Early years in Melbourne spans a wide range in 2026, from funded kindergarten that can cost a family almost nothing to roughly AUD 30,000 a year at the early learning centres attached to the premium grammar schools. Victoria’s Free Kinder programme funds three and four year old kindergarten, and the Child Care Subsidy lowers the cost of long day care, so many families pay far below the private headline. The private early learning route is explained in our Melbourne international school fees guide, with the Melbourne city guide covering schools in detail.
Melbourne does not have international schools in the visa linked sense common in Asia or the Gulf, so for most families early years means choosing between funded kindergarten, community long day care and the fee paying early learning centres run by the private grammar schools. The Victorian government funds a kindergarten programme for three and four year olds through its Free Kinder policy, which can make a sessional place close to free, and the federal Child Care Subsidy reduces the cost of long day care on a means tested basis. Against that, the grammar school early learning centres charge full fees and act as a feeder into a competitive school, which is why families who want a place in a particular primary cohort often start in its early learning centre. The decision is as much about your onward school plan as about the early years fee itself.
The bands below are tuition only and are derived from the tier structure in our Melbourne fees guide, scaled to reflect that early learning sits below the primary bands. Treat them as planning ranges, and note that government funding and subsidy can lower the lowest band substantially.
| Tier | Annual fee (AUD) | Annual fee (USD) | Illustrative schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium grammar ELC | AUD 22,000 - 30,000 | USD 14,500 - 19,800 | Melbourne Grammar, Geelong Grammar, Scotch College (early learning) |
| Upper mid / IB ELC | AUD 16,000 - 22,000 | USD 10,600 - 14,500 | Wesley College, MLC and PLC, Haileybury (early learning) |
| Mid | AUD 10,000 - 16,000 | USD 6,600 - 10,600 | Carey Baptist Grammar, Tintern Grammar, Mount Scopus (early learning) |
| Community / funded kinder | AUD 0 - 8,000 | USD 0 - 5,300 | Free Kinder funded sessional kindergarten and subsidised long day care |
School names indicate the fee tier and are illustrative, not a ranking. Victoria’s Free Kinder funding and the federal Child Care Subsidy can reduce the community band to close to nothing for eligible families. Confirm current funding eligibility and fees directly before you budget.
Model tuition and the full cost of place across up to three schools and other stages.
The biggest driver of an early years cost in Melbourne is whether you use the funded and subsidised system or a private grammar school early learning centre, a gap that can run to AUD 20,000 a year or more. Within the private tier, the school’s standing, campus and whether the early learning centre feeds a sought after primary set the level, with the established grammar schools at the top. Government policy is the swing factor at the lower end, Free Kinder funding and the Child Care Subsidy can move a family’s real cost dramatically depending on income and hours used. Budget private fee rises in the region of 3 to 6 percent a year, broadly tracking the school sector.
Beyond tuition, plan for an application or enrolment fee of around AUD 200 to 400, a confirmation or acceptance deposit of AUD 1,200 to 3,500 that is sometimes credited to the first term, a building or capital levy of AUD 1,000 to 2,500 a year at many private schools, and a uniform at AUD 600 to 1,500 with the highest cost in the first year. Some schools also charge full fee paying overseas students more, so check your visa status. Our Melbourne fees guide lists the detail, and the relocation cost calculator sets it inside a full family budget.
It ranges widely in 2026. Victoria’s Free Kinder programme funds three and four year old kindergarten so a sessional place can cost a family almost nothing, while the early learning centres at premium grammar schools charge roughly AUD 22,000 to 30,000 a year. Long day care sits in between and is reduced by the means tested Child Care Subsidy.
Funded kindergarten can be close to free. The Victorian government’s Free Kinder policy funds a kindergarten programme for three and four year olds, and the federal Child Care Subsidy lowers the cost of long day care on a means tested basis. The fee paying route applies at private grammar school early learning centres, which are not covered by the same funding.
At private schools, expect an application fee of AUD 200 to 400, a confirmation deposit of AUD 1,200 to 3,500, a building or capital levy of AUD 1,000 to 2,500 a year, and a uniform at AUD 600 to 1,500. Some schools charge full fee paying overseas students more, so confirm your visa status before budgeting.
Early learning centres are run by premium grammar schools such as Melbourne Grammar, Geelong Grammar and Scotch College, by IB and upper mid schools including Wesley College, MLC, PLC and Haileybury, and by mid tier schools such as Carey, Tintern and Mount Scopus, alongside funded community kindergartens across the city. The named schools are illustrative of the fee tier rather than a ranking.
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