Most expensive schools in South Africa

With an annual fee of R209,000, Hilton College in Kwa-Zulu Natal is South Africa’s most expensive private school.

The all-boys boarding school, located near Hilton in the KZN Midlands, was founded in 1872 and sits on an over 1,700 hectare piece of land, which includes its own wildlife reserve.

Hilton, along with MichaelHouse, the second most expensive private school in the country, are of the only remaining schools that are pure boarding schools, that do not offer day student education.

MichaelHouse is also located in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.

So what will R209,000 at Hilton College get you? Aside from the prestigious location and tradition, the fees cover tuition, board, games, ordinary medical attention, the use of the sanatorium, library and laundry.

It also includes basic entertainment which is arranged for all boys, games transport and simple mending materials.

The fees listed below are what parents can expect to pay for a full senior year at some of South Africa’s most elite private schools, including boarding, at the latest-available rates.

It most be noted that most schools do not include additional fees in this amount. Additional fees can typically relate to various levies, such as IT and infrastructure, as well as further costs for food, extra mural activities and trips.

Entry fees have been noted in the table below for institutions where it has been explicitly stated.

Hilton College – R209,000 – KZN Midlands

Hilton College

MichaelHouse – R192,000 – KZN Midlands

MichaelHouse

St Martins – R184,460 – Johannesburg

St Martins

St Andrews College – R182,700 – Grahamstown

St Andrews

Kearsney College – R181,350 – KZN Midlands

Kearsney College

Roedean School for Girls – R181,140 – Johannesburg

Roedean School for Girls

St Alban’s College – R181,000 – Pretoria

St Alban’s College

St Andrews School for Girls – R174,860 – Johannesburg

St Andrews School for Girls

St Johns – R178,523 – Johannesburg

St Johns

St Mary’s School – Waverly – R173,700

St Mary’s Waverly

Bishops – R168,140 – Cape Town

Bishops

Somerset College – R167,736 – Somerset West

Somerset College

St Stithians – R166,691 – Sandton

St Stithians

St Mary’s DSG – R166,155 – Pretoria

St Mary’s

Kingswood College – R158,355 – Grahamstown

Kingswood College

Diocesan School for Girls – R157,590 – Grahamstown

DSG School

Herschel Girls’ School – R157,560 – Cape Town

Herschel School for Girls

The Wykeham Collegiate – R154,820 – Pietermaritzburg

The Wykeham Collegiate

Bridge House – R149,490 –  Franschoek

Bridge House

St Cyprians – R148,560 – Cape Town

St Cyprians

St Anne’s Diocesan College – R146,200 – KZN Midlands

St Anne’s

Treverton College – R142,400 – KZN Midlands

Treverton College

SA’s most expensive private schools (Above R140,000)

* 2015 fees ** Refundable deposit

However, even South Africa’s most expensive schools don’t quite match up to the fees charged by private schools in the USA.

Lawrenceville, in New Jersey, charges upwards of $44,800 (over R500,000) per year for its education; with other private schools such as Salisbury School in Conneticut and Riverdale Country School and Birch Wathen Lenox School in New York, charging students around $43,000 per year.

The title of most expensive school in the world belong to Swiss school, Institut Le Rosey, which charges annual fees of over $120,000 (R1.35 million) – with royalty, monarchs and celebrities amongst some of its more notable alumni.

Are there any high-cost schools we missed? Please let us know in the comments.

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