Private School Fees Explained: Tuition, Levies, Extras, and How to Compare a Fee Schedule
Written by
BestSchools Team
Private school fees are the amounts a non-government school asks families to pay. There is no single Australian fee, and this page does not list what any named school charges.
As of 20 October 2026, the latest national money figures are for the 2024 calendar year in ACARA's National Report on Schooling in Australia 2024, opens in a new tab. A 2027 national fee average has not been published. For the sector choice itself, use public vs private schools and government, Catholic and independent schools.
What do private school fees actually cover?
Parents usually meet three kinds of cost. Schools do not all use the same names.
Tuition is the main charge for teaching. Levies are compulsory add-ons. A school might call them a building levy, a technology levy or a consolidated charge. Extras are the costs around the school day, such as uniforms, a device, camps, sport, music, transport and subject charges.
ACARA's My School method uses one income line called fees, charges and parent contributions, opens in a new tab. That is income the school receives from parents for education services. The financial reporting notes, opens in a new tab say it can include compulsory charges, some activities, and excursion costs. It is not a tidy split between tuition and extras, and it is not your invoice.
What the national figures say, and what they do not
These are average school income figures for the 2024 calendar year, from the National Report. They include government funding. They are not the fee a family pays.
| Sector | Average gross income per student, 2024 | Share from families |
|---|---|---|
| Government | $20,368 | 4.0% from fees, charges, parent contributions and other private sources combined |
| Catholic | $22,067 | 24.8% from fees, charges and private contributions |
| Independent | $28,642 | 46.6% from fees, charges and parent contributions, plus 5.2% from other private sources |
Read the independent row with care. Almost half of average income came from parent payments. The rest was mostly government funding. A high-fee school and a low-fee school are both inside that average. ACARA also notes that some non-systemic Catholic schools are counted with independent schools, which changes the sector split.
How Australian schools are funded explains the Schooling Resource Standard and why income is not a quality score.
How to compare a fee schedule
Ask for the current schedule for your child's year level, in writing. Then check each line.
- Is the figure tuition only, or tuition plus compulsory levies?
- Which levies are charged every year, and which change in senior years?
- What is not included? Uniforms, devices, books, camps, sport, music, outdoor education and travel are the usual gaps.
- Is a sibling discount applied before or after other reductions?
- Does a scholarship or bursary reduce tuition only? The scholarship guide covers what an award often leaves out.
- Is the figure per term or per year, and which year level does it cover? Senior years often cost more than the primary years on the same page.
- What is the notice period if you leave, what is refundable, and what does the school keep?
- Are application or enrolment deposits separate from fees?
- Does a line say "indicative" or "to be confirmed"? That is not a quote yet.
Put two or three schedules next to each other for the same year level. A lower tuition line can still be the dearer option once levies and camps are included.
Do this on the school's own document. A number you saw in a news story, or on a forum, is not the schedule.
Fees are only one part of fit
Sort the costs against the rest of the decision
The School Choice Assessment covers budget, travel, sector and learning priorities. It does not price a school or produce a ranked shortlist.
About five minutes. Confirm every dollar with the school.
Government schools are not cost-free
Eligible Australian students do not pay tuition at their local government school. Families still budget for uniforms, devices, excursions and voluntary contributions. The 4.0% figure above is school income, not a bill you should expect to pay.
Catholic and independent schools set their own fees. Queensland's enrolment page, opens in a new tab notes that Catholic and independent schools often take applications well ahead. The fee is still a school-by-school document.
When you have real schedules, compare the schools in Compare Schools and keep looking in the directory. Do not treat a sector average as a quote.
Official sources
- ACARA, National Report on Schooling in Australia 2024, opens in a new tab
- ACARA, School income, opens in a new tab
- ACARA fact sheet, Interpreting financial data, opens in a new tab
- My School financial reporting methodology (PDF), opens in a new tab
- Queensland Department of Education, Enrolment, opens in a new tab
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to go next
Turn this research into a clearer shortlist
Three practical ways to move from reading to action.
- Start the assessment
Take the School Choice Assessment
Get a personalised report based on your budget, commute, sector and learning priorities.
- Compare schools
Compare shortlisted schools
Put up to three schools side by side so trade-offs are easier to spot.
- Open schools map
Browse schools near you
Compare nearby schools by location, sector, type and fees.
