Melbourne School Guide
Melbourne offers excellent schooling options across the public, Catholic, and independent sectors..
School System Overview
Education in Victoria is compulsory from ages 6 to 17. The school year runs from late January to mid-December, split into four terms with two-week breaks between each.
- Government (Public) Schools: Free for Australian citizens and permanent residents. Zones apply: you generally must live within the school's designated area.
- Catholic Schools: Low to moderate fees, run by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV). Some are zoned, some open.
- Independent (Private) Schools: Full-fee schools (approx $15,000 — $40,000/year). Selective entry or waitlist-based.
Top-Performing Public Schools (Selective Entry)
- Melbourne High School: boys' selective entry (years 9 — 12), South Yarra
- The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School: girls' selective entry, Melbourne CBD
- Nossal High School: co-ed selective entry, Berwick
- Suzanne Cory High School: co-ed selective entry, Werribee
Entry is via the Selective Entry Exam (typically sitting in Year 8).
Strong Zoned Public Schools
These schools perform exceptionally well but are zoned: you need to live in the catchment area:
- Balwyn High School: consistently high VCE results, strict zone
- McKinnon Secondary College: excellent results, tight catchment
- Box Hill High School: strong academic and Asian language programs
- Camberwell High School: well-rounded, strong arts and sports
- University High School: Parkville, nearby UniMelb, strong academic
- Glen Waverley Secondary College: top-performing in the east
Leading Independent Schools
- Scotch College (Hawthorn): boys, 9 — 12, ~$35k/yr
- Melbourne Grammar School (South Yarra): boys, ~$35k/yr
- Wesley College (Glen Waverley, Elsternwick, Prahran): co-ed, ~$32k/yr
- Haileybury College (Brighton, Keysborough, Berwick): co-ed, ~$28k/yr
- Caulfield Grammar School (Wheelers Hill, Caulfield, Malvern): co-ed
Enrolment Process
Public schools: Check the school zone on the Victorian Department of Education's Find My School website. Apply with proof of residence (lease, utility bill), birth certificate, and immunisation records. Enrolment for Foundation (Prep) opens in April for the following year.
Private schools: Register years in advance: many require enrolment from birth for high-demand schools. Scholarships and means-tested bursaries available.
Primary Schools
Melbourne has excellent public primary schools in almost every suburb. Notable ones: Surrey Hills Primary, Malvern Primary, Mont Albert Primary, Auburn Primary, and Princes Hill Primary. Many offer before- and after-school care programs.
The System in Context
Victoria runs more than 1,500 government schools plus large Catholic and independent sectors, and the system is the most academically selective of any Australian state. The top of the public pyramid is the selective entry schools — Melbourne High (boys) and Mac.Robertson Girls’ (girls), plus Nossal and Suzanne Cory in the suburbs — which take the top few hundred of several thousand applicants each year via the selective entry exam in Year 8.
Below them sit the zoned high performers: Balwyn High, McKinnon Secondary, Box Hill High, Glen Waverley Secondary, and University High all deliver exceptional VCE results within strict catchment zones — the reason the suburbs around them carry a housing premium. The mechanism is the same across the state: your address determines your zoned school, and out-of-zone enrolment is only possible with spare capacity.
Costs in 2026
Public schools are free for citizens and permanent residents, with $1,000–$2,000 a year in uniforms, excursions, and levies. Catholic schools charge $3,000–$9,000 a year. The elite independents — Scotch College, Melbourne Grammar, Wesley, Xavier — run $25,000–$40,000 a year, among the highest fees in the country. Scholarships and bursaries exist at most independents, and the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps low-income families with public school costs.
International students pay $15,000–$18,000 a year in government schools through the VRQA-administered program. For most families, the smart money is on the zoned public system in a good catchment — the results rival the independents at a fraction of the cost.
Enrolment Timelines and Tips
Public school enrolment for the following year opens in Term 2 — provide proof of address (lease or rates), birth certificate, and immunisation records. Selective entry exams are sat in Year 8 for Year 9 entry; prepare from Year 7. Private schools need applications 12–24 months ahead with non-refundable fees of $200–$1,000. If you are moving mid-year, call the local school — in-zone enrolments are accepted immediately. And visit open days: the best school is the one that fits your child, not the one with the highest rank.