Private and boarding school fees in Ireland, 2026/27

Published 08 October 2026 · Updated 04 November 2026 · AI-assisted SchoolMatch Europe editorial · Sources and approach

Published fees at 10 schools, from €5,727 to €37,418 a year

Start with the tables: Irish school fees depend on the child’s stage, residence and boarding arrangement. The comparison covers every Irish school currently listed on SchoolMatch Europe, with current numerical tariffs at 10 schools. It is a selected directory sample, not a national ranking. All Irish amounts below are annual euros for 2026/27, before the separately described extras.

Secondary day fees

The main table uses the oldest standard Irish secondary day category at each school, rather than an introductory junior price. Rockwell’s day-boarder package includes meals and study without an overnight stay. Different inclusions mean that the lowest headline figure is not necessarily the lowest complete family budget.

Among these 7 schools with published 2026/27 secondary day fees, the lowest is €5,727 at Midleton College and the highest is a starting fee of €11,481 at St. Columba's College; the median is €9,302. This summary excludes the different categories below.

Other categories

International schools in Dublin

The international-school figures are kept outside the domestic secondary median because the programmes and stages differ. For locations and further choices, use the Ireland directory and the Dublin annual day-fee comparison. A missing figure does not mean free tuition.

Boarding fees

These are the published five-day and seven-day routes, with the oldest standard boarding stage where junior and senior fees differ. The domestic column retains each school’s own national, Irish or standard category. Newtown publishes one unqualified seven-day tariff; St Columba’s senior figure is a starting amount for Irish/UK/EU pupils.

Among the 7 current seven-day domestic or standard examples, the lowest is €15,565 at Midleton College; the highest is the senior starting fee of €31,154 at St. Columba's College. The median is €21,880. Boarding schedules do not establish year-round accommodation, holiday guardianship or airport transfers.

Five-day versus seven-day

For schools publishing both comparable routes, the annual seven-day difference is €3,204 at Midleton College; €3,390 at Newtown School; €1,296 at Rockwell College; €2,485 at King's Hospital School; €1,337 at Alexandra College. These are differences between the published packages, not separate accommodation invoices. Newtown’s five-day route is unavailable to international boarders.

Irish versus overseas boarding rates

Alexandra lists domestic five-day boarding at €22,104 and non-EU seven-day boarding at €32,626. Both residence and attendance change, so their difference is not a residence-only premium. Midleton and King’s Hospital also publish separate international categories. Clongowes applies conditional entry-year and English-language premiums: ask which apply and how they combine.

For perspective, the six selected annual boarding rows in our UK boarding-fees guide have a median of £57,154.50 (about €67,429), while the nine selected rows in the Swiss boarding-fees guide have a median of CHF 106,500 (about €114,356), against the Irish sample’s €21,880. These are different selected schools and packages, not national averages. Conversions use ECB reference rates of 9 October 2026; they are historical comparisons, not payment quotations. The UK sample retains two annual totals already supported by named three-term schedules; no other termly rows are annualised.

How Irish school fees work

Ireland has a free-education system as well as fee-charging options. The Department of Education distinguishes post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme; its 2026/27 schoolbooks guidance applies to that scheme. A school being privately managed does not by itself tell you whether it charges tuition. Check the particular school and whether a charge is for education, boarding or an additional service.

In these fee-paying examples, published tuition and residential packages cover different services. Rockwell expressly includes tuition, meals and supervised study for day boarders. St Columba’s day-pupil fee includes lunch and two snacks; its day-boarder fee adds supper and prep. Alexandra describes a core fee before direct charges. Compare these named inclusions rather than assuming every school’s fee buys the same school day.

A day pupil returns home after the school day; a day boarder may stay for meals and study but does not sleep at school. Five-day and seven-day boarding describe different residential arrangements. Domestic, national, EU and non-EU are fee categories, not interchangeable labels for citizenship or visa eligibility. Ask the school which classification applies to your family and where the child stays during exeats and holidays.

What the headline fee leaves out

Rockwell charges uniform, books, examinations and some activities separately. Its day-boarder deposit is €500; Irish boarding deposits are €1,000. They are credited to the annual statement and non-refundable on cancellation: include them on the payment timeline, not twice in annual cost. Overseas agency and reserve arrangements require a separate itemised quotation.

Alexandra’s direct charges include €700 for senior Transition Year trips and activities and €1,500 for international English classes when applicable. Nord Anglia’s one-time enrolment payment is €1,600, with half credited to the first tuition invoice; only the uncredited half is additional to tuition. Exams, camps and trips are separate, as are selected transport, lunch, music and support services.

At King’s Hospital, pupil insurance, stage-specific charges, a required device and day lunches can add to the basic fee. Sandford separates locker, journal and compulsory accident-insurance charges; its non-EU and Transition Year charges apply only to those categories. St Andrew’s lists a diary, phone pouch, new-pupil locker and programme-specific items, with certain additional IB subjects priced separately. Do not apply every listed extra to every pupil.

Midleton adds books and stationery, new-pupil registration and an entry deposit; higher-form joiners may pay a development charge. Newtown adds annual administration and, for new boarders entering Years 2–6, a placement fee; its acceptance advance is credited against first-term fees. Clongowes lists registration, a deposit and separate books, uniform, laundry and activities. St Columba’s adds a Summer Works levy and an EU administration fee outside Ireland/UK, with EFL, exams and individual expenses separately chargeable.

A deposit can be a tuition credit, refundable security or a forfeitable acceptance payment. Follow the exact school terms. None of the headline tables is a complete first-year bill, and no tax percentage has been added where the current Irish schedule does not state VAT treatment. Use the linked profile’s costs and sources, then ask which extras are compulsory for your child.

Payment dates and instalments

Rockwell allows two half-yearly payments due by 1 August and 1 November 2026, or standing orders from August 2026 through May 2027. Nord Anglia’s standard dates are 5 June 2026, 1 December 2026 and 1 March 2027; Grade 12 has two invoices. These schedules divide an annual fee; they do not make it a per-term tuition price. For late entry, request the applicable agreement rather than applying an already-past due date.

Midleton offers full payment, two payments or nine monthly direct debits beginning 25 September 2026. King’s Hospital offers eight domestic direct debits from August to March; overseas families have separate half-yearly or annual advance-payment terms. Newtown allows two advance payments, with direct debit unavailable to international students. Clongowes offers an eight-instalment option with a separate administration/interest charge.

St Andrew’s offers two equal payments on 1 September and 1 February, or nine direct debits from October to June with an administration charge. St Columba’s PDF specifies September and February payments; visa-required pupils pay the year in advance. Sandford offers ten monthly direct debits from September to June, but its document also gives a 31 May account-settlement deadline: confirm the agreed calendar with the Bursar before committing.

Applications and deadlines

Kilkenny’s 2027/28 Form 1 notice gives 1–22 October 2026 as the application window; later applications are late. These dates have passed. Its current boarding tariff is not publicly confirmed here: request a Kilkenny quote through the school profile. An intake notice is not a tariff or a live vacancy count.

Midleton’s profile records a three-week October Form I day-application period in the year before entry and earlier boarding applications; confirm the relevant current notice. St Columba’s day applications start no earlier than 1 October in the preceding year, with boarding applications accepted earlier. King’s Hospital uses separate domestic Form 1 and international routes. Sandford follows its annual first-year notice and accepts other-year enquiries subject to places.

For Newtown, agree the entry stage, English support and residential arrangements directly. Villiers’ available schedule is for 2027/28, so none of its future amounts appears in the 2026/27 tables. International School of Dublin likewise needs an individual current quotation. Use the admissions guide to prepare documents and compare offer, withdrawal and deposit conditions before paying.

Questions parents ask

What is the cheapest private secondary school in Ireland?

Among schools with published 2026/27 secondary day fees on SchoolMatch Europe, Midleton College has the lowest selected national day fee, €5,727 a year. This is a directory sample, not a claim about every Irish school; extras and admission category still matter.

How much does boarding school cost in Ireland?

The 7 selected current domestic or standard seven-day examples range from €15,565 at Midleton College to a senior starting fee of €31,154 at St. Columba's College, with a median of €21,880. Overseas tariffs and compulsory extras can be higher.

Are private school fees in Ireland per year or per term?

Every Irish numerical tariff in these tables is annual for 2026/27. Schools may collect it in two payments or monthly instalments; Nord Anglia normally uses three invoices and two for Grade 12. Instalments are payment schedules, not additional tuition or a reason to multiply the annual fee.

What do Irish private school fees not include?

Depending on the school and pupil, registration, deposits, books, uniform, devices, exams, trips, language support, transport and guardianship may be separate. Rockwell credits its confirmation deposit against fees, while half of Nord Anglia’s €1,600 enrolment payment is credited. Check each item before calculating a first-year total.

Is there a difference between Irish and overseas boarding fees?

Several schools publish separate categories. Alexandra lists €22,104 for domestic five-day boarding and €32,626 for non-EU seven-day boarding; these differ in both residence and attendance. Ask for your family’s actual category rather than treating the gap as a residence-only surcharge.

Sources and comparison method

School schedules were rechecked on 4 November 2026; the table’s “Fees checked” dates retain the underlying profile verification dates. Current fee sources: Alexandra College, Clongowes Wood College, King's Hospital School, Midleton College, Newtown School, Nord Anglia International School Dublin, Rockwell College, Sandford Park School, St. Andrew's College Dublin, St. Columba's College. Profiles link the additional overseas schedules and deposit policies. Missing and future-year prices are excluded from statistics. Median means the middle of the selected values after sorting, with each school counted once per main comparison; different programmes and international day categories are kept separate.