Knox Grammar School vs Newington College
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Knox Grammar School nor Newington College 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. On cost, Newington College has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Knox Grammar School | Newington College | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | National | IB / National |
| Ages | 4–18 | 3–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026) | AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394 |
| Enrollment | 2,900 | 2,029 |
| Boarding | Yes | Yes |
| Accreditations | NESA, AHISA, HMC, CAS | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School, Cambridge International, AHISA, AAGPS |
Strengths
- ✓Strong, publicly reported HSC academic record (2025 median ATAR 89.95)
- ✓Exceptionally broad co-curricular offering — 30+ sports, 70+ activities, 90+ music programmes
- ✓Full boarding provision for boys from Year 7 across three boarding houses (200+ places)
- ✓Large, well-resourced school across three campuses
- ✓Long-established (1924) with strong CAS/AHISA standing
- ✓Genuine dual senior pathway: HSC and IB Diploma, plus Cambridge accreditation — rare flexibility for mobile families
- ✓Strong school-reported 2025 results on both tracks (IB median 40/45; HSC 68% top-two-band, 3 first-in-state)
- ✓IB World School since 2007 — an established DP track record, not a recent bolt-on
- ✓Boarding available, supporting interstate, regional and international enrolment
- ✓Founding AAGPS member with deep co-curricular, sporting and rowing infrastructure across multiple campuses
Trade-offs
- !Boys-only at primary and secondary — no co-education above early years
- !Uniting Church / Presbyterian faith heritage may not suit secular or other-faith families (a fit consideration, not a judgement)
- !High fees (≈AUD 42,640–45,120/yr day in 2026, boarding extra)
- !No IB Diploma pathway verifiable — HSC only, less internationally portable for mobile expat families
- !Day fees are aggregator-sourced (official schedule is PDF-only); boarding fee not public in plain text
- !Co-education is partial and phased to 2033 — year-group gender mix is uncertain for several years
- !IB authorization is DP only; no public evidence of PYP/MYP, so younger years are not IB-continuum
- !Fees are high (secondary ~AUD 44k–48k in 2026; boarding adds ~AUD 38k) and rise with year level
- !No graded external inspection exists in Australia — quality signals rely on school-reported results
- !Exact IB cohort size and pass rate are not published, limiting full transparency on the IB track
Best Fit For
- • Families wanting a single-sex boys' education on Sydney's Upper North Shore
- • Boarding families (domestic regional or expat) needing Year 7+ boarding for boys
- • Students seeking a very broad sport/music/co-curricular programme
- • Families comfortable with a Uniting Church-affiliated school
- • Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with a local HSC fallback
- • Boarding families (interstate, regional NSW, or overseas)
- • Academically ambitious students seeking a competitive, results-driven GPS environment
- • Families wanting K–12 continuity from early learning onward
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: 2025 median ATAR 89.95 (UAC-based). A third-party directory cited a 2024 median ATAR of 92.3. University-destination data is not public. No IB results exist to cite.
School-reported, unverified: 2025 IB median 40/45 (≈97 ATAR equiv.) and HSC results with 3 first-in-state and 108 Distinguished Achievers suggest strong university placement, but Newington does not publish a destinations list — treat university-outcome claims as unverified.
More Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Knox Grammar School or Newington College?
Knox Grammar School is best for: Families wanting a single-sex boys' education on Sydney's Upper North Shore. Newington College is best for: Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with a local HSC fallback. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Knox Grammar School and Newington College?
Knox Grammar School: AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026). Newington College: AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Knox Grammar School and Newington College offer?
Knox Grammar School: National. Newington College: IB, National.
Do Knox Grammar School or Newington College offer boarding?
Knox Grammar School: offers boarding. Newington College: offers boarding.
Questions parents ask
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 →