Choosing a school is one of the biggest decisions a family makes, and for many Australian families it includes weighing up non-government schools: Catholic, independent, faith-based or philosophy-based. The decision is part educational, part emotional and part financial. Private School News is an independent guide to making it well. We explain how to compare schools fairly, see past the marketing, understand fees and contracts, find fee assistance and navigate enrolment.
We don't rank schools, publish league tables or take payment from schools for editorial coverage. We don't publish fees either, because they vary too much and date too quickly. Instead, our guides help you ask the right questions and use public information well, and our cost planner turns a school's own fee schedule into a realistic multi-year total.
Choosing a school
Start with your child, then use data and visits to narrow the field. Our choosing section covers:
- Comparing schools with My School: ICSEA, similar-background comparisons, progress and finances.
- School tours and open days: what to watch for and red flags.
- Questions to ask a school: learning, wellbeing, support, fees and terms.
- Boarding schools: readiness, pastoral care, costs and government help.
Costs
The tuition figure is only the start. Our costs section covers:
- Understanding school fees: levies, deposits, discounts, extras and increases.
- Budgeting for school: planning, saving and where to find help.
- Scholarships and bursaries: types, applications and conditions.
- Enrolment contracts and notice: deposits, notice periods and unfair terms.
Enrolling
From applications to the first day, and sometimes a move. Our enrolling section covers:
- Applications and waiting lists: timelines, priority rules and offers.
- How school funding works: the Schooling Resource Standard and capacity to contribute.
- School types explained: sectors, labels and registration.
- Changing schools: notice, timing and settling in.
Use the data, but don't be ruled by it
ACARA's My School has a profile for every Australian school, government and non-government, covering enrolments, staffing, attendance, NAPLAN results, finances and more. It's the best free starting point for comparison. But raw test averages largely reflect students' backgrounds. ACARA's ICSEA index, with an average of 1,000, describes that background and, as ACARA says, is not a rating of the school. Comparisons with students from a similar background, and progress between NAPLAN tests two years apart, tell you more. Use the data to shortlist and to prepare questions, then visit.
Know what you're signing
Most enrolment agreements are standard form consumer contracts. The ACCC explains that unfair terms in these contracts are prohibited, with penalties since 9 November 2023. In 2022, an ACT tribunal found a school's one-term notice clause void as unfair in the context of that contract. Before you pay a deposit, read the terms on fees, notice and withdrawal.
Understand why fees vary
Non-government schools receive public funding based on the Schooling Resource Standard, a base amount per student plus loadings for extra needs. According to the Department of Education, most non-government schools have their base amount reduced by between 10 and 80 per cent according to their community's capacity to contribute, measured since 2022 by parents' median income. Fees fill the gap and pay for each school's choices about facilities and programs.
Plan the full cost
Moneysmart reminds families that excursions, camps, sport and music add up, on top of uniforms, books and devices. Fees are often reviewed each year. Our cost planner lets you enter a school's published fee, your estimate of extras, the years your child will attend and an assumed yearly rise to see the total, the monthly cost and how much to set aside before you start. If money is tight, Moneysmart points to school payment plans and hardship support, No Interest Loans of up to $2,000 and Saver Plus matched savings of up to $500.
Five principles for choosing well
- Start with your child. Their needs and personality matter more than reputation.
- Compare fairly. Include a government school and use similar-background comparisons.
- Visit on an ordinary day. Watch students and staff when they're not performing.
- Count every cost. Levies, extras and increases, for every year you plan to stay.
- Read the contract. Deposits, notice and fee change terms bind you.
Who we are
Private School News is an independent information site for Australian families. We write every guide in our own words, rely on authoritative sources such as ACARA, the Australian Government Department of Education, Moneysmart, the ACCC, state regulators and Services Australia, and list sources on every page. We never invent statistics, fees or quotes. Read more about us and our editorial policy.
