Secondary and sixth form fees at Edinburgh independent schools sit in the GBP 18,000 to 36,000 range for a day place, with boarding adding roughly GBP 12,000 to 18,000 on top at the schools that offer it.
Secondary and sixth form is where the Edinburgh fee picture is clearest, because the city hub publishes the senior day range directly, from about GBP 18,000 to 36,000 a year with boarding adding a further GBP 12,000 to 18,000 at the schools that board. Most deliver Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers as the default, with some now offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma in parallel. Fees are published in pounds sterling, so these are real rates rather than a conversion.
The bands below are drawn from that published senior range and the profile of the named schools, and secondary sits above primary and well above nursery and preschool. Entry is common at S1 and again into sixth form at S6, with some flexibility for inbound expat families. Start from the Edinburgh international schools hub to shortlist by curriculum and boarding option.
| Tier | Annual day tuition | Typical schools |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | GBP 30,000 to 36,000 | Fettes, Loretto, Merchiston Castle senior day fees |
| Upper mid | GBP 24,000 to 30,000 | George Watson's College senior, Edinburgh Academy senior |
| Mid | GBP 18,000 to 24,000 | Smaller independents and alternative senior provision |
School names illustrate each band and are indicative rather than exact quotes for your child year. Confirm current fees directly with each school before you budget.
Tuition is only part of the bill. The line items below are indicative bands drawn from published Scottish independent school schedules and should be confirmed with each school, as policies vary widely and boarding changes the picture materially.
| Cost | Indicative band | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boarding supplement | GBP 12,000 to 18,000 a year | Added to day tuition at the boarding schools such as Fettes, Loretto and Merchiston Castle. |
| Registration or assessment | GBP 100 to 350 | Non refundable, charged when you apply and sit the entry assessment. |
| Deposit | One to two terms of fees | Refundable against the final term, held on acceptance and higher for boarders. |
| Exam entries and trips | GBP 500 to 1,500 a year | Highers, Advanced Highers or IB entries in exam years, plus senior trips and expeditions. |
Bands above are indicative ranges, not a single school quote. Always confirm current figures in a school fee schedule before budgeting.
Curriculum and boarding are the main levers. The senior schools running Highers, Advanced Highers and the International Baccalaureate alongside British style provision sit at the top of the day range, and boarding adds a substantial supplement again. The premium tracks the depth of subject choice, sixth form support and pastoral provision.
Campus and reputation drive the rest. The flagship senior schools hold large historic sites with strong sports, music and science facilities, and those capital costs feed into tuition. A smaller senior independent can deliver a solid Highers pathway at the lower end of the range, usually trading facilities and boarding rather than teaching quality.
Tuition is the headline, but the acceptance fee, transport and extras add up. Use our comparison tool to line up Edinburgh fees against the city your offer is in.
Open the fee comparison toolBoarding is the cost that reshapes the budget. At Fettes, Loretto and Merchiston Castle the boarding supplement can add more than half again to the day fee, and full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi options each carry a different rate, so confirm the exact structure before you plan.
The one off and exam year charges catch families out next. A registration fee and a refundable deposit fall due before the first term, and exam years bring entry fees for Highers, Advanced Highers or IB, plus senior trips and expeditions that are a real line rather than a rounding error.
For the stages before this one, read our primary fees and nursery and preschool fees pages, or return to the Edinburgh schools hub. To weigh Edinburgh against another city, the international school fee calculator totals tuition plus living costs.
Secondary and sixth form day fees at Edinburgh independent schools sit in the GBP 18,000 to 36,000 range, with boarding adding roughly GBP 12,000 to 18,000 on top at the schools that offer it.
Several senior independents offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma alongside Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, and Fettes is the most established IB school in the city. Most schools deliver Highers as the default pathway.
Boarding adds roughly GBP 12,000 to 18,000 a year on top of day tuition at the schools that board, such as Fettes, Loretto and Merchiston Castle. Full, weekly and flexi boarding each carry a different rate.
Expect a registration or assessment fee, a refundable deposit, exam entry fees in Highers, Advanced Highers or IB years, plus senior trips and expeditions. Boarders also pay the boarding supplement.
Yes. Schools in Edinburgh set and bill fees in pounds sterling, so the figures here are published rates rather than a currency conversion, and families paid in another currency should budget for exchange rate movement across the year.
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