THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN A CLASS OF THEIR OWNYou can send your child to a private school and receive an excellent education for less than $10,000 a year.
Today we reveal Australia’s Top 100 Affordable Private Schools, proving you don’t have to remortgage the house to give your children a private school education.
Our analysis, based on official MySchool data, examined every private school’s academic performance, student attendance level, student-teacher ratio and level of socio-educational advantage.
NSW schools made up one-third of the top 100 national list, with 34 spots in total.
All schools in the list charged average fees below $10,000 according to the most recent national data from 2024 – although some of those fees may have increased since then.
The only ACT school to make the top 100 was Trinity Christian School.
Catholic schools made up 24 of the top 100 but, when it comes to affordability and academic outcomes, the independent sector led the way.
Independent schools comprised 76 of the top 100, including 17 of the top 20.
NSW’s top-ranked Catholic school is Marist College Eastwood, which placed 19th in the nation.
But independent schools dominated the list, making up 35 of NSW’s top 50 most affordable schools.
Independent Schools NSW chief executive Margery Evans said the sector’s success comes from understanding their school communities.
“Independent schools tend to know their families well, are mindful of the financial pressures they face and structure their fees accordingly,” Ms Evans said.
“Every aspect of a school’s success, whether it is academic achievement and high attendance records, is the result of staff and families committing to the school’s ideals and values. This creates a positive and supportive educational environment for students that is conducive to achieving good results across many measures.”
National Catholic Education Commission executive director Jacinta Collins said the sector is “deeply committed to keeping education accessible. The vast majority of Catholic schools offer parents the choice of a high-quality, low-fee education in the Catholic tradition.”
Independent Schools Australia (ISA) chief executive Graham Catt said the sector “works hard” to keep fees affordable while still delivering quality education.
“Affordability and quality are not mutually exclusive,” Mr Catt said.
“Across Australia there are many independent schools offering an excellent education for fees well below what many families expect.
“More than 740,000 students attend independent schools, and the majority of their families are low to middle-income earners.
“Families choose independent schools for many reasons – academic outcomes, wellbeing and pastoral care, and specialist programs. For many, the most important reason is a school reflects their values.”
Mr Catt said that diversity is the independent sector’s greatest strength.
“That diversity helps ensure families from all walks of life can find an affordable, high-quality education option that aligns with their values, beliefs and aspirations for their children,” he said.
St Mary’s and St Mina’s Coptic Orthodox College (SMSM) at Rockdale placed 26th in the nation.
Head of school Paul Humble said the school’s affordable fee model and “excellent and consistent academic results” attracted parents from all over Sydney.
“You’re looking at 60 per cent coming from Egyptian Coptic Orthodox heritage, the rest are made up of different groups from Greek to Serbian Orthodox, to Chinese and Indian families.
“We have a good strong mix of families, so when it comes to the affordability of fees, it’s absolutely a passion to keep it as affordable as possible.”
Year 9 student Kermina Andrawes said the Coptic community was “loving and welcoming”.