The country is not always cheaper for an education

A tree change isn’t always going to mean a cheaper education for the kids, especially if you're in rural Queensland or Victoria.

Country Queensland is Australia’s most expensive region for a Government and Catholic education.

The total cost of a Government education there will be $76,588 over a 13-year period for a child starting school in 2021, 15 per cent above the national average ($66,603).

That comes to $3,429 more over a 13-year period than a Government education in Brisbane which is much more expensive than regional and remote Victoria ($57,719) and regional and remote New South Wales ($58,227).

Most of those costs are attached to the remoteness of rural Queensland, school fees ($334) are nominal but outside tuition ($2,716), electronic devices ($1,128) and transport ($846) all cost more.

An Independent education in regional and remote Victoria will cost $47,892 more than Australia’s second most expensive region for an Independent education, regional and remote Queensland ($160,139).

School fees ($9,464) will be the most expensive part of an Independent education for a child starting school this year in regional and remote Victoria, with outside tuition ($1,538), transport ($516), school camps and sports equipment ($478), uniforms and textbooks ($461) and electronic devices ($205) being reasonable.

The total estimated cost for a Government education for a child starting school in 2021 in metropolitan Australia is $81,823.

Parents considering a Catholic education in metropolitan Australia will spend $140,433 per child over 13 years, while the total cost of an Independent education in Australia’s capital cities is estimated to be $340,882.

Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city for a Government education; Brisbane is Australia’s most expensive city for a Catholic education and Sydney is Australia’s most expensive city for an Independent education.

The total cost of a Government education in Sydney is 10 per cent above the national average ($81,823), and considerably more expensive than Brisbane ($73,159) and Perth ($74,369).

School fees ($433) will make up a fraction of the total cost of a Government education for a child starting school in 2021 in Sydney, with outside tuition ($1,845), school camps and sports equipment ($718), electronic devices ($513) and uniforms and textbooks ($461) all costing more.

Parents considering an Independent education for their son or daughter, should note that Sydney is forecast to be the most expensive city in Australia for an Independent education for a child starting school this year.

Sydney parents who send a child to an Independent school will spend $448,035 over 13 years, 31 per cent or $107,153 more than the national average ($340,882), and considerably more than parents in Melbourne ($393,534) or Brisbane ($266,614).

School fees ($23,353) are likely to be the most expensive part of an Independent education for a child starting school this year in Sydney, well ahead of outside tuition ($1,486), school camps and sports equipment ($1,128) and uniforms and textbooks ($666).

However, Sydney is projected to be the most affordable city in Australia for a Catholic education for a child starting school this year.

Sydney parents who send a child to a Catholic school will spend $128,828, eight per cent below the national average ($140,433) and considerably less than Brisbane ($154,341) and Melbourne ($142,923), Australia’s most expensive cities for a Catholic education

School fees ($2,520) are forecast to be the most expensive component of a Catholic education for a child starting school in 2021 in Sydney, well ahead of outside tuition ($1,128), school camps and sports equipment ($794), uniforms and textbooks ($543) and electronic devices ($513).

In regional and remote Australia, the total estimated cost for a Government education for a child starting school in 2021 is $66,603.

Parents considering a Catholic education in regional and remote Australia are expected to spend $107,678 per child over 13 years, while it’s forecast the total cost of an Independent education in regional and remote Australia will be $140,197.

The results come from the Futurity Investment Group Planning for Education Index and Futurity Group Executive, Kate Hill said irrespective of Australia’s inflationary environment, 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.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels