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The Top 10 Most Expensive Schools in New South Wales
While New South Wales may not be the home to the most expensive school in Australia, it is certainly the most expensive state in Australia for private education. Overall, private school fees in New South Wales surpass that of any other Australian state.
Over the past few years we have published an annual rundown of the top ten most expensive schools in Australia and while 2023 saw Victoria’s Geelong Grammar School retain its place as the most expensive school in Australia, most of the other schools that made the top ten list were based in New South Wales.
What is the most expensive school in New South Wales?
Kambala School in Rose Bay is the most expensive school in New South Wales, with a tuition fee of $46,300 for a year 12 student in 2023. This places Kambala at only $44 less per year than Australia’s most expensive school, Geelong Grammar.
The top 10 most expensive schools in NSW in 2023
We have compiled a list of the top ten most expensive schools in New South Wales in 2023. Interestingly, all 10 schools will set parents back in excess of $40,000 for a year 12 student.
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $46,300
Location: Rose Bay, New South Wales
Kambala is a Church of England girls’ school based in Rose Bay, an eastern suburb of Sydney. In 2022, two students achieved a perfect 45 out of 45 score (99.95 ATAR equivalent) in the International Baccalaureate while studying at Kambala School.
Notable former students – Michelle Guthrie, Claudia Black, Roxy Jacenko
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $45,044
Location: Darlinghurst, New South Wales
SCEGGS is often among the best-performing schools in New South Wales academically and was not alone in raising its fees for 2023. In 2022 banned students from using mobile phones in order to stop in-class distractions.
Notable former students – Margaret Whitlam, Pamela Stephenson, Blanche d'Alpuget
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $44,600
Location: Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
Earlier in 2023 it was reported that The Scots College was NSW fourth richest school in terms of gross income. 2018 saw the grand opening of The Scots College’s Brighton Preparatory School at a restored Primrose House.
Notable former students – Hiroaki Yura, James Bain, Peter Dowding
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $42,936
Location: North Parramatta, New South Wales
The King’s School is one of the largest boarding school in Australia, with around 430 boarders from its 2,100 student population. The school’s motto is ‘Fortiter et Fideliter’, which translates to ‘Bravery and Faithfully.
Notable former students – Stirling Mortlock, Andrew Upton, Mike Baird
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $42,550
Location: Edgecliff, New South Wales
Based in Edgecliff, this day and boarding school for girls follows the ‘Dalton Plan’ of education. In 2018, Ascham School purchased a highly-sought development site within Darling Point for $14.1 million but has yet to disclose the details of the planned development.
Notable former students – Allegra Spender, Gretel Packer, Mia Freedman
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $42,189
Location: Darlinghurst, New South Wales
2022 was an exceptional year for Sydney Grammar School. NAPLAN ranked their primary school as number one in NSW with an average score of 610.6 based on Year 5 and 573 based on Year 3 – top of the pile for both.
Notable former students – Banjo Patterson, Malcolm Turnbull, Sam Fischer
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $41,889
Location: Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
In late 2022, Cranbrook School opened its new, $125 million Murray Rose Aquatic and Fitness Centre. The design philosophy of the architects was for the for the development to be “a rock pool within a cave”. The senior school will be moving from all boys to co-educational in 2026.
Notable former students – James Packer, Sam Reid, James Fairfax
8. PLC Sydney (Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney)
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $40,948
Location: Croydon, New South Wales
PLC is the oldest, continuously running Presbyterian school in New South Wales, having been established in 1888. Challenging the ladies’ college’s established tradition, students petitioned for pants to be included as a uniform option in 2021.
Notable former students – Mary Fairfax, Carolyn Simpson, Margaret Pomeranz
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $40,920
Location: Summer Hill, New South Wales
Trinity Grammar School was home to seven pupils who achieved a perfect score of 45 out of 45 in their International Baccalaureate for 2022. In 2019, it closed its boarding operations but at the same time announced a major $128 million redevelopment plan for its Summer Hill campus.
Notable former students – Akmal Saleh, Jordan Raskopoulos, Marc Fennell
10. Reddam House
Cost per year for a Year 12 day student - $40,260
Location: Woollahra, New South Wales
Reddam House ranked fifth in the HSC High School Rankings for 2022. In May 2023, Reddam House announced plans to open more campuses in Sydney due to extremely high demand from their waiting list – currently five times the amount of students it can admit.
Notable former students – Gemma Chua Tran, Ben Pasternak, Tia Hinds
How do I start saving for my children’s education?
As you can see, funding a private school education in NSW for your child(ren) or loved ones, may require careful financial planning. So, it makes sense to start planning as early as possible. That’s where Futurity can help. Find out more about our innovative range of Education Bonds, or talk to your Financial Adviser.