What international school fees in Australia actually cost
What would these schools cost for your child?
Every school publishes a fees page. Almost none of them publish what a family actually
transfers in a year. The gap is not dishonesty — tuition, boarding, one-off enrolment
charges and compulsory extras are each set by a different part of the school, and no single
page owns the total.
This guide walks through each layer in the order you will meet it.
Tuition is quoted three different ways
The first number you see is tuition. It varies by year level, by
domestic versus international status, and sometimes by pathway
— a school offering the IB Diploma often charges more for Years 11 and 12 than it does for
the state curriculum.
International tuition typically runs 25–35% above the domestic figure at the same year
level. That premium is not a markup on teaching; it covers the additional reporting,
guardianship checks and English support that come with an overseas enrolment.
| Year levels | Pathway | Domestic / yr | International / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prep – Year 4 | Standard | A$21,000 | A$26,000 |
| Year 5 – 6 | Standard | A$24,500 | A$31,000 |
| Year 7 – 9 | Standard | A$30,000 | A$38,500 |
| Year 10 – 12 | Standard | A$33,000 | A$42,000 |
| Year 11 – 12 | IB Diploma | A$35,500 | A$45,000 |
Indicative mid-range figures across Venn partner schools for the 2026 intake. Individual schools vary widely — always ask for a written total for your child’s year level.
Boarding is a separate contract
Boarding is never inside tuition. It is quoted per year on top, and at most schools it
lands between A$28,000 and A$38,000. Weekly and flexi-boarding options exist
at some schools and cost proportionally less, but they are rarely available to international
students, who generally need full-time supervision to satisfy visa conditions.
Homestay is the alternative — usually A$18,000 to A$24,000 a year including meals — but
the placement is arranged through an agency rather than the school, and quality varies far
more.
For a Year 8 international boarding student, tuition plus boarding is realistically
A$66,000–A$76,000 a year before anything else. If a school quotes you A$38,500, that is
tuition alone.
One-off charges arrive before term one
These are small individually and meaningful together.
- Application fee — A$100 to A$400, per school, non-refundable
- Confirmation deposit — usually one term of tuition, credited to your first invoice
- Boarding bond — A$2,000 to A$5,000, refundable on exit
- Uniform and equipment — A$800 to A$2,500 in the first year
- Overseas Student Health Cover — A$600 to A$900 per year, mandatory for the visa
The extras nobody puts on the fees page
Camps, instrument hire, sports tours, laptop programs and subject levies are billed through
the year. Across our families the realistic allowance is A$2,000–A$5,000
annually, and it skews high in Years 9 and 10 when outdoor education programs run.
If your child needs ELICOS — intensive English before mainstream entry — budget a further
A$400–A$550 per week for 10 to 40 weeks. We cover that in
EAL, ELICOS and what your child actually
needs.
Putting it together
For a Year 8 international student boarding at a mid-range independent school:
| Item | First year | Following years |
|---|---|---|
| International tuition | A$38,500 | A$38,500 |
| Boarding | A$32,000 | A$32,000 |
| One-off charges | A$6,500 | — |
| Health cover and extras | A$4,000 | A$3,500 |
| Total | A$81,000 | A$74,000 |
How Venn handles this
Every school profile shows domestic, international and boarding figures separately, for the
year level you are actually applying to. A school that sits just outside your budget is shown
and labelled rather than hidden — because a 5% gap is often worth a conversation.
Want to speak to a real adviser?
Keep reading
EAL, ELICOS and what your child actually needs