The most expensive private school in north Queensland is Townsville Grammar School: $17,820 for Year 7 in 2026, its tuition plus a $400 general purpose levy. The Cathedral School in Townsville is next, with tuition of $14,772. After those two, every Townsville and Cairns private school with a published 2026 fee charges $4,420 to $8,000 for Year 7 once compulsory levies are counted. At three of the four Cairns Catholic colleges, the compulsory levies are bigger than the tuition itself. We read every figure below at each school's own 2026 fee schedule in October 2026.
Key takeaways
- 15 Townsville and Cairns private schools publish a 2026 Year 7 fee. Compulsory totals run from $4,420 (Burdekin Catholic High, Ayr) to $17,820 (Townsville Grammar).
- Two schools, then a cliff. Townsville Grammar and The Cathedral School charge $14,000+ in tuition. The dearest of the rest is Peace Lutheran College in Cairns, at $8,000.
- Catholic tuition is set by the diocese; the bill is not. Cairns Catholic tuition is $3,132 for Years 7 to 9 everywhere, but compulsory totals range from $6,012 to $7,905 because each college adds its own levies.
- Tuition can be less than half the bill. At St Augustine's College in Cairns, $3,132 tuition becomes $7,905. Compare compulsory totals, never tuition.
- Six years at Townsville Grammar costs $108,588, about three times six years at a Townsville Catholic college.
What Year 7 really costs in Townsville and Cairns
Compulsory annual total, first child, day student, 2026. Darker yellow = tuition, lighter = compulsory levies the school adds on top.
Townsville Grammar School
North Ward
$17,820
Peace Lutheran College
Kamerunga
$8,000
St Augustine's College
Cairns City
$7,905
Cairns City
$7,450
Redlynch
$7,422
Calvary Christian College
Mount Louisa
$7,290
Brinsmead
$7,200
The Strand
$6,950
Kirwan
$6,212
MacKillop Catholic College
Mount Peter
$6,012
St Margaret Mary's College
Hyde Park
$5,838
Townsville Christian College
Vincent
$5,400
Deeragun
$5,218
$4,420
So what: at three Cairns Catholic colleges, tuition is barely 40% of the bill. St Augustine's tuition is $3,132; the compulsory total is $7,905.
Each school's own 2026 fee schedule, read October 2026 · aroundschools.com.au
Every Townsville private school with a published 2026 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, with family levies counted once. Where a school charges one all-in fee, that figure is the total.
| School | Suburb | Sector | Year 7 tuition | Year 7 compulsory total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Townsville Grammar School | North Ward | Independent | $17,420 | $17,820 |
| The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James | Mundingburra | Independent (Anglican) | $14,772 | Levies not listed online — ask the school |
| Calvary Christian College | Mount Louisa | Independent (Christian) | $6,690 | $7,290 |
| St Patrick's College | The Strand | Catholic (Mercy), girls | $6,150 | $6,950 |
| Ryan Catholic College | Kirwan | Catholic | one all-in fee | $6,212 |
| St Margaret Mary's College | Hyde Park | Catholic, girls | $2,928 | $5,838 |
| Townsville Christian College | Vincent | Independent (Christian) | $3,700 | $5,400 |
| St Anthony's Catholic College | Deeragun | Catholic | $2,928 | $5,218 |
| Burdekin Catholic High School | Ayr | Catholic | $2,928 | $4,420 |
Burdekin Catholic High is in Ayr, about an hour south of Townsville. Ryan Catholic College publishes one total that covers tuition, its family levy and secondary resources levy. Calvary Christian College's Year 12 students also pay a $1,235 camp and graduation charge.
Every Cairns private school with a published 2026 fee
| School | Suburb | Sector | Year 7 tuition | Year 7 compulsory total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peace Lutheran College | Kamerunga | Independent (Lutheran) | $3,300 | $8,000 |
| St Augustine's College | Cairns City | Catholic, boys | $3,132 | $7,905 |
| St Monica's College | Cairns City | Catholic, girls | $3,132 | $7,450 |
| St Andrew's Catholic College | Redlynch | Catholic | $3,132 | $7,422 |
| Freshwater Christian College | Brinsmead | Independent (Christian) | one all-in fee | $7,200 |
| MacKillop Catholic College | Mount Peter | Catholic | $3,132 | $6,012 (the school's own worked example) |
St Augustine's (boys) and St Monica's (girls) are the two single-sex Catholic colleges in central Cairns. Peace Lutheran's resource levy is $4,450 in Years 7 and 8, rising to $4,950 in Year 12. Freshwater Christian's single fee includes camps, excursions and a Chromebook.
Schools to ask directly
These schools don't put a full 2026 fee schedule on their public website. Ask the school for its schedule, including levies:
- Townsville: Ignatius Park College (boys), Annandale Christian College, Shalom Christian College.
- Cairns: St Mary's Catholic College (Woree), Newman Catholic College, and Trinity Anglican School, which publishes its schedule in an online document viewer.
- Charters Towers boarding schools: Blackheath and Thornburgh College and Columba Catholic College. All Souls St Gabriels publishes tuition of $10,597 for Year 7, plus an IT levy and boarding fees.
Catholic fees: one tuition, many totals
Both north Queensland dioceses set Catholic tuition centrally, so the tuition line is the same at every systemic college:
- Diocese of Cairns, 2026: $3,132 a year for Years 7 to 9 and $3,847 for Years 10 to 12. The 2027 schedule is already out: $3,260 and $4,004, a rise of about 4.1%. Country schools such as Mount St Bernard College at Herberton get 10% off.
- Townsville diocesan colleges, 2026: $2,928 for secondary students at St Margaret Mary's, St Anthony's and Burdekin Catholic High. St Patrick's College and Ignatius Park set their own fees.
The levies are where the colleges differ. In Cairns, the same $3,132 tuition becomes $6,012 at MacKillop, $7,422 at St Andrew's, $7,450 at St Monica's and $7,905 at St Augustine's. In Townsville, $2,928 becomes $4,420 at Burdekin, $5,218 at St Anthony's and $5,838 at St Margaret Mary's. At St Augustine's, St Monica's and St Andrew's, the real bill is more than double the tuition.
Tuition is not the bill
| School | Tuition | Compulsory total | Tuition as a share of the bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Augustine's College, Cairns | $3,132 | $7,905 | 40% |
| Peace Lutheran College, Cairns | $3,300 | $8,000 | 41% |
| St Monica's College, Cairns | $3,132 | $7,450 | 42% |
| St Margaret Mary's College, Townsville | $2,928 | $5,838 | 50% |
| Townsville Christian College | $3,700 | $5,400 | 69% |
| St Patrick's College, Townsville | $6,150 | $6,950 | 88% |
| Townsville Grammar School | $17,420 | $17,820 | 98% |
The pattern runs against intuition. The more expensive the school, the closer tuition is to the full bill. At the lower-fee schools, levies for resources, technology, camps and buildings can be half the cost or more. If a school quotes you tuition only, ask for the compulsory total.
The real six-year bill
We added each school's own 2026 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 real six-year bill: Years 7 to 12
Sum of each school's own 2026 year-by-year compulsory fees. Only schools that publish every year from 7 to 12 are shown.
Townsville Grammar School
North Ward
$108,588
Peace Lutheran College
Kamerunga
$50,950
St Monica's College
Cairns City
$47,850
Freshwater Christian College
Brinsmead
$46,200
Calvary Christian College
Mount Louisa
$44,670
St Patrick's College
The Strand
$42,200
Ryan Catholic College
Kirwan
$37,272
St Margaret Mary's College
Hyde Park
$35,028
Townsville Christian College
Vincent
$32,400
St Anthony's Catholic College
Deeragun
$31,308
Burdekin Catholic High School
Ayr
$26,944
So what: six years at Townsville Grammar costs about $108,600 — roughly three times the $35,000 at a Townsville Catholic college.
Each school's own 2026 fee schedule, read October 2026 · aroundschools.com.au
Townsville Grammar's six years come to $108,588. Among the rest, Peace Lutheran ($50,950) and St Monica's ($47,850) are the dearest, Townsville's diocesan Catholic colleges cost $31,308 to $37,272, and Burdekin Catholic High in Ayr $26,944. Several schools charge the same fee in every secondary year, St Margaret Mary's and Ryan among them, which makes their budgets easy to plan.
Boarding in north Queensland
Four schools in our tables publish a 2026 boarding fee, each billed in addition to day fees:
| School | Annual boarding fee |
|---|---|
| St Augustine's College, Cairns (boys; also invoices St Monica's girls' boarding) | $26,595 |
| Townsville Grammar School | $25,916 (+ $175 boarding technology levy) |
| Peace Lutheran College, Cairns | $25,500 |
| St Patrick's College, Townsville (girls) | $25,195 |
See our girls' boarding schools list for options across the country.
Help with costs
- Textbook and Resource Allowance: the Queensland Government pays $164 per student in Years 7 to 10 and $357 in Years 11 and 12 to every school, including non-state schools. It goes to the school, not to you. Some schools say it already reduces their resource fee.
- Sibling and concession discounts: Cairns Catholic schools take 15% off tuition for a second child and 30% for a third. Townsville diocesan colleges such as St Margaret Mary's and Burdekin Catholic High give Health Care Card holders 70% off tuition. Ask every school about concessions before you assume the full fee.
- Sport and activity vouchers: see our state-by-state voucher guide for Queensland's current Play On! round.
What's around the schools
When you visit schools, look at what's nearby for after school too. Browse listed kids' activities in Townsville, North Ward, Mundingburra and Cairns, and our Kids' Activity Index for how suburbs compare across Queensland. For the bigger move, see the most livable suburbs in Queensland and the Queensland school holiday dates.
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 Townsville?
Townsville Grammar School: $17,420 tuition plus a $400 general purpose levy, so $17,820 for Year 7 in 2026, and $18,376 in Years 10 to 12. The Cathedral School of St Anne and St James is next, with Year 7 tuition of $14,772.
How much are private schools in Townsville?
Apart from Townsville Grammar and The Cathedral School, Townsville private schools charge $4,420 to $7,290 for Year 7 in 2026 once compulsory levies are added. Catholic colleges sit at $4,420 to $6,950, and Calvary Christian College at $7,290.
How much are private schools in Cairns?
The six Cairns schools in our table charge $6,012 to $8,000 for Year 7 in 2026, including levies. Peace Lutheran College is the dearest at $8,000; MacKillop Catholic College is the least at $6,012.
How much are Catholic school fees in Cairns?
Tuition is set by the Diocese of Cairns: $3,132 for Years 7 to 9 and $3,847 for Years 10 to 12 in 2026, rising to $3,260 and $4,004 in 2027. Each college adds its own levies, so Year 7 compulsory totals run from $6,012 (MacKillop) to $7,905 (St Augustine's).
Are there private boarding schools in north Queensland?
Yes. In Townsville, Townsville Grammar and St Patrick's College board; in Cairns, St Augustine's, St Monica's and Peace Lutheran do; and Charters Towers has several boarding schools. Published 2026 boarding fees run from $25,195 to $26,595 a year on top of day fees.
Related reading
- Brisbane private and Catholic school fees 2026 compared
- Sunshine Coast schools in 2026
- Catholic vs independent school fees in Australia
- The most expensive schools in Australia in 2026
- Compare schools on the Queensland school fees page or browse independent schools in Queensland
How we checked: every fee is from the school's own published 2026 schedule (PDF or fees page), read in October 2026. Fees are annual, domestic, day student, first child, before discounts. Fees change every year, so confirm with the school before you enrol.
