7 schools · 2026 fees verified

Best Private Schools in Melbourne's Bayside (2026)

Melbourne's Bayside catchment — Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Beaumaris, Mentone — has a strong cluster of co-educational + single-sex independent schools. Major schools include Brighton Grammar (boys Anglican), Firbank Grammar (Brighton, girls Anglican), Haileybury (Keysborough + Brighton + Berwick campuses, co-ed Christian Uniting + Parallel Education model), St Leonard's College (Brighton East, co-ed independent), Mentone Grammar (co-ed Anglican), and Mentone Girls' Grammar (Mentone, girls Anglican). Strong rowing + sailing programs leveraging the Bay.

The Education Desk · Editorial team, schools + fertility + family services · Updated 17 May 2026 · How we rank · Editorial standards

Key takeaways

7 schools matched, ranked by ICSEA (highest first).
2026 Year 12 tuition ranges $12,820–$45,206.
2 of 7 offer boarding.
Sourced from each school's published 2026 fee schedule. Independent — no paid placements.

Best Private Schools in Melbourne's Bayside (2026) — quick compare table · Click any header to sort
Provider ⇅	Suburb ⇅	Sector ⇅	Gender ⇅	ICSEA ⇅	Y12 fee ⇅	Boarding ⇅
Haileybury	Keysborough (also Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne CBD)	Independent (Uniting Church heritage)	co-educational (parallel-gender model)	1177	$41,685	No
St Michael's Grammar School	St Kilda	Independent (non-denominational)	co-educational	1169	$31,820	No
Wesley College	Melbourne (St Kilda Road, Glen Waverley, Elsternwick)	Uniting Church	co-educational	1169	$45,206	Yes
St Leonard's College	Brighton East	Independent (non-denominational)	co-educational	1163	$31,820	No
Star of the Sea College	Brighton	Catholic (Presentation)	girls	1162	$12,820	No
Caulfield Grammar School	St Kilda East (also Wheelers Hill, Malvern)	Anglican	co-educational	1157	$40,770	Yes
Brighton Grammar School	Brighton	Anglican	boys	1147	$41,068	No

Top 20 by ICSEA. Independent — no paid placements.

Haileybury

, Keysborough (also Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne CBD)

Independent (Uniting Church heritage) Co-ed Top tier Est. 1892

Haileybury is in Keysborough (also Brighton, Berwick, Melbourne CBD), Melbourne. Independent (Uniting Church heritage), co-educational (parallel-gender model), ELC-Year 12. $41,685/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1177. Founded 1892. Standout: Largest independent school in Australia (4,600+ students).

Y12 fee 2026

$41,685/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$41,260

ICSEA

1177

Year levels

ELC-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› Largest independent school in Australia (4,600+ students)
› Parallel Education model: separate gender classes Years 5-8 on shared campuses
› Three-year VCE pathway plus Haileybury Pangea online learning

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Note: Boarding offered only at Haileybury Rendall (Darwin); Melbourne campuses are day-only.

St Michael's Grammar School

, St Kilda

Independent (non-denominational) Co-ed Mid tier Est. 1895

St Michael's Grammar School is in St Kilda, Melbourne. Independent (non-denominational), co-educational, ELC-Year 12. $31,820/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1169. Founded 1895. Standout: Inner-city co-ed model.

Y12 fee 2026

$31,820/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$28,680

ICSEA

1169

Year levels

ELC-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› Inner-city co-ed model
› Strong VCE outcomes
› St Kilda bayside campus

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Wesley College

, Melbourne (St Kilda Road, Glen Waverley, Elsternwick)

Uniting Church Co-ed Elite tier Boarding Est. 1866

Wesley College is in Melbourne (St Kilda Road, Glen Waverley, Elsternwick), Melbourne. Uniting Church, co-educational, ELC-Year 12. $45,206/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1169. Founded 1866. Boarding offered. Standout: Only Victorian school offering IB from early childhood through Year 12.

Y12 fee 2026

$45,206/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$38,171

ICSEA

1169

Year levels

ELC-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› Only Victorian school offering IB from early childhood through Year 12
› Year 9 Clunes residential learning campus
› Yiramalay/Wesley Indigenous education partnership in the Kimberley

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Note: Boarding offered at Glen Waverley campus only.

St Leonard's College

, Brighton East

Independent (non-denominational) Co-ed Mid tier Est. 1914

St Leonard's College is in Brighton East, Melbourne. Independent (non-denominational), co-educational, ELC-Year 12. $31,820/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1163. Founded 1914. Standout: IB Diploma alongside VCE.

Y12 fee 2026

$31,820/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$28,640

ICSEA

1163

Year levels

ELC-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› IB Diploma alongside VCE
› Bayside Melbourne campus
› Strong sport + creative arts

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Star of the Sea College

, Brighton

Catholic (Presentation) Girls Lower-fee Est. 1883

Star of the Sea College is in Brighton, Melbourne. Catholic (Presentation), girls, Year 7-Year 12. $12,820/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1162. Founded 1883. Standout: Presentation Sisters tradition.

Y12 fee 2026

$12,820/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$11,420

ICSEA

1162

Year levels

Year 7-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› Presentation Sisters tradition
› Bayside Melbourne Catholic girls
› Mid-fee Catholic option

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Caulfield Grammar School

, St Kilda East (also Wheelers Hill, Malvern)

Anglican Co-ed Top tier Boarding Est. 1881

Caulfield Grammar School is in St Kilda East (also Wheelers Hill, Malvern), Melbourne. Anglican, co-educational, Kindergarten-Year 12. $40,770/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1157. Founded 1881. Boarding offered. Standout: First Australian school with an overseas campus (Nanjing, China since 1998) for Mandarin immersion.

Y12 fee 2026

$40,770/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$36,828

ICSEA

1157

Year levels

Kindergarten-Year 12

Boarding: $34,401/yr (additional to tuition)

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› First Australian school with an overseas campus (Nanjing, China since 1998) for Mandarin immersion
› Yarra Junction outdoor education campus with award-winning environmental program
› IB Diploma offered alongside VCE

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Brighton Grammar School

, Brighton

Anglican Boys Top tier Est. 1882

Brighton Grammar School is in Brighton, Melbourne. Anglican, boys, ELC-Year 12. $41,068/yr Year 12 tuition · ICSEA 1147. Founded 1882. Standout: 2025 Aramco STEM Racing World Champions (team Lunar).

Y12 fee 2026

$41,068/yr

Y7 fee 2026

$41,068

ICSEA

1147

Year levels

ELC-Year 12

Best for: Families in Melbourne

Standout programs

› 2025 Aramco STEM Racing World Champions (team Lunar)
› Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation, dedicated boys' education research
› Strong APS sport tradition with multiple premierships in cricket, rowing and football

See full profile → School site ↗ Fee source ↗

Common questions

What is Haileybury's Parallel Education model?

Haileybury operates separate boys + girls classes within the same campuses (Keysborough + Brighton + Berwick) Years 5-8, then co-educational classes Years 9-12. The model claims best of both worlds — gender-separate at the developmentally critical middle-school years, co-ed seniors. Around $35-45k Year 12.

Does Brighton Grammar have boarding?

No — Brighton Grammar is day-only. Most major Melbourne boarding is at Geelong Grammar (Corio + Timbertop), Wesley Glen Waverley, Scotch College or Lauriston (Howqua program). Brighton is also adjacent to St Catherine's Toorak boarding for girls.

Is Firbank Grammar academically competitive with St Catherine's?

Firbank Grammar (Brighton) and St Catherine's (Toorak) both produce strong VCE results. Firbank is co-ed early years + girls senior; St Catherine's is girls K-12. Different campuses + traditions but similar fee tier (~$36-42k Year 12).

How do Bayside schools compare to Inner East fees?

Slightly more accessible — Bayside schools typically $30-42k Year 12 vs Inner East elite at $40-55k. Smaller historic ICSEA gap (most ~1130-1180). The Bay-side location adds rowing + sailing options other catchments don't have.