Boarding school fees: Australia’s most expensive schools hike fees

Tuition and boarding fees have continued to rise, even surpassing $90,000 a year at one prestigious school. We reveal the fees for 127 colleges across the country.

Tuition and boarding fees for a year 12 student at one of Australia’s wealthiest schools has topped $90,000 for the first time.

Cranbrook School at Bellevue Hill in the eastern suburbs of Sydney charges $93,627 for year 12 boarding students, but it is not the only school to increase its charges.

In 2024, only two schools in the nation had combined year 12 fees costing more than $80,000, but now that list has jumped to 11.

Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA) chief executive officer Richard Stokes.

Australian Boarding Schools Association chief executive Richard Stokes said schools were working really hard to not put up boarding fees, but the general wages increase and rising cost of food had made that difficult.

“More than 60 per cent of boarding staff are not teachers, they’re among the lowest paid at the school. But their wages have probably gone up 3.5 per cent,” he said.

“There are a lot of people asking for help (to pay rising fees), but schools are doing their best.”

Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association president Louise Martin said the cost of access to boarding education was always the biggest challenge for rural and remote students.

“Parents are $30,000 (approximately) out of pocket per student every year, and that’s before you’ve even left home. You haven’t even travelled (to the school), haven’t bought a uniform, a laptop, etc,” she said.

Both ABSA and ICPA were continuing to lobby for an increase to the Assistance for Isolated Children boarding allowance, designed to help families with the cost of boarding.

“We’re calling for a $4000 increase to the AIC (allowance), which is meaningful, but it isn’t going to solve the problem for everyone,” Ms Martin said.

The maximum rate for the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme boarding allowance is $13,303 in 2025.

Of an analysis of 127 independent boarding schools across the country, the median fee increase for 2025 was 5.8 per cent, down on 6.0 per cent in 2024.

The price rises were steepest in NSW, with the median combined boarding and tuition school fees increasing by 7 per cent across the state, while Victoria (5.3 per cent), WA (6.4 per cent), QLD (5.7 per cent) and South Australia (4.9 per cent) also saw an increase.

See The Weekly Times Boarding magazine feature with the July 9 edition of the paper.

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE BOARDING SCHOOLS IN 2025

10. St Catherine’s School, Toorak Victoria, $80,180

St Catherine's School, Melbourne. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Established in 1896 in Castlemaine as Castlemaine’s Ladies College, the school was taken over in 1903 and later renamed to St Catherine’s Girls’ College, before finding its current home in Toorak just after 1920. Year 12 combined boarding and tuition fees increased 5.7 per cent to $80,180 this year.

9. Barker College, Hornsby NSW, $80,245

Phillip Heath, headmaster at Barker College. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

An independent co-ed school offering boarding for years 9-12, the Christian heritage of the college inspires its values and purpose. Accommodating 60 students in its boarding house, accommodation and tuition costs $80,245 for a year 12 student in 2025.

8. Kambala, Rose Bay NSW $81,068

Kambala School in Rose Bay.

Shaping the lives of girls since 1887, Kambala offers immersive learning for girls as young as 6 months, as well as the IB program for years 11 and 12. Located in Rose Bay, the boarding school for girls increased its fees for a year 12 boarder to $81,068, a modest increase of 4.0 per cent on last year.

7. Knox Grammar School, Wahroonga NSW, $81,540

Knox Grammar school at Wahroonga.

Knox offers more than 200 boarding places for boys from year 7 to year 12 across three boarding houses. Located on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, year 12 boarding students are paying $81,540, up 5.9 per cent.

6. Newington College, Stanmore NSW, $81,549

Newington College, in Stanmore, Sydney. Picture: Justin Lloyd

A boys school since 1863, Newington is currently undergoing a transition to become co-ed. From 2026, Newington will be accepting girls into kindergarten and year 5, and from 2028 into year 7 and 11.

5. Shore, Sydney Church of England Grammar, North Sydney NSW, $81,650

Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore).

With views of the harbour bridge from its North Sydney location, Shore’s year 12 combined boarding and tuition fees increased 5.7 per cent to $81,650 this year. It is also a candidate for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, and will commence a trial in semester 2 this year.

4. The King’s School, Parramatta NSW, $82,901

The King's School, Sydney. Picture: Supplied

Established almost 200 years ago in 1831, The King’s School in Parramatta hosts more than 2000 students. The private boys school had the greatest increase (8 per cent) in year 12 boarding fees year-on-year of the top 10 most expensive schools, up to $82,901 annually.

3. Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Croydon NSW, $84,180

Presbyterian Ladies College students in Croydon, Sydney in 2020. Picture: James Gourley

In Sydney’s Inner West, the private girl’s college hosts more than 1500 students from pre-kindergarten to year 12. Year 12 combined boarding and tuition fees costs $84,180 in 2025, up 5.3 per cent.

2. Geelong Grammar School, Corio Victoria, $88,500

Geelong Grammar celebrate a goal. Picture: Alan Barber

With alumni of royal leaders, Olympians and media proprietors, Geelong Grammar School has been a constant feature at the top of the most prestigious boarding schools in the country. Year 12 students are paying $88,500 for combined boarding and tuition in 2025, up 5.1 per cent on last year.

1. Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill NSW, $93,627

Cranbrook School.

Topping the list of the nation’s most expensive schools again in 2025, Cranbrook has tipped over the $90k mark, with its year 12 tuition costing $49,521, and its boarding fees costing $44,106. Anne Johnstone has been appointed new Head of School, and will commence her position at the start of Term 3, 2025.

Originally published as Boarding school fees: Australia’s most expensive schools hike fees