Canberra Private School Fees Compared (2026)
4 September 2026
Canberra Grammar charges $33,705 for Year 7 tuition in 2026, rising to $34,880 by Year 12. Radford College charges $24,000. At the other end, the Islamic School of Canberra charges $3,800 across Years 7–12.
Every figure in this article was read from the school's own 2026 fee schedule during the first week of September 2026. Where a school's fees sit behind a login, we say so rather than estimate.
And the most useful finding is not in the tuition column at all. Canberra's three Catholic colleges charge identical tuition — $6,116 for Year 7, every one of them. What separates them is the compulsory levy on top, which ranges from $2,868 to $6,480. A parent comparing them on tuition alone would see no difference whatsoever.
Key takeaways
- Canberra Grammar is the most expensive, at $33,705 tuition for Year 7 and $34,880 for Year 12.
- ACT Catholic tuition is set centrally and is the same at every college — $6,116 in Year 7, $7,623 in Year 12. There is no "Catholic fee range" in Canberra.
- The levy is where schools actually differ. Merici College's Year 7 levy is $6,480 — more than its tuition. St Mary MacKillop's is $2,868.
- Median Year 7 tuition across the 14 schools we verified: $9,190. On a tuition-plus-compulsory-levies basis it is roughly $11,870.
- Three schools do not go to Year 12. Blue Gum, Emmaus and Covenant all finish at Year 10.
- Two schools we could not verify — Brindabella Christian and Orana Steiner both put their 2026 schedules behind blocks we could not read. We have left them out rather than publish a guess.
Correction notice
An earlier version of this article published materially wrong figures — including $27,450 for Canberra Grammar's Year 7 fee, against an actual $33,705. Those numbers came from our own database, which had not been refreshed against schools' published schedules. Readers pointed this out publicly and they were right. Every figure below has now been verified against the source document, and we have noted what each number does and does not include.
Year 7 tuition, 2026
| School | Sector | Year 7 tuition | Plus compulsory levies | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Grammar | Independent | $33,705 | + $800 device levy, $35 P&F, outdoor education billed per day | Distinct Year 7 rate |
| Canberra Girls Grammar | Independent | $31,150 | + $2,150 resource levy, $285 development contribution | Rate covers Years 7–8 |
| Radford College | Independent | $24,000 | + $795 levy, $1,630 capital, $1,050 non-indexing, $1,240 camp | |
| Burgmann Anglican | Independent | $15,900 | + $1,512 fixed levy, $700 capital per family | Rate covers Years 6–8 |
| Trinity Christian | Independent | $14,355 | none itemised — this is an all-in annual fee | Rate covers Years 7–8 |
| Blue Gum Community | Independent | $10,600 | + $1,240 materials, $560–590 camps | Ends at Year 10 |
| Emmaus Christian | Independent | $9,440 | + $1,200 capital levy per family | Camps included; ends at Year 10 |
| Covenant Christian | Independent | $8,940 | + $560 capital, $600 camp | Priced by family size; ends at Year 10 |
| Daramalan College | Independent | $7,890 | + $4,906 levy, $100 P&F → $12,796 total | Rate covers Years 7–8 |
| St Edmund's College | Independent | $7,500 | + $3,825 general levy → $11,325 total | Distinct Year 7 rate |
| Merici College | Catholic | $6,116 | + $6,480 college levy, $639 camps → $13,860 total | |
| St Mary MacKillop | Catholic | $6,116 | + $2,868 college levy, $516 camps → $10,125 total | |
| St Francis Xavier | Catholic | $6,115 | + $4,840 college levy → $10,955 total | |
| Islamic School of Canberra | Independent | $3,800 | + $400 ICT levy | One rate across Years 7–12 |
All three Catholic colleges also pay a $625 per-family Facilities Levy, set archdiocese-wide and rising to $1,000 in 2027.
The finding: tuition tells you almost nothing
Here is the comparison that actually matters, and it is one no fee table we have seen publishes.
Merici's Year 7 levy is larger than its tuition. A family choosing between Merici and St Mary MacKillop on published tuition would conclude the two cost the same; in reality there is $3,735 a year between them.
The same applies outside the Catholic sector. Daramalan's tuition is $7,890 but its compulsory levy adds $4,906, taking a family to $12,796 — more than Trinity Christian's all-in $14,355 suggests when you compare it against Daramalan's tuition alone.
What we deliberately don't do
We don't rank these schools on quality. We hold no NAPLAN, ATAR or ICSEA data for ACT schools. For outcomes, use My School or the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.
We don't publish a figure we could not read. Brindabella Christian's 2026 schedule sits behind a SharePoint login, and Orana Steiner's server blocks automated access. Contact them directly.
We don't mix bases silently. Schools publish fees on genuinely different foundations — Trinity's single number includes everything, Emmaus includes camps in tuition, Daramalan and St Edmund's split tuition from a compulsory levy, and Covenant prices by family composition rather than year level. The table above shows both figures wherever the school publishes enough to compute them.
The help ACT families can claim
The Future of Education Equity Fund pays $400 per preschooler, $500 per primary student and $750 per high-school student to eligible ACT families. It is means-tested and 2026 applications close 27 November 2026. There is no ACT sports voucher scheme. Our state-by-state guide to school cost help covers the equivalents elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
How much do private schools cost in Canberra? Year 7 tuition across the 14 schools we verified runs from $3,800 to $33,705, with a median of $9,190. Once compulsory levies are added, the median rises to roughly $11,870. All figures are 2026 rates read from each school's own published schedule in September 2026.
What is the most expensive school in Canberra? Canberra Grammar School, at $33,705 for Year 7 tuition in 2026, rising to $34,880 in Years 11 and 12. Compulsory extras including an $800 device levy sit on top, and the outdoor education programme is billed separately per day.
Are Catholic schools cheaper in Canberra? Their tuition is lower and identical across colleges — $6,116 in Year 7, set centrally rather than by each school. But the compulsory college levy varies enormously, from $2,868 at St Mary MacKillop to $6,480 at Merici, so total cost ranges from about $10,125 to $13,860. Compare the levy, not the tuition.
Do Canberra school fees rise each year? Yes, and ACT schools publish the following year's schedule in about November. Several Canberra schools raised fees by 8–9% for 2026. Any figure more than a year old will understate what you will actually pay — including figures on comparison sites.
Is there fee help for ACT families? The means-tested Future of Education Equity Fund pays up to $750 per high-school student per year. 2026 applications close 27 November 2026.
Every fee in this article was read from the named school's own 2026 fee schedule between 1 and 5 September 2026, and states whether it is tuition-only or includes levies. Schools set the following year's fees around November, so these figures apply to the 2026 school year. Always confirm directly with the school before enrolling. Corrected 5 September 2026 after readers identified errors in an earlier version.
