Westminster vs St Paul’s (2026/27): Fees, Entry, Boarding and Which Suits

Westminster vs St Paul’s, in one paragraph: both are selective London day schools with boarding, both take pupils at 11+, 13+ and 16+, and both quote 2026/27 fees including VAT. The headline gap is real but not the whole story. A 13+ day place costs £16,456 a term at Westminster and £12,666 a term at St Paul’s; boarding costs £23,094 and £19,181 a term. The bigger differences are who can apply and how boarding works. Westminster, in central London, is becoming fully co-educational: girls join Year 9 from September 2028, and its boarding is weekly and term-time only. St Paul’s, in Barnes on the Thames, is a school for boys (St Paul’s Girls’ School is a separate school), and it offers full, weekly and flexi boarding from Year 9. All figures below come from the two schools’ official websites, checked 10 November 2026.

If you searched for Westminster vs St Pauls, or St Pauls vs Westminster School, you are probably a London family weighing two famous schools a few miles apart, or a family abroad looking at Sixth Form entry. This page does not rank them or say which is better. Both are long-established, academically selective and very well regarded, and the honest answer depends on your child. Instead, it lays out the official facts side by side: fees and total cost, deposits and registration fees, entry points and deadlines, bursaries, boarding and the rules for overseas families. It ends with what to do if neither fits, including NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA), a very different online option for ages 6–18 that opens in September 2027 (planned).

The short answer: which family fits Westminster, which fits St Paul’s

• Westminster may fit better if: you have a daughter, or children of both sexes. Girls already join the Sixth Form, and Westminster School takes girls into Year 9 from 2028; St Paul’s School is for boys.
• Westminster may fit better if: you live in central London and want a day school with weekly boarding as an option, Saturday morning school included.
• Westminster may fit better if: your child is overseas and aiming at 16+. Westminster says it welcomes international boarders at 16+ and lets overseas candidates sit the entrance exams at their local British Council.
• St Paul’s may fit better if: your son is in south-west London and you want the lower day fee of the two: £12,666 a term against £16,456, both including VAT.
• St Paul’s may fit better if: you want flexible boarding. It offers full, weekly and flexi boarding (one to four nights) from Year 9, and sponsors Child Student visas from Year 9 for boys who board full time. Westminster does not take international pupils at 13+.
• St Paul’s may fit better if: you need a bursary and earn under £78,000 a year and live within 20 km of Barnes; its Founder’s Awards can cover up to 100% of fees.
• Neither may fit if: you live outside London, need full boarding for a child under 16 at Westminster, or want a school without academic selection. See the options further down this page.

Westminster vs St Paul’s vs NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY at a glance (official data)

Westminster and St Paul’s details below come from each school’s official website for 2026/27, checked 10 November 2026. NGA is included because it is the kind of alternative many families never hear about, not because it resembles these two schools. It is online, not a London day school, and not yet open.

Sources: Westminster fees 2026–2027, Westminster 13+ entry, St Paul’s fees, St Paul’s boarding and St Paul’s international applicants, all checked 10 November 2026. Inspection dates are from each school’s published ISI information.

Fees side by side: day, boarding, deposits and registration (2026/27)

Both schools state their fees inclusive of VAT, so there is no line to add on top. Since January 2025, VAT at 20% has applied to UK private school fees. Westminster says its displayed charges include VAT except the acceptance deposit, which is not subject to VAT. St Paul’s heads its table “Fees per term (inclusive of VAT)”. Westminster’s Governing Body usually reviews fees by the end of the summer term and publishes them in early July; neither school had published 2027/28 fees when we checked.

The day fee gap at 13+ is £3,790 a term, or £11,370 a year. The boarding gap is £3,913 a term, or £11,739 a year (£69,282 minus £57,543). St Paul’s also offers fee remission where three or more children from one family attend St Paul’s School, St Paul’s Prep School or St Paul’s Girls’ School; Westminster’s fees page does not list a sibling discount.

Five years at today’s prices (Year 9 to Year 13)

This uses official 2026/27 numbers only, assumes no bursary and no fee rises, and uses the 13+ fee throughout because neither school says on its fees page whether a 13+ pupil moves to a different rate in the Sixth Form. Real totals will be higher.

Over five years, that is £59,370 more at Westminster for a day pupil and £61,215 more for a boarder, before extras. Two cautions. First, the boarding models differ: Westminster’s boarding is weekly and term-time only, while St Paul’s offers full boarding, so the two boarding figures do not buy the same thing. Second, neither school publishes a typical extras figure, so ask both for a sample bill for your child’s year. For the full fee breakdowns, see our Westminster School fees page and our St Paul’s School fees page, and for a broader view of what these budgets mean, our guide to online vs in-person international school costs.

Sixth Form only (two years, new 16+ joiner)

At Westminster, six terms of 16+ day fees cost 6 × £17,482 = £104,892; with £360 registration and the £2,400 entrance fee, the total is £107,652. Boarding is 6 × £23,094 = £138,564, or £141,324 with the same entry charges. At St Paul’s, six terms for a new Year 12 day joiner cost 6 × £12,905 = £77,430; with the £75 exam fee and £150 on acceptance, the total is £77,655. Boarding is 6 × £19,420 = £116,520, or £116,745. Overseas families should add visa charges: £1,200 at Westminster, and at St Paul’s £1,200 plus VAT on acceptance and £600 plus VAT a year (£1,440 and £720 at 20% VAT, our arithmetic).

Entry and bursaries: 11+, 13+ and 16+ side by side

Both schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test in the autumn of Year 6 for 13+ entry, followed by written tests and an interview in the winter of Year 6. The real differences are the registration windows, who can apply, and how bursaries work.

Applying to both

Nothing on either school’s pages forbids applying to both, and the ISEB pre-test is the same test. Watch the calendar. For a child now in Year 5 (2030 entry), Westminster’s 13+ registration is already open and closes on 30 September 2027, while St Paul’s opens its 2030 registration in April 2027. For a child now in Year 6 (2029 entry), both 13+ windows have closed: Westminster’s on 30 September 2026 and St Paul’s on 16 October 2026. Registering at both costs £600 in non-refundable fees (£360 + £240). Ask each school how it handles a pupil holding two offers, because Westminster’s entrance fee and St Paul’s deposit fall due at different times.

Bursaries compared

Both schools ask for British or Irish citizenship, settled status or similar residence status for bursaries, and both require a place on academic merit first. Sources: Westminster bursaries and scholarships, Westminster 11+ entry, Westminster 16+ entry, St Paul’s Founder’s Awards, St Paul’s 13+ dates and St Paul’s 16+ dates, all checked 10 November 2026.

Boarding, girls and overseas families: where the rules really differ

Boarding. Westminster’s 13+ boarding is weekly and term-time only, with Saturday morning school, and pupils under 16 must have a UK-resident parent they can stay with at weekends. The day or boarding decision is finalised by February of the entry year, and King’s Scholars board in College. St Paul’s starts boarding at Year 9 with a small number of places, and offers full boarding, weekly boarding from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon, and flexi boarding of one to four nights when space allows, in School House and West House.

Girls. Westminster’s Sixth Form has admitted girls since 1973, and the school says the great majority of 16+ applicants are now girls. Girls joined Westminster Under School from September 2026 and join Westminster School at 13+ from September 2028, with every year group co-educational by 2030. If you are applying during the change, ask how many girls are expected in your child’s year. St Paul’s School is for boys; families with daughters often look at St Paul’s Girls’ School, which is a separate school with its own admissions.

Overseas families. This is the sharpest difference. Westminster does not accept international pupils at 13+ and does not sponsor Child Student visas at that age; it welcomes international boarders at 16+, lets them sit exams at a British Council centre, and requires interviews in person. St Paul’s sponsors Child Student visas from Year 9, on condition that the boy is a full boarder with a British citizen or ILR educational guardian. Its overseas candidates sit the pre-test at their own school or a British Council office, and come to London for interviews.

Learning and results: what each school publishes

Both schools teach (I)GCSEs followed by A Levels, so the qualifications are of the same kind and recognised by universities in the UK and abroad. St Paul’s lists 18 subjects plus the Extended Project Qualification for ages 13–18. Both schools publish exam results and university destinations on their own websites: see the St Paul’s A Level results page and Westminster’s exam results and higher education pages. We have not set the figures side by side here, because each school reports different measures, years and cohort sizes, and a line-by-line contest would mislead. Both are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate rather than accredited in the American sense: Westminster in February 2024 and St Paul’s in January 2025, with reports linked from each school’s site. A better question for both schools is how they would support your child’s particular subjects and university plans.

Which suits which family

• A London family with a daughter, or a son and a daughter: Westminster, from 11+ via the Under School or from 13+ in 2028 onwards. St Paul’s School is not an option for girls.
• A family in south-west London with a son, watching the budget: St Paul’s has the lower fee, a sibling remission for three or more children across the St Paul’s schools, and bursaries with published income thresholds if you live within 20 km.
• A family overseas with a 13-year-old son: St Paul’s, which sponsors visas from Year 9 for full boarders. Westminster’s route opens at 16+.
• A family overseas with a 16-year-old: both are possible, and Westminster makes 75–85 offers at 16+ against about 20 places at St Paul’s. Check the English requirement and the in-person interview date.
• A central London family wanting weekly boarding: both offer it; Westminster’s boarding is weekly only, while St Paul’s also has full and flexi boarding.
• A family outside both bursary areas: neither school’s bursary rules may apply to you (M25 for Westminster, 20 km for St Paul’s), so budget at full fees or consider other routes.

If you are also looking beyond London, our Eton vs Harrow comparison sets out the two best-known full boarding schools for boys in the same way.

If neither fits: other routes and NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY

Other UK schools. If full boarding at 13 is what you want, Eton and Harrow are compared in our page linked above. If boarding or London is not the right step, an online British-curriculum school is a very different experience, and our online international schools compared guide and our explainer on how an online international school day works are good starting points.

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is a different kind of option. It is an online international school for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, opening in September 2027 (planned), with free trial classes monthly from September 2026 and pre-opening trial classes in April–May 2027. Its first cohort is 100 students, and it is operated by NIJIN Inc. in Japan, whose alternative school NIJIN Academy has more than 1,000 students. NGA does not rank children by test scores. Lessons are small-group live dialogue (classes of about 8), subjects are learned in English with a bilingual English–Japanese mentor, English levels follow the CEFR, and students join social co-creation projects with companies and governments plus international exchange. An optional Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level pathway is listed on the curriculum and timetable page. There is no academic entrance exam, no English requirement. 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.

Be clear about the trade-offs. NGA is not yet open, is not yet accredited and has no graduates or track record. It has no campus, no London location and nothing like the centuries of history at Westminster or St Paul’s. Its timetable is built for Asia–Oceania daytime, so for families in the UK, Europe or the Americas live classes may fall outside their day; check the timetable against your local time. If your child is academically strong and you live in London, Westminster and St Paul’s offer something NGA does not. NGA may be worth a look if you live in Asia or Oceania, have a child under 11, move countries often, or would prefer a route without academic selection.

See how NGA admissions work →

FAQ

Which is more expensive, Westminster or St Paul’s?

Westminster. For 2026/27 a 13+ day place costs £16,456 a term at Westminster and £12,666 at St Paul’s, both including VAT, a gap of £3,790 a term. Boarding costs £23,094 and £19,181 a term. Westminster also charges a £2,400 entrance fee (official sites, checked 10 November 2026).

How much do Westminster and St Paul’s cost per year?

Westminster publishes £49,368 a year for 13+ day pupils, £52,446 for 16+ day pupils and £69,282 for boarders. St Paul’s publishes termly fees only; three terms make £37,998 for day boys and £57,543 for boarders, by our arithmetic. Fees for 2027/28 were not published when we checked.

Does Westminster take girls? Does St Paul’s?

Westminster’s Sixth Form already admits girls, girls join Westminster School at 13+ from September 2028, and every year group will be co-educational by 2030. St Paul’s School is for boys; St Paul’s Girls’ School is a separate school.

Can my child apply to both Westminster and St Paul’s?

Nothing on either school’s pages prevents it, and both use the ISEB Common Pre-Test. Check both registration windows for your child’s year: Westminster’s 13+ window closes on 30 September of Year 6, and St Paul’s closed on 16 October 2026 for 2029 entry.

Can overseas pupils join Westminster or St Paul’s?

Westminster does not accept international pupils at 13+ but welcomes international boarders at 16+. St Paul’s sponsors Child Student visas from Year 9 for boys who board full time, with an educational guardian in the UK. NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY is an online option for ages 6–18, with no academic entrance exam, no English requirement; it opens in September 2027 and is not yet accredited.

Choosing calmly, with your child in the room

Westminster and St Paul’s are both remarkable schools, close enough on a map that many families consider both. The most useful next steps are to check which registration windows still apply to your child’s year, visit both if you can, and talk honestly with your child about the journey, the school day and, if it is on the table, boarding. Neither school is the right answer for every child, and there is more than one good path to a happy, stretched and well-known young person.

Tuition and admissions details were checked on the official websites on 10 November 2026. Schools revise fees every year — always confirm on the official site before applying.

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