Boarding fees with biggest rise in three years

Parents of boarding students at independent schools in southeast Australia are facing the steepest increase in tuition and boarding fees in three years.

Parents of boarding students at independent schools in southeast Australia are facing the steepest increase in tuition and boarding fees in three years.
An analysis by The Weekly Times of 30 leading independent and Catholic secondary schools in southeast Australia found that boarding and tuition fees for Year 12 students have increased by an average 5.26 per cent from 2023 to 2024.

It is the largest year-on-year increase in the past three years, with the median cost for year 12 tuition and boarding $62,289 across the 30 schools.

The most expensive school on the list, with a 7.1 per cent increase to $84,240 per year, is the prestigious Geelong Grammar School, which has produced notable alumni including King Charles and Rupert Murdoch.

Peninsula Grammar had the biggest rise in fees, with a 9.2 per cent increase to $62,194 per pupil; followed by Genazzano FCJ College in Kew with an 8.6 per cent increase to $68,695; and Methodist Ladies’ College increased 8 per cent to $74,010.

Prince Alfred College, Xavier College and Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston were the only three schools of the 30 to have decreased their Year 12 prices, down 2.6 per cent, 0.8 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively.

Even amid rising costs, more parents across Australia are choosing independent schools for their children, and Independent Schools Australia’s annual snapshot found student enrolments in independent schools grew 3.8 per cent in 2023.

“Schools are trying to deal with rising costs that are evident across the economy with high inflation – including staff, insurance and utilities,” ISA chief executive Graham Catt said.

“Even with significant recent increases in the cost of living, more parents, each and every year, choose independent schools because they offer the choice and diversity they are looking for.”

See our education feature this week and the breakdown of all fees across the 30 schools here.