Australia’s most expensive and affordable cities for government education

Melbourne is forecast to be the most costly city for government education as Western Australia becomes one of the most affordable places in Australia. Parents from Melbourne are expected to spend as much as $75,263 for government education for a child born this year, an amount 13 percent above the national metropolitan average. Meanwhile, WA parents could pay less than anywhere in the country.

The Australian Scholarships Group’s Planning for Education Index for 2018 provides helpful insight for parents who are sending their kids to school. The index found that sending a child to a public school in WA would cost about $44,280 per child. The amount is well below the national regional average of $50,641.

On the other hand, public education in Australia’s most liveable city is forecast to cost about $9,000 more than the national average. Parents who want private education for their children should expect to spend more, with estimates at $536,683.

Among the most affordable in the metropolitan area is faith-based education, with estimates at $223,318. Cost reduced in Victoria’s regional areas, with forecast costs at $51,899 for public schooling. It was more expensive by 2 percent compared to the Australian regional average.

In WA, faith-based education would cost $142,320, a $5,200 drop from 2017, and $34,234 below the national regional average. Faith-based education includes Catholic, Anglican, Buddhist, Uniting Church, Islamic and Hindu schools.

Parents aiming to send their kids to a private school in regional WA would spend $277,694, about $103,000 less than country Victoria. The amount is $70,000 cheaper than the national regional average of $347,572. ASG chief operating officer Bruce Hawkins said that WA parents are fairly well-positioned relative to their counterparts in other states.

Perth is the third most affordable city behind Adelaide and Brisbane. The expected cost of a private education in Perth is $401,191.

The research shows it would cost $54,766 for a child to be sent to a Perth public school. That amount is $11,500 cheaper the national metropolitan average. The index takes into account various fees, including transport, uniforms, computers and excursions from kindergarten to Year 12.

Hawkins stated that the cost of education had risen to more than double the rate of inflation over a decade, outstripping the wage growth. He urged parents to save a few dollars every week so they “are in a much better position to financially support their children’s future education aspirations,” Perth Now reports.