Brisbane Grammar School Fees 2026: Boarding, Entry and Honest Review

Brisbane Grammar School fees for 2026 are $36,300 a year in tuition for Years 7 to 12 and $30,360 for Years 5 and 6, plus a $1,660 Technology Package Levy for every boy; boarding adds $35,660 a year in Years 7 to 12 and $28,600 in Years 5 and 6 (domestic students, AUD), according to the school’s official School Fees page and its 2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges (checked 3 November 2026). A Year 7–12 day boy therefore costs $37,960 a year and a Year 7–12 boarder $73,620 a year. Every family also pays a non-refundable $650 application fee and, when it accepts an offer about three years before entry, a non-refundable $3,100 Confirmation Fee that is not deducted from tuition. When we checked, the official fees page still showed the 2026 schedule; a 2027 schedule had not been published there yet.

If you searched “Brisbane Grammar School fees”, you probably want more than one number. You want to know what the fee includes, what you pay before your son even starts, how the Year 5 and Year 7 entry points and the waiting list work, what scholarships and bursaries exist, what boarding costs, and how the total adds up over six or eight years. This page answers those questions from Brisbane Grammar School’s (BGS) own website and documents, then compares it with two other Brisbane boys’ schools — Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) and Brisbane Boys’ College — and with NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA), a very different option: an online international school for ages 6–18 that opens in September 2027.

The short answer: who Brisbane Grammar suits — and who it doesn’t

• Suits: families who want a long-established, academically strong boys’ school in central Brisbane. BGS was founded in 1868, sits on a heritage-listed site in Spring Hill on the edge of the CBD and teaches about 2,000 boys from Years 5 to 12.
• Suits: families who like predictable bills. The school describes its fee structure as “all-inclusive”, designed so boys can take part in sport and activities without additional fees.
• Suits: boys who want a big cocurricular life. Boys in Years 5 to 12 compete against the other eight schools of the Great Public Schools’ Association of Queensland (GPS), and the school runs an outdoor education centre at Lake Moogerah, a 30-hectare playing-field complex at Northgate and a rowing shed on the Brisbane River.
• Suits: regional, interstate and overseas families who need boarding. Boarding is available at every year level from Year 5, every boarder has a private room, and the school is registered to enrol overseas students (CRICOS 00489C).
• Harder fit: families who start late. The main entry points are Years 5 and 7, offers are made about three years in advance, and once the Enrolment List is full, new applicants go on a Waiting List with no guaranteed place.
• Harder fit: families with daughters, or who want a co-educational school. BGS is a boys’ school; Brisbane Girls Grammar School is a separate school.
• Harder fit: families who want the IB Diploma, or who need to keep moving between countries. BGS follows Queensland’s QCE and ATAR system; for a family on the move, an online school may fit better.

What Brisbane Grammar School is

Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational day and boarding school for boys. Its enrolment booklet tells the story: in 1865 Albert John Hockings, Mayor of Brisbane, headed a subscription list to found a grammar school; the foundation stone was laid on 29 February 1868 by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, at the original Roma Street site; the first students arrived in 1869; and the school moved to Gregory Terrace in 1881, where boarders’ School House opened in 1887. The motto is nil sine labore — “nothing without work”.

The Spring Hill campus has two precincts: the Middle School for Years 5 to 8 and the Senior School for Years 9 to 12. Recent additions include the Lilley Centre (2010), the STEAM Precinct (2024), a Heritage Precinct (2024) and a Sports Science Gym (2025). Sport is spread across the Indoor Sports Centre, the Northgate Playing Fields about 20 minutes away, the Tennis Centre in Kelvin Grove and the Rowing Shed at West End; outdoor education runs from Pepperina Hill on Lake Moogerah, about an hour and a quarter south-west of Brisbane.

Brisbane Grammar School fees 2026 (official)

All figures below come from the school’s School Fees page, the 2026 Enrolment Information booklet and the 2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges for full fee-paying overseas students, all checked on 3 November 2026. The 2027 schedule was not yet on the official site; Australian schools usually publish the next year’s fees late in the year, so check again before you budget.

Tuition, levy and boarding (2026, per year)

The “day total” and “boarder total” columns are our own sums of the official lines. Overseas students pay the same $1,660 digital levy and the same boarding fee as domestic boarders, but higher tuition, because — as the overseas schedule explains — Australian students attract Federal and State Government per-capita funding and overseas students carry extra administration costs. Overseas students in Years 11 and 12 also pay a yearly $884.80 fee to the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), which the school collects.

What you pay before your son starts

Families can pay in full in advance each year (a discount applies if paid by the due date — the size of the discount is not published on the official site), in four equal instalments or in ten equal instalments. The overseas schedule lists ancillary charges such as a 0.8% card surcharge and overdue-account fees.

What the fee includes — and what it doesn’t

BGS presents its fees as all-inclusive for the cocurricular programme: the School Fees page says the structure lets boys “engage in a wide range of sports and activities without incurring additional fees”. The schedule notes that fees are set to cover, as far as possible, “all expenses except text books and uniforms”. For budgeting, the overseas schedule says that, at current prices, families can expect to spend about $1,000–$1,200 on uniforms for the school year and about $360–$420 on textbooks and stationery for Middle School entry. Overseas families must also arrange Overseas Student Health Cover; the schedule quotes 2025 Medibank Private Essentials single cover at $675 for one year. Whether camps, tours and music tuition carry separate charges is not itemised on the official fees page — ask the school when you enrol.

What Brisbane Grammar costs to Year 12 (2026 prices)

Using only the official 2026 figures, assuming no fee rises, no scholarship or bursary, no early-payment discount and no extras (the Advance Fee is credited to tuition, so it is not added again):

• Domestic day boy, Year 7 to Year 12: 6 × $37,960 = $227,760, plus the $650 application and $3,100 confirmation fees = $231,510.
• Domestic day boy, Year 5 to Year 12: 2 × $32,020 + 6 × $37,960 = $291,800, plus $3,750 = $295,550.
• Domestic boarder, Year 7 to Year 12: 6 × $73,620 = $441,720, plus $3,750 = $445,470.
• Overseas boarder, Year 7 to Year 12: 4 × ($49,360 + $1,660 + $35,660) = $346,720, plus 2 × ($49,360 + $1,660 + $35,660 + $884.80) = $175,129.60, plus $3,750 = $525,599.60, before health cover, uniforms and books.

Fees are reviewed every year, so real totals will be higher. For families with three or more brothers at BGS at the same time, a 50% concession applies to the third and subsequent boys (it may be reviewed if a brother already receives a scholarship or bursary). Our guide to online vs in-person international school costs puts figures like these in a wider context.

Entry points and how admissions work: Year 5, Year 7 and the waiting list

The Apply page and the enrolment booklet explain a system that rewards applying early. The major intake years are Year 5 and Year 7. Entry at other year levels depends on vacancies, and the booklet notes that the school has been able to offer a number of places at Years 10 and 11 to both boarders and day boys. Parents are asked to contact the Enrolments Office before applying if they want a place in the current year or any of the next three years, outside Years 5 and 7, or for an overseas student.

Enrolment List vs Waiting List

Once the online application and $650 fee are received, a boy is placed on either the Enrolment List or the Waiting List for his entry year. The Enrolment List guarantees a place; early applications are typically placed there. When it is full, later applicants join the Waiting List, which is not ranked by application date — all applicants are reviewed together. The Waiting List review happens three years before the intended entry year and again one year before, and vacancies can be offered as late as January of the starting year. Final decisions rest with the Headmaster.

In Term 3 each year, families on the Waiting List for entry three years ahead are asked for the boy’s last two school reports, Year 3 NAPLAN results (for Year 7 applicants), any learning-support documentation and details of his cocurricular activities. The published review criteria are family connection (sons of Old Boys), sibling status, boarding applications, academic and behaviour reports, and cocurricular participation. Applicants and parents may be asked to attend an interview (except for Year 6 entry). The school does not publish a general academic entrance exam; the ACER test it mentions is for scholarships.

When should we apply?

The official Year Level Entry Guide maps dates of birth to entry years. For example, a boy born between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 enters Year 5 in 2027 or Year 7 in 2029; a boy born between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020 enters Year 5 in 2030 or Year 7 in 2032. Because offers for Years 5 and 7 are made about three years before entry, many families apply when their son is still in early primary school.

Scholarships and bursaries at Brisbane Grammar

The Scholarships and Bursaries page and the 2028 Scholarship and Bursary Application booklet describe two separate kinds of help:

Bursaries are offered to boys with an Old Boy connection, from the Greater Brisbane region, from regional, rural and remote communities who need to board, of Indigenous heritage, or of refugee status. They are funded by the BGS Bursary Fund, while scholarships are funded by the school. All awards are reviewed every year against conduct, academic progress and cocurricular commitment. Outcomes are notified about six weeks after the application deadline.

Boarding at Brisbane Grammar: Griffith House and Harlin House

BGS has had boarders since 1868, and its boarding page says boarding is available at all year levels. Younger boys (Years 5 to 8) live in Griffith House and older boys (Years 9 to 12) in Harlin House; each boarder has a private, modern room. A “House Family” — a small, mixed-age group led by a boarding tutor who also teaches at the school — is the centre of the care model, supported by the Heads of House and a House Mother. Boarders get ten hours of tutor-supported study a week in the STEAM building, and registered nurses are available to boarders around the clock.

Most boys are full-time boarders and stay in on weekends, though leave for all or part of a weekend can be arranged. Short-term boarding is also offered, from a week to a whole term — useful when parents travel or during busy periods. The cost is the boarding fee on top of tuition and the levy: $28,600 a year in Years 5–6 and $35,660 in Years 7–12 for 2026. The school says boarding applications receive particular attention in the Waiting List review, so families who need boarding should say so clearly when applying.

Curriculum, results and the school day: QCE, ATAR and time zones

BGS follows the Queensland senior system: students work towards the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), and Australian university entry is based on the ATAR. In Years 11 and 12 every boy studies English and at least one Mathematics subject plus four more from the sciences, humanities, literature, languages (Chinese, French, German, Japanese) and the arts. In Years 7 to 10 boys study a modern language (Chinese, French or Japanese), and Latin is an option in Year 10. We did not find the IB Diploma on the official site. The school is registered with the Queensland authorities to enrol overseas students (CRICOS 00489C).

The official results are strong for a school that describes its cohort as non-selective. The 2026 enrolment booklet reports that the Class of 2025 (287 boys) achieved a median ATAR of 95, with eight students on the top rank of 99.95 and 41 perfect subject scores of 100. The academic results page reports a median ATAR of 95.40 for the Class of 2024. The school notes that more than 95% of its seniors agree to share their ATAR with the school, which makes the published median more reliable.

The Queensland school year runs January to December in four terms. On the official term dates page, school starts on Wednesday 27 January 2027 and Term 4 ends on Friday 26 November 2027 for Years 5–11. The school day runs from 8.20am (tutor group) to about 3.00–3.10pm. Brisbane is on UTC+10 all year, because Queensland does not use daylight saving. Families moving from the Northern Hemisphere should remember that a January start means year levels may not match a September school year. For a different model, our article on how an online international school day works shows what live classes from home look like.

Brisbane Grammar vs NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY vs two other options (official data)

Brisbane Grammar vs Churchie: the comparison most Brisbane families make

For Year 7–12 tuition alone, Churchie’s 2026 schedule ($33,720) is $2,580 a year lower than BGS ($36,300), and its boarding fee ($31,956) is $3,704 lower than BGS ($35,660). But the two schools bill differently. BGS adds one $1,660 levy and describes the rest as all-inclusive, while Churchie’s schedule lists several separate levies (building fund, book rental, outdoor education, technology and stationery) that vary by year level — so compare the full yearly bill for your son’s year, not just the tuition line. Entry costs are similar: BGS charges $650 + $3,100, Churchie $590 + $2,150 + a $3,000 advance fee credited to tuition. The main structural difference is age range: Churchie runs from Reception, while BGS starts at Year 5. Churchie is Anglican; BGS is non-denominational. Brisbane Boys’ College’s 2026 Years 7–12 tuition is $33,260, with boarding at $36,700 — slightly above BGS for boarding.

Sources: Brisbane Grammar School School Fees, Apply, Scholarships and Bursaries, Boarding, International Students, Term Dates and Academic Results pages and 2026 fee documents; Churchie school fees page and 2026 residents’ fee schedule; Brisbane Boys’ College School Fees & Finance page and 2026 domestic fee schedule. All checked 3 November 2026.

Reviews and common concerns, answered honestly

“Is Brisbane Grammar worth it?”

It depends on what your son will use. The fee pays for a broad academic programme with strong published ATAR results, GPS sport, an extensive cocurricular programme without extra activity fees, and facilities such as the STEAM Precinct and Moogerah. If he will make full use of those, many families see the value. If you mainly want good teaching close to home, a state school costs far less, and other independent schools publish lower tuition.

“Is it hard to get in?”

It is less about a test and more about timing. Offers for Years 5 and 7 are made about three years ahead; once the Enrolment List is full, places come from the Waiting List review, where family connection, siblings, boarding, reports and cocurricular involvement are all considered. Applying early is the single most useful step.

“Does the Waiting List favour Old Boys’ sons?”

The school says openly that sons of Old Boys and siblings of current students receive “considered priority”, but that this does not guarantee a place and is one of several criteria applied to all applicants. If you have no family connection, apply early, keep your contact details up to date and engage with open days and tours, as the school itself advises.

“What extras should we budget for?”

Uniforms (the school estimates about $1,000–$1,200 a year), textbooks and stationery (about $360–$420 for Middle School entry), the non-refundable application and confirmation fees, and — for overseas students — health cover and the Year 11–12 QCAA fee. Ask the school about any trip or tuition costs not covered by the all-inclusive fee.

“Can we apply from overseas?”

Yes, on a Student visa (Subclass 500). Contact the Enrolments Office first to check places. The school asks for reports, a principal’s reference if needed, passport details and evidence of English: an AEAS result (Level 5 on the NLLIA Bandscale for Years 5–8; a minimum of 60 for Years 10–11, or IELTS 6) plus a supervised piece of extended writing. The school warns that it has limited English-language support, and applicants are interviewed in person or by phone before an offer.

Alternatives to Brisbane Grammar School worth comparing

Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie), in East Brisbane, is the boys’ school Brisbane families compare with BGS most often. It runs from Reception to Year 12 with boarding from Year 7, and its 2026 schedule lists Years 7–12 tuition of $33,720 plus separate levies, and boarding of $31,956, with boarding sibling discounts of 10% for a second son and 25% for a third.

Brisbane Boys’ College runs from Prep to Year 12 on a site about 4 km from the CBD, with boarding from Year 7. Its 2026 domestic schedule lists Years 7–12 tuition of $33,260 and boarding of $36,700, with a 10% sibling discount for younger brothers. For daughters, Brisbane Girls Grammar School is the separate girls’ school families often pair with BGS. For the wider city picture, see international schools in Brisbane; for interstate comparisons, see our pages on Sydney Grammar School fees, Scotch College Melbourne fees and Geelong Grammar School fees.

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is an online international school for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, opening in September 2027 (planned), with a first cohort of 100 students. It is operated by NIJIN Inc. in Japan, whose alternative school NIJIN Academy has more than 1,000 students. Classes are small live dialogue groups of about 8, with subjects learned in English, a bilingual (English–Japanese) mentor, CEFR-based English levels, social co-creation projects with companies and governments, and international exchange; an optional Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level pathway is listed on the curriculum and timetable page. There is no academic entrance exam and no English requirement, and no three-year waiting list. It can run alongside a local school or as the main school, and it travels with the family if they relocate. Tuition is not yet published; NGA says it will be far more affordable than a typical international school, with no enrolment, facility or uniform fees, materials included and sibling discounts. Free trial classes run monthly from September 2026. The timetable is built for Asia–Oceania daytime, so it fits a Brisbane day well.

Be clear about the trade-offs: NGA is not yet open, is not yet accredited and has no graduates or track record. It does not award the QCE or an ATAR, and it offers no boarding, no GPS sport and no campus life. If you want a traditional Brisbane boys’ school with a recognised Queensland senior credential, Brisbane Grammar, Churchie and Brisbane Boys’ College are the schools to compare.

For a wider view, see our online international schools compared guide or online school options in Australia.

See how NGA admissions work →

FAQ

How much does Brisbane Grammar School cost per year?

For 2026 (domestic, AUD): tuition is $30,360 in Years 5–6 and $36,300 in Years 7–12, plus a $1,660 Technology Package Levy. Boarding adds $28,600 (Years 5–6) or $35,660 (Years 7–12). A Year 7–12 day boy costs $37,960 a year and a boarder $73,620. Overseas tuition is $40,140 (Years 5–6) or $49,360 (Years 7–12). New families also pay a $650 application fee and a $3,100 confirmation fee (official site, checked 3 November 2026; the 2027 schedule was not yet published).

Is Brisbane Grammar accredited, and what diploma do boys receive?

BGS is a registered Queensland independent school. Boys complete the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and receive an ATAR for university entry. It is registered to enrol overseas students (CRICOS 00489C). We did not find the IB Diploma on its official site.

Can international students enrol?

Yes, on a Student visa (Subclass 500), in Years 5 to 12, subject to places, reports, an interview and English proficiency evidence (AEAS or IELTS plus a supervised writing task). Overseas tuition for 2026 is $49,360 a year in Years 7–12, and boarding is $35,660.

When do we need to apply, and is there a waiting list?

The main entry points are Years 5 and 7, and offers are made about three years before entry. Early applicants go on the Enrolment List, which guarantees a place; later applicants go on a Waiting List that is reviewed three years and again one year before entry, considering family connection, siblings, boarding, reports and cocurricular involvement.

Is Brisbane Grammar worth it, and what are the alternatives?

It can be for boys who will use its academic programme, GPS sport and cocurricular life fully. Families often compare Churchie and Brisbane Boys’ College. NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY is a very different, online option for ages 6–18 with no academic entrance exam and no English requirement; it opens in September 2027 and is not yet accredited.

Choosing calmly, with the whole picture

Brisbane Grammar offers something few schools can: more than 150 years of history, an all-inclusive cocurricular programme, strong published results and boarding from Year 5 in the middle of the city. The most useful steps now are to check your son’s entry year, apply early if BGS is on your list, and add the entry fees, levy and — if needed — boarding to every year you expect him to stay. Whichever school you choose, the right one is the place where your son will be known, stretched and happy.

Tuition and admissions details were checked on the official websites on 3 November 2026. Schools revise fees every year — always confirm on the official site before applying.

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