Good morning, Wentyl!

Private schools are reaping the benefits of strong parent communities and close alumni links, with generous donations pouring in. 

News Corp’s exclusive analysis shows 100 top schools received a total of $191m in 2025, or $1bn over five years, in donations and bequests. This is, of course, in addition to tuition fees that can approach $50,000 a year in some states.

Some schools such as Moriah College in NSW and The Hutchins School in Tasmania are receiving up to $11m a year in donated funds, and others such as Prince Alfred College in Adelaide are sitting on investment nest eggs of as much as $150m. 

Schools are investing considerable funds into wooing potential donors, with some suggesting preferred wording for wills and offering online donation portals with preset amounts in the thousands of dollars.

But if you're sceptical about the generosity of these donations, consider this – they're saving taxpayers an estimated $12.5bn a year. Independent school students only receive, on average, about half the recurrent government funding of those in state schools, and most private schools use these donations to fund new classrooms, libraries and sporting facilities.

Listed: Who's donated to private schools in your state

New South Wales | Victoria | Queensland | South Australia | Other states & territories

It's interesting to note that in a highly competitive market, schools are also getting creative, with some offering naming rights to swimming pool lanes ($250,000), courtyard bricks ($5000), and theatre seats ($500). Or my favourite quirky offering – Brisbane Girls’ Grammar lets donors choose an element from the periodic table and have it named after them for a cool $5000. Hafnium and Rutherfordium are still available!