Darwin Private School Fees 2026: Every School Compared, Plus Alice Springs

Darwin's most expensive private school is Haileybury Rendall School, at $18,846 a year for Years 7 to 9. That is its 2027 fee: the school has already replaced its 2026 schedule online. The Essington School is next at $16,690 all-in on its 2027 schedule. Below those two there is a gap of more than $8,500. Every other Darwin and Palmerston private school with a 2026 schedule charges $5,530 to $8,111 for Year 7, and most quote one all-in fee. St John's Catholic College shows $4,507 on its 2027 schedule. We read every figure below at each school's own fee schedule in October 2026.

Key takeaways

• 14 Northern Territory private schools publish a Year 7 fee: 10 in Darwin and Palmerston, 4 in Alice Springs. They run from $4,507 (St John's Catholic College, 2027) to $18,846 (Haileybury Rendall, 2027).
• Darwin has two price tiers and nothing between them. No Darwin school charges between $8,111 and $16,690 for Year 7. Only St Philip's College in Alice Springs ($10,990) sits in that range.
• Most NT schools quote one all-in fee. That makes them easier to compare than southern schools, but watch the exceptions. Milkwood Steiner's $4,910 tuition is $8,111 with its compulsory resources fee.
• Six years at Haileybury Rendall costs about $114,700, roughly three times six years at a Darwin Catholic college.
• Every NT student gets a $200 Back to School Payment, at government and non-government schools alike.

Every Darwin and Palmerston private school with a published fee

Fees are for a first child in Year 7, domestic day student, before sibling or early-payment discounts. "Compulsory total" is tuition plus every levy all students pay. Where a school charges one all-in fee, that single figure is the total.

Haileybury Rendall, The Essington School and St John's Catholic College now publish only their 2027 schedules, so those rows show 2027 fees. Essington's total includes its $200 resource levy and the $100 company membership every family pays. Haileybury Rendall bands Years 7 to 9 together. MacKillop and O'Loughlin also band Years 7 to 9 and Years 7 to 8.

Alice Springs

St Philip's printed total includes a $600 building levy billed per family, an outdoor education fee, resource and ICT levies, and a $25 parents' association donation. Araluen Christian runs to Year 9 and Alice Springs Steiner to Class 9.

Schools to ask directly

• St Joseph's Catholic College, Katherine: ask the college office for its 2026 schedule.
• Yirara College, Alice Springs, is a boarding college for Aboriginal students from remote communities. It doesn't publish a fee schedule; ask the college how ABSTUDY applies.
• Catholic primary schools set their fees school by school. Ask the school you're considering.

The real six-year bill

We added each school's own year-by-year compulsory fees from Year 7 to Year 12. Only schools that publish a fee for every one of those years are included.

The gap at the top is wide. Haileybury Rendall's six years come to $114,666 on its 2027 schedule, and Essington's to $104,154. MacKillop ($37,920) and O'Loughlin ($36,525, before its ICT levy) cost about a third as much. St Philip's in Alice Springs sits in between at $72,400.

Year 7 is often the cheapest secondary year

Several Darwin schools charge less in Year 7 than in the years that follow, so budgeting from the Year 7 fee alone will mislead you:

• Good Shepherd Lutheran College: $6,870 in Year 7, then $8,670 a year in Years 8 to 10. That is a 26% jump at Year 8. Years 11 and 12 drop back to $8,320.
• Palmerston Christian College: $6,660 in Year 7, rising to $8,140 in Year 10, then $7,790 in Years 11 and 12. Year 10 is the most expensive year. Marrara and Sattler Christian follow the same pattern.
• O'Loughlin Catholic College: $5,530 in Years 7 and 8, $5,788 in Year 9, $6,487 in Year 10 and $6,595 in Years 11 and 12.

2027 fees are already out

Some NT schools publish next year's fees by spring. Where both years are visible, the rise is modest. MacKillop Catholic College goes from $5,670 to $5,892 for Years 7 to 9 (up $222, or 3.9%). If you're enrolling for 2027, ask every school for its 2027 schedule now rather than budgeting from this year's.

Boarding in the Territory

Two schools in our tables publish boarding fees. Haileybury Rendall charges $38,136 a year (2027) for boarding, on top of tuition. St Philip's College charges $29,600 a year for Years 7 to 12, on top of its day fees. For girls' boarding options interstate, see our girls' boarding schools list.

How government secondary works in Darwin

Darwin's government system splits secondary school into two stages: middle schools for Years 7 to 9 and senior colleges for Years 10 to 12. Most private schools in the table run straight through from Year 7 to Year 12. When you compare, you are weighing one continuous school against two government moves. Browse every school on our Northern Territory schools page or the NT school fees page.

Help with costs

• Back to School Payment: every NT student from preschool to Year 12, at a government or non-government school, gets $200 a year. The school organises it, and it must be spent by the end of Term 3.
• Sibling and concession discounts: Catholic schools in the NT share a sibling discount across all Catholic schools in the Territory, and offer a discount to Health Care Card holders. Ask any school about concessions before you assume the full fee.
• Sport and activity vouchers: see our state-by-state voucher guide for the current NT round.

What's around the schools

In our Kids' Activity Index, the NT suburbs with the most listed kids' activities are Alice Springs (13), Marrara (11, home to Marrara Christian College) and Nightcliff (4). See all kids' activities in the Northern Territory, or our free kids' activities in Darwin guide.

What we don't rank

Parents often look for a league table, but this post orders schools by fee and nothing else. We don't rank schools on NAPLAN, ATAR or reputation. For each school's details, start with its AroundSchools profile (linked in the tables) and the My School website.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most expensive school in Darwin?

Haileybury Rendall School in Berrimah: $18,846 a year for Years 7 to 9 and $19,376 for Years 10 to 12, on its 2027 schedule. The Essington School is next at $16,690 all-in for Years 7 to 9 (2027).

How much are private school fees in Darwin?

Apart from the two premium schools, Darwin and Palmerston private schools on a 2026 schedule charge $5,530 to $8,111 for Year 7. Most quote one all-in figure: Good Shepherd Lutheran $6,870, Palmerston Christian $6,660, Marrara Christian $6,620, MacKillop $5,670.

How much do Catholic schools cost in Darwin?

Each Catholic college sets its own fee, guided by a diocesan tuition fee. For 2026 Year 7, MacKillop Catholic College charges $5,670 and O'Loughlin Catholic College $5,530, plus a compulsory ICT levy. St John's Catholic College charges $4,507 on its 2027 schedule.

How much are private schools in Alice Springs?

St Philip's College is the dearest, at $10,990 for Year 7 including levies. Araluen Christian College charges $6,580, The Alice Springs Steiner School $6,533 and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College $5,500.

How do Darwin's premium private schools compare?

We don't rank schools on academic results. By fee, Haileybury Rendall and The Essington School are Darwin's premium tier, and both run from the early years to Year 12. Compare their programs, class sizes and travel time alongside the fee table above.

Related reading

• Private school fees by capital city (2026)
• The most expensive schools in Australia in 2026
• Best suburbs for families in Darwin
• The Year 7 cliff: when private school fees actually jump

How we checked: every fee is from the school's own published schedule (PDF or fees page), read in October 2026. Fees are annual, domestic, day student, first child, before discounts. Where a school now shows only its 2027 schedule, the row says 2027. Fees change every year, so confirm with the school before you enrol.