The Australian cities where parents are paying nearly $90k for their kids’ ‘free’ education – and some are coughing up almost half a MILLION to send them to private schools
- New study has revealed Australia’s most and least expensive cities for education
- Parents across the nation pay between $66k to $448k for 13 years of schooling
- Sydney private and public schools have the highest schooling fees in Australia
- Catholic education in Brisbane costs $154, 341 – the most expensive in the nation
Sydney’s private and public schools are the most expensive in Australia, with some parents paying almost half a million for their child’s education, new research has revealed.
The Futurity Investment Group’s Planning for Education Index found Sydney parents with a child starting at a private school in 2021 will fork out an average of $448,035 over the course of their education.
Parents packing kids off to a Sydney public school this week are predicted to pay $90,122 in total for their schooling, about ten per cent above the national average of $81,823.
But the annual $433 school fee is only a fraction of the total, with the remainder going towards other related costs such as outside tuition, school camps, sports equipment, electronic devices, uniforms and textbooks.
The Futurity Investment Group’s Planning for Education Index has found Sydney private and public schools are the most expensive in the country
Meanwhile, Melbourne ranks close second with private school costs adding up to $393,534 for a student’s primary and secondary education, while those in government schools will pay $86,737 per child.
Brisbane topped the list for the the most expensive catholic education, fetching $266,614 per child over 13 years, followed by Melbourne at $142,923.
While the Harbour City is pricier for public and private schooling, those wanting to give their children a catholic education will pay the least.
Catholic education in Sydney is set to cost $128,828 over a 13-year-period, $136,963 in Perth, and $137, 828 in Adelaide.
Public school parents in Brisbane are forecast to pay $73,159 – the lowest price of the capital cities – while government education will be cheapest in regional Victoria, costing $57,719.
The total cost of public education in Adelaide will set parents back $83,681 in Adelaide, and $74,369 in Perth.
Melbourne ranked second for most expensive public and private education, while Brisbane topped the list for catholic schooling (stock)
Futurity Investment Group also measured the financial impact of COVID-19 and discovered parents spent on average an additional $808 per child on education related expenses as a result of the pandemic.
Forty six per cent of government school parents also spent more than two hours a day during the pandemic supporting their child’s learning, compared to 36 per cent of Catholic school parents and 33 per cent of Independent school parents.
Futurity Group Executive, Kate Hill said the cost of education has risen at more than double the rate of inflation over the past decade.
‘Education costs, including outside tuition, school camps and sports equipment and electronic devices are demanding a far greater share of the family budget than in the past,’ Ms Hill said.
‘More than ever, the costs associated with education are placing more of a burden on Australian families, who are already stretched by the rising cost of living and stagnant wage growth.
‘With less discretionary money to spend, it’s going to be very hard to pay for education, which means parents who have planned and saved will be in a better position in the long run. ‘