The Herald has analysed 20 leading private schools and found families are paying an average $3000 more on senior student tuition fees than two years ago. Ben Leahy has crunched all the numbers.
- A survey of leading schools shows families are paying an average $3000 more on private school tuition fees than two years ago.
- The average fee for a final-year student is now $28,269, plus other compulsory costs.
- Schools say they need the fee increases to attract top teachers and invest in their buildings and courses.
Parents will typically need to spend around $30,000 to send their child to one of the nation’s leading private schools this year as tuition fees soar by double digits over the last two years.
But despite the average $2966 increase over two years, schools say demand from families wanting to enrol is running hot.
A Herald analysis of 2025 fees at 20 private schools reveals they are charging an average $28,269 for a final-year student’s tuition, with other compulsory payments sometimes adding thousands of dollars more.
That equates to a 5% jump in the typical Year 13 student’s tuition fees since last year and an 11.8% rise since 2023, suggesting more children are gradually being priced out of private schools.
Principals say they understand rising fees can place financial strain on families.
Yet they also need to keep up with their own rising costs as they look to reinvest in their buildings and facilities and attract talented teachers, with staff salaries alone accounting for up to two-thirds of some school budgets.
Christchurch’s elite Anglican boys' school Christ’s College had the highest tuition fee among schools we reviewed at $34,190, almost $2000 higher than last year.
This was followed by Auckland’s King’s College at $31,700, up by almost $1300.
Percentage-wise, fees have gone up highest over the past two years at St Andrew’s College in Christchurch.
It is charging $29,300 in 2025, which is 14.5% higher than two years ago.
ACG Parnell ($29,470) and ACG Sunderland ($25,170) have had the biggest one-year percentage jumps at 6.7% each.
St Peter’s Cambridge ($29,395) has had the smallest percentage increase, going up 3.5% over two years after freezing its fees last year.
Along with tuition fees, parents may also need to fork out money on other compulsory costs.
Private schools increasingly pass on the cost of maintaining their buildings through capital levies that can amount to more than $1000 a year, while even being accepted at private schools can incur a one-off charge of up to $2500. Boarding fees can add another $20,000 to the annual cost of sending a student to a private school.
What goes into the fees?
Paula Wells, principal of Samuel Marsden Collegiate in Wellington, said schools constantly weigh how to support families while providing the best education possible.
“The board has carefully balanced affordability with ensuring we can continue to offer small class sizes, expert teachers and innovative learning opportunities such as our expanding NCEA+ programme,” she said.
Mike Waller, principal of Auckland’s Pinehurst School, said keeping his college open to students from as wide a background as possible was a key ethos.
It helped do this by offering means-tested scholarships and help for struggling families.
Yet as with other schools, fees had gone up in line with rising costs, he said.
Teacher salaries were the biggest expense as private schools had to keep up with public sector pay increases, he said.
Mark Wilson, rector of St Andrew’s College in Christchurch, said staff made up about two-thirds of his school’s annual costs, as schools knew they had to compete for top teacher talent.
“To help ensure we recruit, retain, and develop the very best teachers, we do provide employment benefits above those offered in the state sector,” he said.
His school has just made a major capital investment after opening a new performing arts centre in April last year, featuring the Gough Family Theatre and the Fife Foundation Dance and Drama studios.
With the paint barely dry on that project, his team is already turning its attention to an “ambitious strategic plan for 2026 and beyond” that includes a new property master plan.
Charlotte Avery, principal of Auckland’s St Cuthbert’s, said her team did one of its most significant campus updates in decades, building new classrooms, refurbishing other learning centres and protecting its “beautiful historic buildings”.
“This year we are also embarking on a significant redevelopment of Kahunui, our unique rural campus in the Bay of Plenty, which offers a month-long residential programme for our Year 10 students, at a crucial stage in their development,” she said.
Schools are also subject to the same inflationary pressures as the rest of the economy, Jason Speedy, the head of school at St Peter’s Cambridge, said.
“Like all businesses and households, we’ve seen substantial increases in core costs such as electricity, insurance, transport costs, and food,” he said.
He also said that while some people may not support taxpayer payments to private schools, “the modest funding we receive from Government decreases each year” in real terms while costs keep going up.
Speedy argued private schools like his were really “net taxpayers” as their Government funding was just a fraction of the GST they paid.
His school also provided lunches to all students, not just boarders, and had increasingly been looking for new ways to generate alternative income.
That included renting out buildings on its “beautiful grounds”, utilising its dairy farm and running a learn to swim programme, offered to young children in the wider community.
Di Humphries, chair of the board of St Margaret’s in Christchurch, said her team also put money into the courses they offered, as their girls consistently achieved academic results among the best in New Zealand.
“We invest significantly in our curriculum development, pioneering a bespoke Year 11 curriculum in place of NCEA Level 1 to provide the best preparation for our girls’ future pathways,” she said.
All private schools spoken to by the Herald said demand from new students was high, often above capacity.
“After 13 consecutive school terms of roll growth, Queen Margaret College started 2025 with its highest student roll ever,” Wellington principal Jayne-Ann Young said.
2025 fees by each school
Below is the Herald’s analysis of fee data for 20 leading independent private schools across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 academic years, including explanations from those principals who responded with comments.
For ease of comparison, we focused on the tuition fees for Year 13 students.
The list is not exhaustive and may not include some private schools that have not disclosed their fees or for which we could not obtain complete data for the period.
Here are the schools we analysed, ranked by the 2025 tuition fee:
1. Christ’s College – $34,190
Christchurch
Boys
One-year change: 6%
Two-year change: 13.4%
Other costs: Enrolment fee $250; acceptance fee $2500; boarding $22,250; heritage & building levy $1700; 175th year celebratory cost $175.
Joe Eccleton, executive principal: “It’s worth noting that Christ’s College fees are all-inclusive. Other independent schools add a monthly disbursement to their base fees.
“The decision to increase our fees reflects several factors, including the rising costs of maintaining and enhancing our beautiful heritage campus, continuous improvements to our educational programmes – both inside and outside the classroom – and addressing staff salary increases, particularly for our teachers across academic, pastoral, and co-curricular areas. We are fortunate to have strong demand for an education at Christ’s College.”
2. King’s College – $31,700
Ōtāhuhu, Auckland
Co-ed from Year 11
One-year change: 4.2%
Two-year change: 10%
Other costs: Campus and building levy $500; boarding $18,640; application fee $350; acceptance fee $1700; lifetime membership of Old Collegians’ Association $800; Friends Association Levy $50.
3. St Cuthbert’s College – $30,476
Epsom, Auckland
Girls
One-year change: 4.5%
Two-year change: 11.8%
Other costs: Boarding $20,879; building levy $1000; application fee $320; acceptance fee $2480.
Charlotte Avery, principal: “We maintain a careful balance between investing in educational excellence and recognising the financial commitment of our families.
“Our exceptional academic results – consistently among New Zealand’s finest – stem directly from our investment in our teaching team. The fee increase for 2025 allows us to continue attracting and retaining the highest calibre staff who inspire our students daily.
“Over the summer break we undertook our most significant campus enhancement programme in over a decade ... this year we are also embarking on a significant redevelopment of Kahunui, our unique rural campus in the Bay of Plenty.
“While we have secured a generous donation to support stage one of the new buildings and learning spaces, the college is also making a contribution to this development.”
4. St Margaret’s College – $30,420
Merivale, Christchurch
Girls
One-year change: 4.5%
Two-year change: 11.3%
Other costs: Enrolment fee $200; acceptance fee $1600; International Baccalaureate Diploma levy $1500; boarding $18,795; building fund contribution $1320; parents and friend’s association membership $72.45.
Di Humphries, chair of the trust board: “We are keenly aware of the sacrifices families make to send their daughters to St Margaret’s College.
“Resources are managed carefully to limit fee increases, while maintaining the small class sizes, outstanding teaching, a modern campus, and an extensive and diverse co-curricular programme.
“We are particularly proud of our ... academic results that are consistently among the highest in New Zealand and internationally, across the International Baccalaureate, [and] NCEA.
“We invest significantly in our curriculum development, pioneering a bespoke Year 11 curriculum in place of NCEA Level 1 to provide the best preparation for our girls’ future pathways, and we were among the first schools in New Zealand to invest in the introduction of Structured Literacy throughout our Junior School.”
5. Rangi Ruru Girls’ School – $30,300
Merivale, Christchurch
Girls
One-year change: 4.3%
Two-year change: 10.6%
Other costs: Confirmation fee $1900; boarding $19,200.
6. Diocesan School for Girls – $29,870
Epsom, Auckland
Girls
One-year change: 5%
Two-year change: 13.4%
Other costs: Registration fee $300; enrolment fee $1750; boarding $21,210; alumnae association membership $700; building levy $500.
Jenny Spillane, board chair: “Rising costs the school is facing [include] teacher salaries and the significant expenses involved in maintaining campus buildings and infrastructure. Additional cost pressures include insurance, compliance with health and safety regulations, and ongoing technology upgrades.
“We understand that these are challenging financial times for families and are grateful for our community’s ongoing support of high-quality education.
“While the cost of delivering a world-class education continues to rise, we remain committed to providing exceptional opportunities and empowering our young women to thrive”
7. ACG Parnell College – $29,470
Parnell, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 6.7%
Two-year change: 13.1%
Other costs: Enrolment Acceptance Fee $600.
8. St Peter’s Cambridge – $29,395
Cambridge
Co-ed
One-year change: 3.5%
Two-year change: 3.5%
Other costs: Boarding $19,640; alumni membership $250; campus development fee $1450; application fee $300; acceptance fee $1150; unspecified bus fares and camp fees.
Jason Speedy, head of school: “We have been respectful of the challenges faced by families in the current economic climate and have sought to minimise fee increases over recent years, keeping increases at or below inflation.
“The school’s foundation has meaningfully increased bursary support for families over the last few years.
“St Peter’s is set in a spectacular campus that we maintain and enhance. The costs of maintaining buildings and our beautiful grounds have certainly increased significantly.
“The state funding we receive is a fraction of what independent schools receive in other countries such as Australia, and also a fraction of the GST we pay to the Government – we are net taxpayers.
“The school places emphasis on growing alternative sources of revenue to avoid placing an excessive burden on families in the form of tuition fees.”
9. St Andrew’s College – $29,300
Strowan, Christchurch
Co-ed
One-year change: 5%
Two-year change: 14.5%
Other costs: Application fee $150; acceptance fee $500; bond $1000 towards first tuition payment.
Mark Wilson, rector: “Our school fee increases reflect the rising living costs and the recent period of high inflation. As a charitable organisation, all our funds are reinvested within the school.
“In April 2024, St Andrew’s College opened our new Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre.
“Our focus for 2025 is setting a new and ambitious strategic plan for 2026 and beyond, and as part of this work we will be looking at setting out a new property master property plan.
“Our observations through the Covid pandemic years saw a lot of parents gaining greater visibility in how their child was learning and progressing, and many families then saw the real benefits of a private school education.
“We believe that the fees of private schools reflect excellent value for money, especially considering the consistently excellent educational outcomes.
“Most private schools are operating their schools in a far more economically efficient and effective manner.”
10. Kristin School – $28,986
Albany, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 5%
Two-year change: 12.3%
Other costs: Application fee $300; entrance fee $900; education bond $3000; activity fee for field trips of up to $670; development contribution $1150; one-off fee for membership of alumni association $500.
11. Scots College – $28,630
Strathmore Park, Wellington
Co-ed
One-year change: 4.5%
Two-year change: 13.6%
Other costs: Boarding (seven days a week) $20,750; application fee $160; acceptance fee $500; leaver’s bond $1000; Scots Foundation annual levy $150; parents’ association annual levy $69; Scots Collegians Association levy $100.
12. Queen Margaret College – $28,000
Thorndon, Wellington
Girls
One-year change: 5%
Two-year change: 13.5%
Other costs: Enrolment fee $180; acceptance fee $460; Community levy $260; Old Girls’ Association levy $50; boarding (seven-day) $21,700.
Jayne-Ann Young, principal: ”The board sets fees to ensure the college will continue to employ educators with unique skills and talents, invest in future-focused technology and facilities and provide robust curricular and co-curricular offerings.
“The learning and wellbeing outcomes from Queen Margaret College are consistently best in class across our dual pathways of NCEA and International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme.
“At the same time, our 2025 domestic fees remain highly competitive when compared against other independent schools in New Zealand and across the Wellington region.”
13. ACG Strathallan School – $27,790
Karaka, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 6.1%
Two-year change: 12.4%
Other costs: Enrolment fee $600.
14. Saint Kentigern College – $27,329
Pakuranga, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 5.5%
Two-year change: 11.8%
Other costs: Application fee $300; acceptance fee $500; Alumni Association fee $775; contribution levy $1500; software licence fee $250; boarding $20,971; publications fee $200.
15. St Paul’s Collegiate School – $26,895
Chartwell, Hamilton
Co-ed
One-year change: 3.8%
Two-year change: 10%
Other costs: Enrolment fee $1250; deposit $1900; boarding $19,245; lunches (for day pupils) $2695; Parents’ Association fee $115; Collegians’ Association fee $115.
16. ACG Tauranga – $25,950
Tauranga
Co-ed
One-year change: 6%
Two-year change: 12.2%
Other costs: Enrolment Acceptance Fee $500.
17. Samuel Marsden Collegiate School – $25,912
Karori, Wellington
Girls
One-year change: 3%
Two-year change: 12.3%
Other costs: Application fee $150; enrolment fee $500; levies $3464; Old Girls’ Association membership $350; Foundation Donation $150.
Paula Wells, principal: ”We have worked intensively to minimise the level of fee increases without compromising the excellence of the educational experience we offer.
“The largest portion of our budget – 63% – is allocated to our teachers and staff. This reflects our commitment to attracting and retaining the highest-quality educators, maintaining small class sizes, and offering a broad curriculum with specialised subjects.
“Rising operational costs, including inflationary pressures, significant increases in insurance premiums (particularly for Wellington schools since the Kaikōura earthquake) and reduced Government funding, also contribute to financial considerations.
“Our unique programmes – including NCEA+, embedded structured literacy and numeracy programmes in Marsden Primary, and our bespoke wellbeing curriculum, Hauora@Marsden – set us apart."
18. ACG Sunderland – $25,170
Henderson, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 6.7%
Two-year change: 13.5%
Other costs: Enrolment Acceptance Fee $500.
19. Pinehurst School – $22,925
Albany, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 5.8%
Two-year change: 11.8%
Other costs: Application $225; entrance fee $595; alumni fee $115; bond $2500; capital contribution $750.
Mike Waller, executive principal: “Our community is aware that we work hard to keep fee increases as low as possible while retaining a very high quality of education.
“We offer a number of means-tested scholarships, and these are available to support our current families who may need some extra help and families who may need financial support in accessing our school.
“We do have an ongoing capital development plan, which is funded from a relatively constant proportion of parent fees each year.”
20. Wentworth Private School – $22,680
Gulf Harbour, Auckland
Co-ed
One-year change: 5%
Two-year change: 10.3%
Other costs: Application fee $100; enrolment confirmation fee $850.
