Ivanhoe Grammar School vs Melbourne Grammar School
π¦πΊ Melbourne Β· Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Ivanhoe Grammar School nor Melbourne Grammar School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. One practical difference: Melbourne Grammar School offers boarding while the other is day-only β decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| Ivanhoe Grammar School | Melbourne Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / National | National |
| Ages | 3β18 | 5β18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | not public | not public |
| Enrollment | 2,600 | 1,782 |
| Boarding | Day only | Yes |
| Accreditations | VRQA, IB World School, AGSV, AHISA, Round Square | VRQA, CRICOS, AHISA, IPSHA, ABSA, AISV, APS |
Strengths
- βGenuine dual senior pathway β both VCE and the IB Diploma (confirmed on the school's own page), rare among Melbourne independents
- βDeep, long-standing IB credibility β IB World School since 1994, Diploma since 1996, not a recent addition
- βFull continuity of education, ELC (age 3) through Year 12, under one school
- βMulti-campus model lets families match setting to stage, including a distinctive experiential Year 9 at a university campus
- βInternationally minded ethos via Round Square membership (one of four in Victoria)
- βHeritage and prestige: founded 1858, founding APS member, one of Australia's most recognised independent schools
- βFlagship South Yarra campus on St Kilda Road opposite the Royal Botanic Gardens
- βStrong, publicly listed VCE outcomes (2025 state rank 9 per Better Education; school-reported)
- βDay plus genuine boarding pathway for boys (Years 7β12) with structured entry points
- βBroad scholarship programme β Academic, Music, Boarding, General Excellence and First Nations
Trade-offs
- !The IB Diploma is available at the Ridgeway campus only β families at/near the Plenty campus get VCE only
- !Academic results (VCE ATAR, IB Diploma averages) are not published publicly, so outcomes can't be independently verified
- !Fee figures are not retrievable as text on the website (PDF-only schedules), reducing cost transparency
- !No boarding (ended 1977) β unsuitable for families needing residential placement
- !Large enrolment (~2,600 across campuses) may feel less intimate than smaller boutique IB schools
- !Boys-only from Year 7 β families wanting co-education throughout secondary are not served (co-ed ends after Year 6 at Grimwade House)
- !Explicitly Anglican β a faith-based identity that may not suit secular or other-faith families
- !Premium fees: specific AUD tuition/boarding figures were not publicly retrievable, but Melbourne APS-tier schools sit at the top of the market
- !VCE-only senior pathway β no IB Diploma, limiting families who want an internationally-portable curriculum
- !A median VCE study score of 36 (Better Education 2025) is solid but not the very top of the state despite the rank-9 listing β read the public aggregate cautiously
Best Fit For
- β’ Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with an established provider
- β’ Families wanting genuine VCE-vs-IB choice within one school rather than committing up front
- β’ Families seeking continuous schooling from early learning through Year 12
- β’ Students drawn to an internationally minded, Round Square co-curricular culture
- β’ Families seeking a heritage Anglican boys' school with a strong VCE track record
- β’ Boarding families (domestic regional or international) needing Year 7 or Year 9 entry
- β’ Co-ed-in-early-years families comfortable transitioning boys to a single-sex secondary
- β’ Internationally-mobile families wanting a CRICOS-registered, established Melbourne institution
University Placement
School-reported Β· not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: the school runs a Future Pathways evening featuring Victorian universities (Monash, Deakin, La Trobe, Melbourne, RMIT, Swinburne, ACU, Collarts) and provides one-on-one futures mentoring; no specific destination statistics were published.
School-reported, unverified: Better Education 2025 VCE rankings list the school at state rank 9, median VCE study score 36, 29.3% of scores at 40+, Unit 3β4 cohort 377 β aggregated and not verified against primary records.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Ivanhoe Grammar School or Melbourne Grammar School?
Ivanhoe Grammar School is best for: Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with an established provider. Melbourne Grammar School is best for: Families seeking a heritage Anglican boys' school with a strong VCE track record. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities β the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Ivanhoe Grammar School and Melbourne Grammar School?
Ivanhoe Grammar School: not public. Melbourne Grammar School: not public. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Ivanhoe Grammar School and Melbourne Grammar School offer?
Ivanhoe Grammar School: IB, National. Melbourne Grammar School: National.
Do Ivanhoe Grammar School or Melbourne Grammar School offer boarding?
Ivanhoe Grammar School: day school only. Melbourne Grammar School: offers boarding.
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method β