Prestigious private school fees set to soar at nearly double inflation rate

WA’s most expensive private schools are hitting parents with fee increases of up to 7 per cent next year; This is almost twice the national inflation rate.

The price tag of teaching a Grade 12 student will exceed an eye-watering $35,000 at a handful of prestigious colleges.

Fees at Methodist Ladies’ College will rise to $38,037, but the Claremont school told parents that includes fees previously charged separately, equating to a 6.5 percent increase overall.

“There is a single tuition fee charged for your daughter’s education this year,” MLC said in a letter to parents.

“The 2026 fee increase is consistent with the university’s ongoing operational requirements and has been determined by strict financial management.”

Not all schools have updated their fee schedules on their websites, but of those that did, Como girls’ school Penrhos College had the largest increase of 7.4 per cent, taking its Year 12 tuition fee from $29,895 to $32,137.

At Claremont’s boys-only Christ Church Grammar School, costs will rise 7.2 percent, more than $2,500 to $37,173.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, headline inflation was 3.8 per cent in the 12 months to October, while education inflation rose 5.4 per cent.

Parents of Year 12 students at Swanbourne boys’ school Scotch College will pay $35,932, a 5.5 per cent increase.

The school’s council chairman, Tim Wiese, said in a letter to parents that they were trying to limit fee increases “as much as possible” despite increasing cost pressures.

“In the current environment, the university continues to face high costs, including high teacher headcount, salaries and pension costs, as well as compliance and technology costs,” he wrote.

“The University is finding that maintenance and minor capital works have become more expensive in recent major classroom and facility renovations.

“Importantly, while Scotch receives modest Government funding, this funding is increasing at a rate below inflation, increasing cost pressures for the university.”

Co-ed Bull Creek school All Saints’ College will break the $30,000 price limit for the first time, with fees rising 5.9 per cent to $30,604.

Wembley Downs boys’ college Hale School will charge fees of $34,470, a 5.9 per cent annual increase, while co-educational Guildford Grammar School will increase fees by 6.9 per cent to $29,275.

Despite the huge increases, Perth schools are still cheaper than their counterparts in Sydney or Melbourne; some parents here pay more than $50,000 a year for private education.

Catholic schools, which charge much lower fees for Year 12 tuition fees of around $6,000 a year, will increase their prices by up to 5 per cent.

“Next year, 111 Catholic Education WA Ltd schools have proposed fee increases of 5 per cent or less, with at least 56 schools proposing fee increases below the rate of inflation,” a CEWA spokesman said.

“We are committed to supporting families from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and no family should be denied the opportunity for a Catholic education due to financial hardship.”