Perth private girls’ school fees jump 10 per cent while more break $30,000 barrier
Six of Perth’s most prestigious schools will charge parents more than $30,000 this year, with fees across the state expected to rise above last year’s average increase of 4 per cent.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College will be the most expensive school in the state, followed by Christ Church Grammar, Methodist Ladies’ College and Scotch College – all of which are now charging over $32,000.
Parents paying boarding fees will need to fork out almost double – between $50,000 and $60,000 – for the year.
The 10 private schools with the highest fees in the state have raised annual costs by an average of 6.17 per cent, compared to 4.4 per cent in 2023.
St Mary’s Anglican Girls School raised their fees by 10.5 per cent – by far the biggest hike on the list.
Education payment business Edstart’s chief executive Jack Stevens said while they were still analysing the data, it was expected the average fee increase would be above last year’s rise of 3.98 per cent.
“School fees rise in line with the operating costs of each school, with the largest cost for any school being wages and salaries,” he said.
Edstart primarily provides a fee management service to schools to allow them to offer more flexible payment options to families with no extra cost.
The number of schools in WA using this service has doubled in the past 12 months, as parents struggle to keep up with increasing cost of living pressures.
Edstart will release a full report detailing the changing cost of both tuition and boarding fees for all private schools later this month.
Even though education fees are climbing in WA, they are not yet close to rivalling those in the eastern states, where fees are hitting close to $50,000 for a year’s tuition.
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