Boarding school fees: Australia’s most expensive schools hike fees
The cost of a boarding education in Australia is on the rise again. We reveal the fees for 115 of the best schools across the country.
The cost of a boarding education in Australia is on the rise again, as private schools relax pandemic fee freezes and try to recover income lost when boarding houses operated with far fewer students last year.
Fees to send a Year 12 student to boarding school in Australia have increased by an average of 2.53 per cent this year.
The price rises have been steepest in NSW where fees went up by an average of 2.98 per cent, while Tasmania’s school fees jumped 2.9 per cent, Victoria 2.61 per cent, South Australia 2.36 per cent and Queensland 2.31 per cent.
The three boarding schools in the Northern Territory all put fees up by more than 2 per cent.
Some schools and the Australian Boarding School Association are warning that regional campuses could be forced to hike fees at even higher rates in coming years due to changes to the federal funding model coming into effect over the next 10 years.
ABSA chief executive Richard Stokes said the outcome for schools due to the new Direct Measure of Income funding was a “big unknown”.
“That could cause boarding schools to lose an enormous amount of government funding,” he said.
“Particularly our regional schools. They are our great concern … and the schools that will lose much more in proportion to city schools.”
Mr Stokes said it was impressive that schools had kept fee rises close to the consumer price index rate.
“I would say that they have been very kind,” he said. “It has been a tough two years and we are all preparing for a much harder year this year.”
He said staff shortages in boarding precincts was a concern playing on minds in the independent school sector, and the ABSA was pushing for workers to be treated the same as teachers when it came to isolation rules and essential worker status.
Geelong Grammar tops the list of most expensive boarding school in Australia, with fees of more than $74,000 this year, but its nearest rival, $73,536-a-year Cranbrook School, has not released its 2022 fees publicly yet.
Trinity Grammar School in Kew, The King’s School in Sydney and St Joseph’s Nudgee College in Brisbane all increased fees by more than 5 per cent this year.
While nine schools bumped up prices by 4-5 per cent including Scots All Saints College, The Rockhampton Grammar School, Townsville Grammar School, Barker College and Concordia Lutheran College.
Regional principals have raised concerns that the new federal funding model will deliver significantly less funds per student to some regional campuses, and may cripple their ability to offer a high-quality education.
In a letter to families, Ballarat Clarendon College Board chair John Livingston told parents the government’s move to the DMI funding model would have a “major impact” on the school’s capacity to deliver its programs.
Clarendon has kept its fee rise to just 1.78 per cent this year.
The letter said incremental fee increases over a longer period aimed to keep the college affordable for regional and rural families.
AUSTRALIA’S MOST EXPENSIVE BOARDING SCHOOLS
10. Melbourne Girls Grammar, Victoria, $66,712
With a host of successful alumni to its name including esteemed lawyer Sally Walker, Melbourne Girls Grammar upholds its 130-year tradition of being a leader in girls’ education. With a price tag of $66,712 for a Year 12 boarder, parents should expect great things.
9. Shore, Sydney Church of England Grammar, NSW, $66,936
Shore has not released its 2022 fees to the public. But last year it charged $66,936 for a Year 12 boy to board and learn at this iconic campus. For the price, he would live with 200 other boarders, about half of whom come from regional and rural communities. Boarders are split into four houses, with a focus on Christian values.
8. Knox Grammar School, NSW, $67,635
Knox has a boarding community of 200 boys in Years 7-12. The senior campus has 2000 students in total, with a curriculum structured especially for boys, involving a healthy dose of innovative technology. Year 12 tuition and boarding is $67,635, up 2.99 per cent on last year.
7. Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney, NSW, $68,720
Home to nearly 1400 girls from early learning to Year 12, PLC Sydney is one of Australia’s oldest schools for girls, established in 1888. Cost for a Year 12 boarder is $68,720, up 3.47 per cent on last year.
6. The King’s School, NSW, $68,895
The King’s School provides boys plenty of space to maximise their academic and sporting potential. The school has more than 1400 senior students, and a history of nearly 200 years. Year 12 boarding and tuition fees are $68,895. That’s a hefty increase of 5.12 per cent compared to last year.
5. The Scots College, Sydney, NSW, $69,090
Attending Scots College is about much more than learning the pipes and wearing a kilt. The Presbyterian boys school is known for producing accomplished athletes and businessmen. The Scots College has an enrolment of about 1800 students, and the cost of boarding and tuition for a Year 12 last year was $69,090. The school has yet to release its 2022 fees to the public.
4. St Catherine’s School, Melbourne, VIC, $69,280
Known for its boutique size, St Catherine’s School prides itself on its personal approach to girls’ education. This is evident in the historic Illawarra boarding house, run by director of boarding Sue Collister, who has been at the helm for the past 15 years. The house caters for about 50 girls, and Year 12 costs $69,280. Its combined fees have gone up 4.15 per cent, mainly due to a hike in the cost of boarding (not tuition).
3. Barker College, NSW, $69,740
The coeducational senior school has notable alumni including cricketers, supreme court judges and ambassadors. But its fees are even more impressive than its graduates. A Year 12 boarding education is $69,740, up 4.62 per cent on last year.
2. Cranbrook School, NSW, $73,536
Cranbrook school was No. 1 on this list last year. Its fees for 2022 have not been released publicly, so it sits just behind the illustrious Geelong Grammar this year. Last year Cranbrook charged $73,536 for Year 12 tuition and boarding.
1. Geelong Grammar School, VIC, $74,112
Back at No. 1 where it belongs, Geelong Grammar is the crème-de-la-crème of Australian boarding schools. With royal connections and graduates that have become leaders in their field, the Corio school is a specialist in boarding education. But you’ll pay dearly to join its ranks, with a Year 12 students paying $74,112 for combined boarding and tuition, up a modest 2.88 per cent.
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