Tasmania’s top 20 most expensive schools
From spas to yoga studios and aviation centres — Tasmania’s most prestigious schools come with eye-watering price tags, costing some families over $30,000 a year. PRICIEST SUBURBS FOR SCHOOLING REVEALED >>
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With some fees topping $20,000 a year, Tasmanian families have coughed up a significant amount of cash to send their children to the most expensive schools.
From spas to yoga studios and aviation centres find out how much parents are paying for school tuitions across the state in 2021.
Tassie’s most expensive schools — ranked from 20 to 1:
20. Lambert School, North Hobart
Lambert School caters for both primary and secondary education at $4,680 across all year levels.
The school caters for only 60 students in North Hobart and is one of the only in the area that has no uniform, no office or principal’s study, bell or public address system.
Included in school fees healthy lunches and mornings teas are provided as well as multiple grade camps.
19. Emmanuel Christian School, Hobart
Emmanuel Christian School is a private co-ed school in Rokeby that offers education from kindergarten to Year 10.
Fees start at $3,934 and cost as much as $4,918 for secondary education.
Students have the opportunity to engage with subjects such as music, computer programming, STEM and catering while enrolled.
18. Dominic College, Glenorchy
Co-ed Catholic school Dominic College offers secondary education for Year 9 and 10 at $5,120 in 2021 according to The Good Schools Guide.
The Glenorchy college caters for students from kindergarten to Grade 10 with primary school fees starting at $3,660.
Its campus sits at the base of Mount Wellington and spans over 70 acres featuring facilities such as a dance studio, black box theatre, gymnasium and sport playing fields. The likes of art collector David Walsh, comedian Luke McGregor and AFL star Ian Stewart are some of Dominic College’s notable alumni.
17. John Calvin School, Kingston
As stated on The Good Schools Guide, South Launceston’s John Calvin School offers co-ed schooling from kindergarten to Year 10 at a price of $5,242 across all year levels. The private Christian school offers interstate excursions where students have the chance to travel to Canberra, Sydney and NSW snowfields.
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16. Mount Carmel College, Hobart
Fees at Sandy Bay all girls school Mount Carmel College come in at $5,320 for Year 10 and 9, $4,776 for Year 7 and 8 and $3,972 for Years 4 to 6.
The school caters for around 540 students from kindergarten to Year 10 with the campus overlooking the Derwent River, featuring facilities such as tennis courts, a performing arts complex and science laboratories.
15. Guilford Young College, Glenorchy
Senior secondary school Guilford Young College charges $5685 for Year 11 and Year 12 tuition in 2021.
The school is spread across two campuses — one in Glenorchy and another in Hobart with students travelling between campuses to take part in subjects according to their chosen line of study.
Guilford Young is home to a chapel, gym, performing arts centre with a 600-seat theatre and a VET training centre.
>> STAR STUDENTS of Guilford Young College
14. St Mary’s College, Hobart
Families who attend Hobart’s St Mary’s College are paying $5,720 for Year 9 to Year 12 fees and $5,220 for Year 7 and 8 fees in 2021. The catholic school caters for boys and girls up to Year 2 and is the only college in Tasmania to offer all girls education from kindergarten through to senior years.
The 153-year-old school boasts ‘iconic historical sandstone buildings’ that contain a media lab and women science centre. Students have the opportunity to participate in sports including hockey, badminton, soccer and rowing at the school.
13. Launceston Christian School, Riverside
Fees at Launceston Christian School come in at $6000 for Years 11 and 12 and $4200 for primary school years.
The private co-ed school is based in Riverside at Launceston on 12 hectares in the Tamar Valley and caters for around 630 students from kindergarten to senior years. The school caters for around 700 students.
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12. St Virgils College, Hobart
Roman Catholic all boys school, St Virgil’s College comes in at number 10 charging $6,190 for Year 9 and Year 10 tuition, $6,115 for Year 7 and 8, $5,440 for Year 6 and $4,220 for Prep to Year 5.
The college is located in Hobart across two campuses, the junior school at St Patrick’s Street in the city and the senior school on 30 hectares of grounds at Austins Ferry.
The junior school features a ‘state of the art’ Early Learning Years Centre as well as specialist art and sport facilities while the senior school includes facilities such as a food technology centre, science labs and the Joyce Performing Arts Centre.
>> READ MORE: Star students of St Virgil’s College
11. Calvin Christian School, Kingston
Co-ed private school Calvin Christian School charges $6,525 for Years 11 and 12 tuition, $5,847 for secondary learning Years 7 to 10 and $4,970 for primary school Years 3 to 6.
The school is situated in Kingston and was the first Christian parent-controlled school in Australia founded in 1962, built without any government funding.
The school offers a wide variety of co-curricular activities including sailing, puppetry, philosophy and public speaking as well as sports such as table tennis, yachting and scuba diving.
Students are also given the change to participate in school exchange, travelling to countries including the Netherlands, Germany, France and Vanuatu.
10. Leighland Christian School, Ulverstone
According to The Good Schools Guide senior year tuition at Leighland Christian School costs $6,470 and Year 7 to Year 10 education comes in at $5,520.
The independent co-ed school is spread across two campuses in Tasmania’s north at Burnie and Ulverstone.
The school’s Burnie campus is situated across from the ocean and features an indoor sports hall, lego room and STEAM centre for kindergarten and primary school aged children.
The Ulverstone campus offers learning from kindergarten through to Year 12 is also situated just minutes from the beach catering for around 500 students.
9. Launceston Preparatory School, Launceston
The Launceston Preparatory School offers education for Prep to Grade 6 students charging $7490 for all years.
The school maintains small class sizes taking 15-18 students per lesson with subjects including music, PE, arts and LOTE a part of the curriculum.
The one campus school is situated in Newstead Launceston and features ‘marvellous facilities’ including a tennis centre, netball courts and a PCYC.
8. The Cottage School, Bellerive
The Cottage School is a community based co-educational primary school charging $7609 a year for education from kindergarten to grade 6 in Bellerive.
The small school of 80 students provides ‘holistic’ education in a ‘nurturing’ environment.
Perks at the Cottage School include a cooked lunch every Monday, regular camp experiences and French and music classes.
7. Tarremah Steiner School, Huntingfield
Situated in Huntingfield a few kilometres south west of Kingston, Tarremah Steiner School offers education from kindergarten up to grade 10 with fees for primary learning costing $8,075 and secondary learning costing $10,197.
The Steiner school features architecturally designed high school buildings, a multi-purpose hall and a commercial kitchen catering for approximately 300 students.
Music program, architecturally designed high school buildings, multi-purpose hall and comercial kitchen language classes.
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6. Scotch Oakburn College, Launceston
Scotch Oakburn is an independent coeducational school in Launceston that offers Early Learning education from $7250 to senior education at $18,200.
The school is spread across three campuses around Launceston — the Elphin campus houses the early learning centre, junior school and boarding house, the Penquite campus houses the middle and senior school plus a health, science and performing arts centre and the Valley campus acts as the college’s education outdoors and environmental centre in the Fingal Valley, equipped with a high ropes course, lake for rafting and accommodation.
5. St Michael’s Collegiate School, Hobart
Sister school to The Hutchins School, St Michael’s Collegiate School comes in at number five charging $18,500 for senior education.
The all girls school’s fees for Prep are $9,900 and for middle school start at $12,400.
The school is spread across three campuses in the heart of Hobart and features a heated six lane pool, arts centre, hall, gymnasium and cafe.
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4. The Fahan School, Sandy Bay
Fees at Fahan School start at $9,800 for kindy and sit at $18,700 for senior students.
The independent kindergarten to year 12 all girls school is spread across a 6.2 hectare campus in Sandy Bay and works closely with neighbouring all boys school Hutchins, offering senior year students the opportunity to select from over 50 speciality subjects for pre-tertiary studies across both campuses.
The Fahan campus features an array of facilities including a music school, visual arts studio, two libraries and a food and digital technology hub that boasts a design studio, 3D printers and robotics technology.
3. Hutchins School, Sandy Bay
Coming in third is Anglican all boys school Hutchins with middle and secondary school fees sitting at $19,120 per year.
For prep parents are forking out $11,480 and $12,140 for Year 1 and 2 education.
Like Launceston Church Grammar, Hutchins is another Tasmanian school that is regarded as one of the oldest in the country established in 1846 and is located a few kilometres away from the Hobart CBD at Sandy Bay.
Featured facilities include a performing arts centre, six tennis courts, a rowing training centre and recording studio.
>> Tasmania’s Star Students of The Hutchins School
2. Launceston Church Grammar, Launceston
Anglican co-educational private school Launceston Grammar is the state’s second most expensive school for 2021, charging $19,981 for Year 9 and Year 10 education and $19,381 for Year 11 and Year 12.
Prep and Grade 1 start at a costly $10,250 per year and the families of international students in senior years have to cough up $53,431 for boarding and tuition.
Widely regarded as one of Australia’s most prestigious schools, Launceston Church Grammar is one of the country’s oldest independent education facilities, recently celebrating its 175th birthday in 2016.
Launceston Church Grammar is spread out over two campuses — the junior school close to the CBD in East Launceston and the senior at Mowbray Heights overlooking the Tamar River, both featuring an array of impressive facilities.
The school boasts an on-site gymnasium, indoor pool, purpose-built mountain bike track and aviation space.
Students are also given the chance to participate in white-water rafting, rock climbing and yoga in outdoor and after school programmes.
1. The Friends School, Hobart
Founded in 1887 by Quakers, The Friends’ School in Hobart is an independent co-educational school where senior year annual fees have hit an eye-watering $30,450 for international students, $20,420 for local students and a cool $10,940 for kindy care.
>> READ MORE: Friends School produces scientists and scholars
Spread across five campuses across Hobart boasting a health and fitness centre, a commercial food studies kitchen and theatre you can see why The Friends School comes with an extravagant price tag.
Students have the opportunity to participate in rowing, sailing, equestrian, dramatic arts and service related endeavours such as Amnesty letter writing.
The Friends’ School is also known for its ‘outstanding’ academic reputation with 56.7% of graduating students receiving an ATAR of 90+, placing them in the top 10% of students nationally in 2020.
The astronomical figures place The Friends School as the most expensive in school in the state.
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