Top 15 Private Schools on the Gold Coast: 2025 Results and School Fees
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
The top private schools on the Gold Coast on 2025 results are Somerset College at Mudgeeraba (100 for Years 7–10), followed by A.B. Paterson College at Arundel and All Saints Anglican School at Merrimac (99 each).[1] Fees for one child at the top schools range from $3,362 a year for Year 1 at St Augustine’s at Currumbin Waters to $31,772 for Year 10 at The Southport School.[2][3]
This guide ranks the private (non-government) schools in the City of Gold Coast council area and compares what each of the top schools charges.
Key takeaways
- Somerset College (100), A.B. Paterson College (99) and All Saints Anglican School (99) lead the Gold Coast’s private schools on 2025 results for Years 7–10.[1]
- Four schools share 15th place on 93, so our top 15 has 18 schools: 13 colleges and five Catholic primary schools.
- Year 1 costs $3,362 to $4,581 at the five Catholic primary schools, against $8,028 to $21,300 at the independent colleges.[2][4][5][6]
- Year 10 costs run from $8,288 at Marymount College to $31,772 at The Southport School, and 10 of the 18 schools have already set their 2027 fees.[7][3]
- Catchments and enrolment management plans apply only to state schools, so each private school sets its own enrolment rules.[8]
What are the top 15 private schools on the Gold Coast?
Somerset College, A.B. Paterson College and All Saints Anglican School lead the top 15 on Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score.[1][9] Each school is ranked on the score for its oldest year group: Years 7–10 for secondary and Prep–12 schools, and primary results for primary schools. Schools on the same score share a rank (marked =) and are listed alphabetically.
| Rank | Private school | Suburb | Years | Sector | 2025 score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somerset College | Mudgeeraba | Prep–12 | Independent | 100 (Years 7–10) |
| =2 | A.B. Paterson College | Arundel | Prep–12 | Independent | 99 (Years 7–10) |
| =2 | All Saints Anglican School | Merrimac | Prep–12 | Independent | 99 (Years 7–10) |
| 4 | Emmanuel College | Carrara | Prep–12 | Independent | 98 (Years 7–10) |
| 5 | The Southport School | Southport | Prep–12 | Independent | 97 (Years 7–10) |
| =6 | Saint Stephen’s College | Coomera | Prep–12 | Independent | 96 (Years 7–10) |
| =6 | St Hilda’s School | Southport | Prep–12 | Independent | 96 (Years 7–10) |
| =6 | St Vincent’s Primary School | Surfers Paradise | Prep–6 | Catholic | 96 (primary) |
| =9 | Hillcrest Christian College | Reedy Creek | Prep–12 | Independent | 95 (Years 7–10) |
| =9 | St Francis Xavier School | Runaway Bay | Prep–6 | Catholic | 95 (primary) |
| =11 | Marymount Primary School | Burleigh Heads | Prep–6 | Catholic | 94 (primary) |
| =11 | St Andrews Lutheran College | Tallebudgera | Prep–12 | Independent | 94 (Years 7–10) |
| =11 | St Augustine’s Parish Primary School | Currumbin Waters | Prep–6 | Catholic | 94 (primary) |
| =11 | St Kevin’s School | Benowa | Prep–6 | Catholic | 94 (primary) |
| =15 | Coomera Anglican College | Upper Coomera | Prep–12 | Independent | 93 (Years 7–10) |
| =15 | King’s Christian College | Reedy Creek | Prep–12 | Independent | 93 (Years 7–10) |
| =15 | Marymount College | Burleigh Waters | Years 7–12 | Catholic | 93 (Years 7–10) |
| =15 | Trinity Lutheran College | Ashmore | Prep–12 | Independent | 93 (Years 7–10) |
The Southport School takes boys and St Hilda’s School girls; the others are co-educational. Next come Gold Coast Christian College, Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School and Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School (92 each).[1][9]
How much do private schools on the Gold Coast cost?
For one child, fees for Year 1 run from $3,362 at St Augustine’s to $21,300 at Somerset College, and for Year 10 from $8,288 at Marymount College to $31,772 at The Southport School.[2][6][7][3] Each figure adds tuition to every compulsory recurring charge the school lists for that year, counting family levies once, and leaves out one-off enrolment fees, deposits, optional programs, uniforms, transport, voluntary donations and discounts.
| Private school | Fees for | Year 1 | Year 10 | What the figure includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset College[6] | 2026 | $21,300 | $24,344 | Tuition and services fee (subject and sport levies, excursions, supplies and camps) |
| A.B. Paterson College[10] | 2027 | $15,632 | $19,072 | Tuition (all compulsory camps and excursions), building levy and family FAB levy |
| All Saints Anglican School[11] | 2026 | $14,096 | $18,880 | Tuition, resource fees (camps, text hire, laptop program) and P&F levy |
| Emmanuel College[12] | 2026 | $12,260 | $14,930 | One inclusive fee (camps and excursions included); Year 10 adds text hire |
| The Southport School[3] | 2026 | $19,252 | $31,772 | All-inclusive tuition (outdoor education camps, GPS sport, transport and some excursions); no extra levies |
| Saint Stephen’s College[13] | 2026 | $11,420 | $14,675 | Tuition, capital and resource levies; year-level camps charged separately |
| St Hilda’s School[14] | 2027 | $20,350 | $29,350 | Tuition, which includes outdoor education, excursions and sport fixtures; texts extra |
| St Vincent’s Primary School[15] | 2026 | $4,212 | – | Tuition, capital, student and P&C levies, and Prep–Year 3 IT levy |
| Hillcrest Christian College[16] | 2027 | $9,868 | $14,664 | Tuition and levies (camps, excursions, textbooks, capital and P&F); Year 10 adds the device levy |
| St Francis Xavier School[17] | 2027 | $4,490 | – | All-inclusive fee (camps, excursions and a 1:1 device), with family capital and PFG levies |
| Marymount Primary School[18] | 2027 | $4,072 | – | Tuition, student levy, and family capital and P&F levies |
| St Andrews Lutheran College[19] | 2027 | $10,276 | $13,600 | Tuition, course levy and capital levy; camps and excursions included |
| St Augustine’s Parish Primary School[2] | 2026 | $3,362 | – | Tuition, capital, student resource and P&F levies |
| St Kevin’s School[4] | 2027 | $4,581 | – | Tuition, family capital and P&F levies, resource levy and IT levy |
| Coomera Anglican College[20] | 2026 | $10,682 | $15,012 | Tuition (textbook hire included) and single resource levy (device program, camps and excursions) |
| King’s Christian College[5] | 2027 | $8,028 | $11,216 | Reedy Creek campus: tuition and consumables (camps, excursions, technology levy) |
| Marymount College[7] | 2027 | – | $8,288 | Tuition, capital, P&F, resource and technology (laptop) levies |
| Trinity Lutheran College[21] | 2027 | $11,585 | $13,767 | Tuition and resource levy (technology, classroom materials, school photos and some excursions) |
Ten of the 18 schools have already set their 2027 fees; the other figures are for 2026, so expect them to rise for 2027.
We started with the 36 non-government schools that the Department of Education’s records place in the City of Gold Coast,[22] looked up each one’s 2025 score on Better Education’s suburb pages, and checked every score and fee schedule on 8 November 2026.[1][9] We left out trade colleges, flexible learning centres and special assistance schools, which serve particular groups of students.
Better Education’s State Overall Score rates English and maths test results from 60 to 100.[23] Somerset College scores 100, the top of the scale, for Years 7–10, and The Southport School scores 100 on its primary results. Some Prep–12 colleges score differently by stage: Coomera Anglican College scores 96 on primary results but 93 for Years 7–10.[9][1] A score measures results, not everything a school does, and Better Education itself says its ratings are not advice for buying a property.[9] ACARA, which runs NAPLAN, has long discouraged league tables built from its data,[24] so read each school’s My School profile and visit.[25]
It varies, which is why we compare totals rather than tuition alone. A.B. Paterson College’s fee includes all compulsory camps and excursions, among them a Canberra excursion and an outback Queensland camp at Winton,[10] and Emmanuel College, King’s Christian College and St Andrews Lutheran College also include camps and excursions.[12][5][19] The Southport School charges no levies on top of tuition, which covers outdoor education camps, transport and some excursions, including the Year 6 Canberra trip.[3] Saint Stephen’s College charges year-level camps separately.[13]
Family levies are charged once per family, not per child, such as Marymount Primary School’s $1,136 capital levy.[18] Most schools also discount tuition for younger siblings and for paying the year up front, so a family with two or more children pays less per child than the table shows. Budget for one-off costs too: Somerset College, for example, charges a $110 application fee and a $1,875 payment when you accept a place.[6]
In this list, the Catholic schools charge less. Year 1 at the five Catholic primary schools costs $3,362 to $4,581, against $8,028 to $21,300 at the independent colleges.[2][4][5][6] For Year 10, Marymount College, the only Catholic college in the top 15, charges $8,288 for 2027,[7] while the independent colleges range from $11,216 at King’s Christian College to $31,772 at The Southport School.[5][3] What each fee includes differs, so compare the schedules, not just the totals.
No. Catchments and enrolment management plans apply to Queensland state schools,[8] and each private school runs its own enrolment process, so ask about waiting lists and when to apply for your child’s year. Where you live still matters for the daily trip: check the drive at school times and any school bus routes before you buy. If you may move a child to a state school later, check the address on EdMap too.[26]
The 18 schools cluster in four areas. These are descriptions, not recommendations.
- Southport, Benowa and Ashmore: The Southport School and St Hilda’s at Southport, St Kevin’s at Benowa, Trinity Lutheran College at Ashmore and St Vincent’s at Surfers Paradise.
- Mudgeeraba, Merrimac, Carrara and Reedy Creek: Somerset College, All Saints Anglican School, Emmanuel College, and Hillcrest and King’s Christian College at Reedy Creek.
- Burleigh to Currumbin: Marymount College at Burleigh Waters, Marymount Primary at Burleigh Heads, St Andrews Lutheran College at Tallebudgera and St Augustine’s at Currumbin Waters.
- The northern Gold Coast: A.B. Paterson College at Arundel, Saint Stephen’s at Coomera, Coomera Anglican College at Upper Coomera and St Francis Xavier at Runaway Bay. See our guide to the northern Gold Coast suburbs.
For prices and rents across the city, see our Gold Coast property market guide, our guide to the best suburbs on the Gold Coast and moving to the Gold Coast.
Private school fees are a large recurring cost, so build them into your budget before you set a purchase price, especially with more than one child. Talk to a mortgage broker before you shortlist homes, so pre-approval reflects what you will really spend each year. These are the mortgage brokers we work with:
Finance support
Ryan Leahy, Finance Broker, Moreton Bay Finance Broker
Email ryan@mbfb.com.au · Phone 0468 396 086
moretonbayfinancebroker.com.au
Credit Representative Number 489568, authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328
Finance support
Daniel Fynch, Mortgage Broker, Moreton Bay Finance Broker
Available evenings and weekends.
Phone 0478 706 468
Credit Representative Number 577009, authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328
Finance support
Kyle Downey, Principal Broker, High Point Finance, Caboolture
Email kyle@highpointfinance.com.au · Phone 0493 010 111
highpointfinance.com.au
This section is general information, not credit advice; speak with a licensed credit professional about your own borrowing.
A buyer’s agent can build the school run into the brief: shortlist homes within an easy drive or bus route of the school, check the state catchment as a back-up, negotiate the price and conditions, and work with your broker and solicitor or conveyancer through to settlement. We have bought for school-driven briefs before, including a family home in The Gap bought for one of Brisbane’s top-performing state high school catchments (read The Gap story).
IPS Buyer’s Agents works only for buyers, across South East Queensland (see our Gold Coast buyer’s agent service). Tim Allen has personally inspected and negotiated every one of the 128 properties IPS has bought since 2023. IPS is an REIQ Accredited Agency (see Tim’s REIQ member profile).
Somerset College, A.B. Paterson College and All Saints Anglican School lead the Gold Coast’s private schools on 2025 results. Fees for one child run from $3,362 a year to $31,772, with the Catholic schools at the lower end,[2][3] so compare what each fee includes, add family levies once, and allow for 2027 rises.
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. It is not legal, financial or tax advice and does not consider your circumstances. School fees, scores and enrolment rules change, so confirm current fees and enrolment with each school, and check the rules for your purchase with your solicitor or conveyancer before you act.
Buying on the Gold Coast with a private school in mind? Tell us the school and your budget, and we will shortlist homes that suit the school run.
- Better Education — QLD Suburb Ratings by Secondary School Results (2025 school scores, by suburb)
- St Augustine’s Parish Primary School — School Fee Structure 2026
- The Southport School — 2026 Domestic Fee Schedule (linked from the school’s Fees page)
- St Kevin’s Catholic School, Benowa — 2027 Fee Schedule
- King’s Christian College — School fees, Reedy Creek campus (Fee Schedule 2027)
- Somerset College — College fees (2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges)
- Marymount College — 2027 Schedule of Fees, Levies and Charges
- Queensland Government — School catchment areas (last updated 17 June 2026)
- Better Education — QLD Suburb Ratings by Primary School Results (2025 school scores, by suburb)
- A.B. Paterson College — College fees (2027 Fee Schedule)
- All Saints Anglican School — Fees (2026, per semester)
- Emmanuel College — Fees schedule (2026 annual fees)
- Saint Stephen’s College — Fee Schedule 2026
- St Hilda’s School — Fees (2027 Tuition and Boarding Fees, domestic students)
- St Vincent’s Primary School, Surfers Paradise — School fees (2026 Fee Schedule)
- Hillcrest Christian College — 2027 Fee Schedule, Reedy Creek students (linked from the College’s enrolment page)
- St Francis Xavier School, Runaway Bay — School and enrolment fees (2027)
- Marymount Primary School — 2027 Schedule of Fees, Levies and Charges
- St Andrews Lutheran College — Fee Schedule 2027
- Coomera Anglican College — Schedule of Fees 2026 (linked from the College’s Enrol page)
- Trinity Lutheran College — 2027 Fees Notice (linked from the College’s Fees page)
- Queensland Government Open Data Portal — State and non-state school details (local government area of each school)
- Better Education — Please explain the column State Overall Score in school rating
- ACARA — ACARA Update, December 2025 (open letter on school league tables)
- ACARA — My School
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office — EdMap, Queensland state school catchment maps
What is the best private school on the Gold Coast?
On Better Education’s 2025 results, Somerset College at Mudgeeraba ranks first among the Gold Coast’s private schools with 100, the top of the scale, for Years 7–10. A.B. Paterson College at Arundel and All Saints Anglican School at Merrimac share second place on 99, ahead of Emmanuel College (98) and The Southport School (97).
How much are private school fees on the Gold Coast?
For one child at the top private schools, Year 1 fees run from $3,362 a year at St Augustine’s at Currumbin Waters to $21,300 at Somerset College, and Year 10 fees from $8,288 at Marymount College to $31,772 at The Southport School. Each figure includes compulsory levies; uniforms, transport and optional programs are usually extra.
Which top Gold Coast private schools have the lowest fees?
Among the top 15, the five Catholic primary schools charge least for Year 1, from $3,362 at St Augustine’s to $4,581 at St Kevin’s. For Year 10, Marymount College at Burleigh Waters is lowest at $8,288 for 2027, followed by King’s Christian College at Reedy Creek at $11,216.
Are there boys’ and girls’ private schools on the Gold Coast?
Yes. The Southport School is a Prep to Year 12 school for boys and scores 97 for Years 7–10 on Better Education’s 2025 results, and St Hilda’s School at Southport is a Prep to Year 12 school for girls and scores 96. The other schools in the top 15 are co-educational.
Do Gold Coast private school fees include camps?
Often, but not always. A.B. Paterson College, Emmanuel College, King’s Christian College, St Andrews Lutheran College and The Southport School include camps and excursions in their fees, Somerset College covers them in its services fee, and Saint Stephen’s College charges year-level camps separately. Compare each school’s total, not tuition alone.
Are Catholic school fees cheaper than independent school fees on the Gold Coast?
Among the top 15, yes. Year 1 at the five Catholic primary schools costs $3,362 to $4,581, against $8,028 to $21,300 at the independent colleges. For Year 10, Marymount College charges $8,288 for 2027, while the independent colleges range from $11,216 to $31,772.