Families with children at Catholic schools across Canberra are facing higher education costs in 2027, with primary school fees set to rise by 6 per cent and most Catholic secondary colleges increasing fees by 7.5 per cent.
The increases have been confirmed by Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited (CACGEL), which operates 56 schools across the ACT and New South Wales.
The changes will coincide with another increase to the Catholic schools building levy, which will reach $1,000 per family in 2027 — the full amount planned when the levy was introduced in 2025.
How much will Canberra Catholic school fees rise in 2027?
According to information provided to families, Catholic primary school fees in Canberra will increase by 6 per cent next year.
Fees at four of Canberra’s five systemic Catholic secondary colleges will rise by 7.5 per cent.
Those colleges include St Clare’s College, Merici College, St Francis Xavier College and St Mary MacKillop College.
St John Paul II College in Nicholls will be the exception, with fees increasing by 6 per cent after some year levels at the school experienced larger fee adjustments previously.
One of the clearest examples of the increase can be seen at St Clare’s College in Griffith.
A Year 12 student’s total school fee for 2027 will be $14,188, excluding the separate building levy. That represents an increase of $991 compared with the corresponding 2026 amount.
When the $1,000 School Buildings Levy is added for a family with one student, the combined cost of those charges could reach about $15,188.
The levy, however, is charged per family rather than for every individual student.
Merici College in Braddon is also among the secondary schools facing the 7.5 per cent increase. Its existing fee structure varies considerably depending on the student’s year level and includes tuition and a number of college levies.
The latest changes were first detailed by ABC News as families began receiving information about their 2027 costs.
Why are Catholic school fees increasing?
CACGEL executive director David de Carvalho said the organisation was attempting to keep fees as low as possible while meeting rising costs across its schools.
“At the same time, we must ensure schools have the resources they need to meet the rising costs of providing a quality Catholic education,” de Carvalho said.
He also pointed to changes in government funding as one of the factors placing pressure on fees.
“Real decreases in per-student base government funding are putting increased pressure on fees.”
For 2026, the federal government’s Schooling Resource Standard base amounts are $14,467 for primary students and $18,180 for secondary students.
However, funding for non-government schools is affected by a school’s assessed capacity to contribute, meaning those base figures do not necessarily represent the amount received by each individual Catholic school. More details about the funding model are available through the Australian Department of Education.
More than 16,000 students attend Catholic schools in Canberra, according to the 2026 ACT Census of Schools, meaning the changes will affect thousands of households across the territory.
The increases also come at a time when families are dealing with broader cost-of-living pressures. Australia’s annual headline inflation rate was 3.8 per cent in the June quarter, making the 7.5 per cent increase at most Catholic secondary schools notably higher than the headline inflation figure.
School operating costs, however, are influenced by expenses including staffing, insurance, maintenance and facilities and do not necessarily move in line with general consumer inflation.
Building levy reaches $1,000 in 2027
The other major change for families is the School Buildings Levy.
The levy was introduced in 2025 following changes to the way Catholic school building contributions were collected.
Catholic Education previously said contributions to the voluntary Canberra Catholic Schools Building Fund had fallen by more than 80 per cent after the payment moved to an opt-in arrangement.
A new levy was subsequently introduced to help meet property-related costs including building insurance, maintenance and school infrastructure.
The charge was phased in over three years, beginning at $300 per family in 2025 before progressively increasing to $1,000 in 2027.
That makes 2027 the final scheduled increase under the original transition plan.
The fee increases are not limited to Catholic schools.
Radford College has also confirmed its fees and charges for 2027. Its published schedule indicates an increase of about 8.5 per cent, with Year 12 tuition reaching $28,156.
The college has published its latest fee information on its official enrolment website.
Most other Canberra independent schools have yet to publicly release their complete 2027 fee schedules, meaning a clearer picture of private-school costs across the ACT is likely to emerge in the coming months.
Families can seek fee relief
CACGEL says families concerned about their ability to meet the higher costs should contact their school’s principal.
Fee remissions and concessions can be considered according to individual financial circumstances.
“We aim to support every family in need and believe no child should be denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay fees,” de Carvalho said.
“Families can apply for fee remissions based on their particular circumstances.”
Catholic Education’s published school fees and levies policy also sets out the system-wide framework governing school fees and available concessions.
For Canberra families planning their 2027 school budgets, the effect will ultimately depend on the school, year level, number of children enrolled and any sibling discounts or concessions available.
But for many households, the combination of a 6 to 7.5 per cent fee increase and the $1,000 family building levy means Catholic education will become noticeably more expensive next year.
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