Most Expensive Schools in Adelaide: 2026 Private and Catholic Fees

Of the Adelaide schools that publish their fees, St Peter's College is the most expensive for Year 7 in 2026, at $32,970 a year, and Pembroke School is the most expensive for Years 10–12, at $34,944 — just $184 ahead of St Peter's by Year 12. Both figures are the compulsory yearly cost for a day student, read from each school's own 2026 fee schedule in October 2026. Prince Alfred College, Westminster, Wilderness and Seymour give their schedules only on request, so none of the four can be ranked here.

The short answer. Year 7: St Peter's College, $32,970. Years 10–12: Pembroke School, $34,944. By Year 12, six independent schools sit within $1,870 of each other.

Key takeaways

• The dearest school depends on the year level. St Peter's College leads in Year 7 ($32,970); Pembroke leads in Years 10–12 ($34,944). St Peter's Year 12 fee is $34,760 — $184 behind.
• The gap closes as children get older. In Year 7 the six dearest independents span $4,650 ($28,320 to $32,970). By Year 12 they span $1,870 ($33,074 to $34,944).
• Six years from Year 7 to Year 12 cost $189,583 (Pulteney) to $204,130 (St Peter's College) at the six dearest independents, before the extras some schools bill separately.
• Catholic colleges climb faster. Mercedes is the dearest of the four we read ($16,830 in Year 7, $19,800 in Year 12), and three of the four climb faster than any independent in the table — Cabra's Year 12 fee is 45% above its Year 7 fee.
• Four well-known names are missing from the ranking. Prince Alfred, Westminster, Wilderness and Seymour release their schedules only on request — ask each for the year your child starts.

Which Adelaide school is the most expensive in 2026?

These are the seven independent schools whose 2026 schedules are public and carry a full Year 7 to Year 12 ladder. “Compulsory” means tuition plus the fixed charges each schedule lists as compulsory; voluntary building-fund donations are left out. Where a school prices Years 10–12 together, that one figure is shown as Year 12.

Distances are straight-line from the Adelaide CBD, from the school locations in our directory. All seven sit within 7 km of the city centre. Westminster, at Marion (9.3 km), is outside that ring and doesn't publish a schedule.

Why does the answer change between Year 7 and Year 12?

Because schools climb at different speeds. St Peter's College starts highest and climbs least: $32,970 in Year 7 to $34,760 in Year 12, an extra $1,790 (5.4%). Pembroke starts $1,083 lower and climbs $3,057 (9.6%), which is enough to overtake.

Among the independents, the girls' schools climb furthest. Walford's Year 12 fee is $5,900 (20.8%) above its Year 7 fee, and St Peter's Girls' is $4,900 (16.7%) above. Pulteney adds $4,642 (16.3%).

Year 7 is usually the cheapest year to arrive. At five of the seven independents in the table, the fee in your child's last year is at least 7.8% higher than the fee in their first. The flattest ladders are Concordia ($50 apart) and St Peter's College (5.4%).

What does Year 7 to Year 12 cost in total?

At St Peter's College the six years from Year 7 to Year 12 add up to $204,130; at Pembroke, $202,491. St Peter's Girls' School comes to $198,800, Scotch College $196,800, Walford $195,620 and Pulteney $189,583. That is $14,547 between the top and the bottom of the six, before any extras.

Read the bases before comparing. St Peter's, Pembroke, Walford and St Peter's Girls' include their compulsory fixed charges. Scotch's total is tuition only, and Pulteney bills camps, excursions and co-curricular items on top, so both would rise once those are counted.

Each total adds up the school's own 2026 fee for every year from Year 7 to Year 12. Fees change every year, so a child starting later will pay more — treat the total as a floor, not a quote.

What do Catholic schools in Adelaide cost?

Mercedes College is the dearest of the four Catholic colleges we read: $16,830 in Year 7 and $19,800 in Year 12. The others are far lower, but three of the four climb faster than any independent in the table — Rostrevor's compulsory cost rises 48.2% between Year 7 and Year 12.

Cabra says it keeps Year 7 “at a lower rate to support families transitioning from primary schools”; its Year 7 fee sits $3,800 below Year 12. Catholic schools also discount heavily for siblings: Mercedes takes 20%, 40%, 65% and 100% off tuition for the second to fifth child at the school, and Cabra's family discount runs from 12.5% to 25% and counts brothers and sisters at Catholic primary schools.

Our Catholic versus independent fees comparison shows the national gap, and the Year 7 cliff explains why fees step up where they do.

Which expensive Adelaide schools don't publish their fees?

Four well-known schools give families their 2026 schedule only on request:

• Prince Alfred College — its fees page carries “2026 Fee Schedule” and “2026 International Fee Schedule” headings with a form under each, and no table of figures.
• Westminster School — “To request a copy of our Fee Schedule simply fill out the form below.”
• Wilderness School — its fees page lists no figures and asks families to contact the Enrolments Manager.
• Seymour College — its fees page asks families to request the 2026 schedule through a form.

Ask each one for the year your child will start, the total compulsory annual cost, and what is billed separately. Treat a figure from a comparison site as a lead until you have seen the school's own schedule — for example, $34,760 is St Peter's College's all-in Year 12 total (tuition $31,800, fixed charge $2,240, IT levy $720), so a site that lists it as “tuition” overstates tuition by $2,960.

What do fees leave out?

The tables above show what each school makes compulsory. Four things sit outside them:

• Boarding. Pembroke's published total for a boarder in Years 10–12 is $67,449. St Peter's College lists a $31,860 boarding fee, which on top of its $34,760 day total makes $66,620 (our sum); Scotch's boarding fee of $28,680 on top of $34,040 tuition makes $62,720 (our sum).
• Pathway charges. Pembroke adds an IB surcharge of $1,932 in Year 11 and $2,943 in Year 12; St Peter's Girls' lists an IB levy of $1,800 and $2,600.
• Instruments and devices. St Peter's College charges $475 a year for instrument hire and $1,770 for music tuition; Pembroke requires its own laptop from Year 7.
• One-off and voluntary charges. Pembroke charges a $110 application fee, a $750 admission fee and a $1,000 tuition bond, and suggests an $888 building-fund donation a year. Walford suggests $150 a term per family.

Fees come down, too. Pembroke takes 10%, 20% and 30% off tuition for the second, third and fourth child, and St Peter's College does the same for brothers. Paying a year up front earns 2% at Pembroke, 3% at Concordia and Mercedes, 4% at Cabra and 5% at Christian Brothers.

Who is nearby after 3pm, and what are the alternatives?

Fees are one half of a shortlist; the other is what a child does outside class. Our Adelaide family guide lists 114 kids' activities within 5 km and 15 schools. The suburb hubs for St Peters and Kensington Park — the home suburbs of St Peter's College and Pembroke — each list 3 providers, and Marion lists 9. Counts come from our directory and change as providers join; see how we count in the Kids' Activity Index.

For a zoned government school near any address, use the school catchment checker, and browse every South Australian school on our fees and profiles pages. Our guide to the three sectors covers the wider decision.

When will Adelaide's 2027 fees be published?

Expect 2027 schedules in November and December. Pulteney says its new schedule is “released in December each year”, and St Peter's Girls' says its board sets each year's fees in November of the prior year; its 2026 schedule is dated December 2025, as is Pembroke's. St Peter's Girls' has already listed a 2027 fixed charge of $2,700, up $100 (3.8%) from $2,600 in 2026. None of the schools above has put a full 2027 schedule online yet — check again in December.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most expensive school in Adelaide? Among schools that publish their fees, St Peter's College is the most expensive for Year 7 in 2026 ($32,970 a year) and Pembroke School for Years 10–12 ($34,944), on the compulsory charges each school lists. Prince Alfred College, Westminster, Wilderness and Seymour give their schedules only on request, so they are not ranked.

What is the most expensive private school in South Australia? The same two lead among the schools whose 2026 schedules are public. Add boarding and Pembroke's published total for Years 10–12 is $67,449 a year. For Prince Alfred, Westminster, Seymour and Wilderness, ask the school for its schedule.

How much do Adelaide private schools cost in 2026? The seven independents in our table charge between $19,780 and $32,970 for Year 7, and between $19,830 and $34,944 for Year 12, as compulsory yearly cost for a day student. Catholic colleges we read range from $8,445 to $16,830 in Year 7.

Do the fees include everything? No. They include tuition and the fixed charges each schedule lists as compulsory. Boarding, IB or music charges, uniforms, devices, trips and voluntary building-fund donations are extra.

Is Year 7 the cheapest year? Usually. At five of the seven independents in the table, Year 12 costs at least 7.8% more than Year 7. The flattest are Concordia, where the two are $50 apart, and St Peter's College, at 5.4%.

Do these fees change every year? Yes. Every figure here is a school's own 2026 schedule. Expect 2027 schedules from November or December.

Every figure is taken from the school's own 2026 fee schedule (its PDF or fees page), read on 8 October 2026; totals, percentages and distances are our own arithmetic from those figures and our directory's school locations. Boarding is excluded unless stated. We hold no academic results for South Australian schools and do not rank on quality — use My School and the SACE Board for outcomes, and our questions to ask on a school tour when you visit. Fees change annually and levies vary; confirm the current figure with the school before you enrol.

Related reading: Sydney private school fees compared · Perth private school fees · Brisbane private and Catholic fees · Single-sex versus co-ed fees · How families pay for private school fees · Best suburbs for families in Adelaide