2026 ranking · 30 schools
Most affordable boarding schools in Australia
The lowest-fee boarding schools in Australia, ranked cheapest first by 2026 boarding cost (the boarding fee charged on top of tuition). For regional, rural and interstate families weighing the real cost of boarding.
Mount St Bernard College
Herberton, Cairns · Catholic · co-educational
Catholic boarding secondary (Y7-12) · Atherton Tablelands location (west of Cairns) · Founded 1921; 170-180 boarders capacity
St Augustine's College
Cairns, Cairns · Catholic · boys
Single-sex boys (with girls boarding available) · Boarding available for boys and girls · Affordable Catholic secondary education
St Patrick's College Townsville
Townsville, Townsville · Catholic (Mercy tradition) · girls
Oceanfront Strand campus with state-of-the-art facilities (East Precinct opened 2020 by award-winning M3 Architecture) · Catholic day and boarding school in Mercy tradition; boarding with air-conditioned single and multi-dorm facilities · Combined Schools' Musical harnesses talent across three Townsville Catholic colleges
Peace Lutheran College
Kamerunga, Cairns · Lutheran · co-educational
Co-educational boarding school · Established 1994; ~540 students · Four boarding houses (2 boys, 2 girls)
Sacred Heart College Kyneton
Kyneton, Bendigo · Catholic · co-educational
Low-fee Catholic college with state-of-the-art facilities · 50 VCE level 3/4 studies and 19 VET programs available · Boarding facilities available (fees upon enquiry)
Townsville Grammar School
North Ward, Townsville · Independent (non-denominational) · co-educational
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) for Years 11-12, one of only 18 IB schools in Queensland · Co-educational boarding for Years 7-12 with 120 boarders (25 international students) · Three junior school campuses (Annandale, North Shore, North Ward) plus Year 7-12 campus adjacent to Townsville Sports Precinct (2022)
John Paul College
Daisy Hill, Brisbane · Christian · co-ed
One of Queensland's largest independent co-ed schools (~1,700-1,950 students) and an authorised IB World School (IB Diploma authorised 27 October 2009, school code 002908) — a rare dual ATAR/IB senior pathway in the Logan area; ICSEA 1106 · Notable alumni include Eurovision/X Factor singer Dami Im, Olympic backstroke swimmer Mitch Larkin and Olympian distance runner Genevieve LaCaze · Founded in 1982 by four clergymen from the Catholic, Anglican and Uniting churches as an ecumenical college; offers village-style boarding at 'Fenton Village' (built 2015) for Years 7-12 plus an international homestay program
Marist College Ashgrove
Ashgrove, Brisbane · Catholic · boys
ICSEA 1139 (93rd percentile nationally); ~1,800 students, one of Brisbane's largest Catholic boys' schools · Boarding for up to ~220 boys (Years 6-12), currently ~170 boarders - a major regional/rural Queensland feeder · Powerhouse sporting alumni: Wallabies captain John Eales, Test cricketer Matthew Hayden and Brisbane Lions forward Charlie Cameron; facilities include the Matthew Hayden cricket complex and an Olympic-size heated pool
Concordia College Adelaide
Highgate, Adelaide · Lutheran · co-educational
Lutheran heritage + values · Mid-fee co-ed Christian school · Boarding for regional SA + Pacific families
Immanuel College
Novar Gardens, Adelaide · Lutheran · co-educational
Lutheran tradition + values · Strong rowing + sport programs · Boarding for regional SA + Pacific
Penrhos College
Como, Perth · Uniting Church · girls
Mid-fee Uniting Church girls school · Strong music + drama programs · Boarding for regional WA families
Perth College
Mount Lawley, Perth · Anglican · girls
Strong WACE + IB academic outcomes · Boarding for regional WA + international · Anglican Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent foundation
St Vincent's College
Potts Point, Sydney · Catholic (Sisters of Charity) · girls
Sisters of Charity Mary Aikenhead tradition · Day + small boarding house · Potts Point inner-city campus
Columba Catholic College
Charters Towers, Charters Towers · Catholic · co-ed
Single-sex boarding (St Mary's for girls, Mt Carmel for boys) for rural and remote students · Agriculture and cattle club · Vocational pathways including TAFE links
Stuartholme School
Toowong, Brisbane · Catholic (Society of the Sacred Heart) · girls
Sacred Heart Madeleine Sophie Barat tradition · Largest girls' boarding school in QLD · Strong music + drama programs
Aquinas College Perth
Salter Point, Perth · Catholic (Edmund Rice) · boys
PSA sport (rowing on Canning River) · 69-hectare riverside campus · Edmund Rice Catholic identity + boarding
Downlands College
Toowoomba, Toowoomba · Catholic (Missionaries of the Sacred Heart) · co-educational
Only Prep-Year 12 co-ed boarding school in Australia accredited by ABSA · Up to 300 boarding students Years 7-12 · 38 hectares, 50m heated pool, performing arts centre
The Cathedral School of St Anne & St James
Mundingburra, Townsville · Anglican · co-educational
24-acre campus with natural lagoon and rain trees creating unique learning environment · Boarding for Years 7-12 (approximately 150 boarders from rural, coastal, island and overseas communities) · All grades 2-10 participate in outdoor education program (2-10 day camps including survival skills)
Tara Anglican School for Girls
North Parramatta, Sydney · Anglican · girls
Western Sydney Anglican girls school · Boarding house for rural NSW + ACT families · Strong music + drama programs
Mazenod College
Lesmurdie, Perth · Catholic · boys
The only Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) school in Western Australia, and one of the few remaining boys' boarding schools in the Perth foothills with ~100 boarders out of ~830 students · Notable alumni include Federal MP Matt Keogh and former AFL players including Scott Cummings and Harry Edwards · Flat Year 7-12 day tuition of $9,800 with a single boarding fee of $24,200 covering all year levels; 2018 state-of-the-art Design & Technology centre supporting apprenticeship pathways
Loreto Kirribilli
Kirribilli, Sydney · Catholic (Loreto) · girls
IB Diploma alongside HSC · Loreto Sisters Mary Ward tradition · Sydney Harbour campus
Loreto Normanhurst
Normanhurst, Sydney · Catholic (Loreto) · girls
Mary Ward Loreto Sisters tradition · Boarding house for regional NSW · Strong HSC academic outcomes
St Ursula's College
Newtown, Toowoomba · Catholic (Ursuline) · girls
National Award-winning contemporary boarding house · Girls' residential school since 1931 · Flexible boarding options (full-time, weekly, casual)
Rostrevor College
Woodforde, Adelaide · Catholic · boys
Home of the only Manchester City Football School in South Australia and the Northern Territory, delivered by a dedicated Man City coach to Years 7-9 in place of standard HPE · Strong AFL pathway: ten graduates drafted to AFL clubs in the past six years (incl. Max Michalanney to Adelaide at pick 17); alumni include Socceroo John Aloisi and Port Adelaide's Tom Jonas · Boys-only boarding in Duggan House for Years 7-12 drawing rural and remote students, with an automatic 25% tuition discount for boarders; ICSEA 1059 (above the national average of 1000)
The Friends' School
North Hobart, Hobart · Quaker · co-educational
Largest Quaker school in the world · One of two Tasmanian schools offering IB Diploma · 47 boarders Years 7-12
Westminster School Adelaide
Marion, Adelaide · Uniting Church · co-educational
South Adelaide Uniting Church co-ed · Strong music + sport programs · Boarding house draws from regional SA + interstate
Toowoomba Anglican School
Toowoomba, Toowoomba · Anglican · co-educational
Co-educational independent Anglican school · Boarding available from K-Year 12 · Family Fee Cap system with sibling discounts
St Peters Lutheran College
Indooroopilly, Brisbane · Lutheran · co-educational
IB Diploma + AC Senior pathways · Largest Lutheran co-ed school in QLD · Strong music conservatorium and outdoor ed (Crows Nest)
St Joseph's College Hunters Hill
Hunters Hill, Sydney · Catholic (Marist) · boys
Largest boys' boarding school in Australia (~600 boarders) · AAGPS rugby + rowing · Marist Brothers tradition + Champagnat formation
Great Southern Grammar
Kalgan, Albany · Anglican · co-ed
Waterfront 144-acre campus adjoining Oyster Harbour near Albany, with a residential boarding house accommodating up to ~148 boarders (Years 7-12) drawn from regional, rural and remote WA · Compulsory Outward Bound-partnered expedition program (Years 9-10) in national parks, plus a championship-winning equestrian program and a maritime/marine studies offering using the harbour location · Regional ICSEA of 1072, above the national average of 1000, and one of the Great Southern region's two major independent boarding schools
How this list is ranked
Boarding is charged on top of tuition, so the total annual cost is tuition + boarding. The most affordable boarding tends to be at regional and faith-based schools; elite metropolitan boarding can exceed $40,000 on top of a $40,000+ tuition. Always confirm what the boarding fee includes (meals, weekend programs, laundry).
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