed by Christ Church Grammar, Victoria’s only independent Anglican parish primary school and Catholic girls’ school Loreto Mandeville Hall, which both have median family incomes of $365,000.
The wealthiest Queensland school parents, with a median family income of $365,000 a year, send their girls to Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, edging out their brother school, Brisbane Boys’ Grammar.
The richest Western Australian school is Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont where the median parent income is a whopping $405,000. It comes in at number 11 nationally.
Other WA schools to make the top 20 list are Methodist Ladies’ College, which is number 20 and has a median family income of $370,000.
The richest South Australian school parents earn a median income of $300,000 and send their children to Scotch College. Next on the SA parental rich list is Pembroke College in Kensington Park, where parents have a median family income of $285,000. Closely behind is St Peter’s College in St Peters, which was founded in 1847, and leading girls’ school Wilderness, both of which have parents with family incomes of $280,000.
The richest Tasmanian independent school parents have children that attend Fahan School and The Hutchins School, where the median family income is $240,000 a year.
The richest Northern Territory independent school is The Essington School where the median family income is $365,000 a year.
Essington was the top ranked NT private school in News Corp’s exclusive list of the nations best schools.
The $16,000 annual school fees for Essington are a fraction of parents’ median earnings, which is nearly three times the national average.
Despite families’ high earnings, Essington received $10m in territory and federal school funding in 2023.
Haileybury Rendall has the second richest parents in the Territory with a median income of $240,000.
Good Shepherd Lutheran College in Howard Springs was also high on the earnings chart ($205,000).
The richest parents in the ACT earn a combined family income of $340,000 and send their children to Canberra Grammar, followed by Radford College ($300,000) and Canberra Girls’ Grammar ($295,000).
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
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