Private Schools in Canberra 2026: Complete Guide

Schools in Canberra 2026

Canberra has a compact but high-quality school market across government, Catholic and independent sectors. The ACT has among the highest school education expenditure per student in Australia. education.act.gov.au

ACT Government Schools

ACT government schools are free for Australian citizens and permanent residents. The ACT school structure differs from other states, Canberra has primary schools (K-6), a high school year (7-10) and colleges (11-12). The ACT has specialist colleges including Canberra College, Dickson College, Belconnen High School and others that offer a wide range of Year 11-12 subjects including VET pathways.

Catholic Schools in Canberra

Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn operates Catholic systemic schools across the ACT and surrounding region. Fees are moderate, typically $2,000-$8,000/year for primary and secondary.

Independent Private Schools in Canberra

Canberra's independent schools include Canberra Grammar School, Canberra Girls Grammar School, Radford College (Anglican), Marist College Canberra, Daramalan College (Catholic independent) and others. Fees range from $10,000-$28,000+/year. Canberra's independent schools are generally less expensive than comparable schools in Sydney or Melbourne.

How to Compare Schools in Canberra

Use myschool.edu.au for NAPLAN data and school profiles. The ACT's Year 12 qualification (the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate) and ATAR are administered by the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.