Overview
- At least 20 of 32 Sydney independent schools are lifting fees by 5% or more this year, outpacing the 3.4% consumer price index, according to a Herald analysis.
- The Scots College set Year 12 tuition at $54,822 after a 6.5% rise, and fees at Sydney Grammar, Trinity Grammar and Cranbrook also exceed $50,000.
- School leaders cite staffing as roughly 70% of costs, recent teacher pay rises of about 5–12%, and facility upgrades such as aquatic redevelopments as key pressures.
- Principals report government funding changes tied to measured parent incomes have reduced support for some schools, driving steeper increases in fees.
- Futurity’s Cost of Education Index finds Brisbane’s Catholic schooling has the highest 13‑year cost at more than $270,000, with many parents cutting extras and one‑third using credit to pay education bills.