Most Expensive Boarding Schools In The UK 2025 (Updated)
When choosing a boarding school to study in the UK, it is important to consider factors such as costs, past academic results, facilities, student support and activities. In addition, prestige and quality may also influence the costs of school fees. In this article we look at some of the most expensive UK boarding schools, as of 2025.
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Most Expensive Boarding Schools In The UK
When deciding to send your child for a boarding school education, one of the more important elements is knowing how much the overall cost would be. A school that cost more, usually comes equipped with state of the art international facilities. This can come in the form of having a complete equestrian centre to a list of alumni of the world’s royalty. This list will help you identify the schools by tuition fee to help you decide which school would be the perfect environment for your child.
The UK has some of the best boarding schools in the world, and unsurprisingly, is something that comes at quite a high cost. Students who attend these boarding schools open themselves to an opportunity not afforded to everyone, setting them up with a solid foundation. This may happen through the high level of standard expected from the schools, to the alumni network which is built throughout their education.
Note: Fees are shown as per term (inclusive of VAT)
Brighton College - £25,124
Brighton College has been named the ‘Top Co-Ed School in the UK’ in the prestigious Sunday Times Awards 2024. This college received this award due to its record-breaking 2024 exam results, where 94.2% of pupils attained GCSE grades 9-7 (A*/A) and 86.4% attained A-level grades A*-A.
Queen Ethelburga’s College - £24,125
Acknowledged as one of the most academically prosperous independent co-educational schools in the North of England, Queen Ethelburga’s scholastic credentials are supported by the 98% of their student body who graduate to some of the top universities throughout the country. The Queen Ethelburga’s College is known for their approach of working on issues before needing addressed from parents, making it one of the most proactive study environments.
Cardiff Sixth Form College - £22,728
Cardiff Sixth Form College, also known as CSFC, is a prestigious independent school located in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It is known for its exceptional academic achievements and is often ranked as one of the top independent schools in the UK. CSFC is renowned for its outstanding academic results. It specialises in preparing students for A-level examinations, which are the standard qualifications for entry into UK universities. Many of its students achieve top grades and go on to attend prestigious universities, including those in the Russell Group, which is a collection of some of the UK’s leading institutions. The college typically has a strong track record of helping students gain admission to prestigious universities both in the UK and abroad. Cardiff Sixth Form College is the top academic school in the country and has been ranked number one for A-Level results in the Independent School League Tables for over a decade. In 2024, Cardiff Sixth Form College students achieved outstanding results with 90.7% A*-A at the A-Levels and 81.8% 9-7 at GCSE.
Oxford International College - £22,532
Oxford International College is the top performing Sixth Form college. Over the years, the school has consistently achieved exceptional results, with 85% of grades at A*/A in 2024, demonstrating that OIC continues to excel even amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic. Students benefit from being taught by some of Oxford’s finest tutors, many of whom are Oxford University alumni and hold doctorate degrees, ensuring top-tier education in every subject.
Thanks to the school’s Global Strategic Pathways programme, the Oxford International College students have received offers from the world’s top-ranked universities. OIC students earned places at UK top universities like Oxbridge and G5 universities, as well as top global universities like University of Hong Kong, University of Chicago, and University of Toronto. To illustrate, OIC’s students have achieved great results – about a third of their students received offers from Oxbridge and 63 out of 70 of its students received offers from top Medical schools in the country, cementing the college as specialists in admission to medical programmes.
Eton College - £21,099
As one of the most famous schools in the world, Eton has outstanding facilities for music, design art and drama. Its seemingly unlimited sports provision now includes the Thames Valley Athletics Stadium, which is shared with external clubs and organisations. Eton also has a rowing lake at Dorney, venue for the 2012 Olympics. Combined The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is growing in popularity, while more than 200 speakers address society meetings each year.
In addition, Eton College has been shortlisted for the Best Use of Technology award at the TES Schools Awards 2023 for providing UK state schools with free access to online learning since the Covid-19 pandemic. EtonX has made an important contribution to expanding the quality of learning opportunities for students across the UK. Over 50,000 students across over 950 schools have used Eton College’s online learning platform EtonX to access high-quality courses such as leadership development, career education and university preparation. These courses have been shown to have an important impact on skill development and confidence, targeting areas that can be overlooked in traditional academic or co-curricular programmes.
Winchester College - £20,742
Located in Winchester, Hampshire, College is an independent school for boys and has a tradition spanning over 600 years. It is one of the oldest schools in the UK and one of the only four remaining independent schools where all pupils are boarders. The College is situated on extensive grounds spanning 250 acres, and it also oversees much of the surrounding land.
In 2024, the College is delighted with another year of strong results in A-level examinations. 92% of grades were at A*/A.
Concord College - £20,588
Concord College is an independent co-educational international day/boarding school in Shropshire, England situated in the grounds of Acton Burnell Castle. The college admits students aged between 12 and 19; the majority of whom come from overseas.
As a result of their hard work, 90% of all Concord’s GCSE/IGCSE grades were 7/8/9 in 2024. This year 57% of GCSE students achieved 9 or more grade 8/9’s and 56% of all grades were 9. In A-level, nearly two-thirds of their A Level students achieved AAA or better in their A Levels. 44 students gained A*A*A* or better.
Harrow School - £20,528
Founded in 1572, Harrow School revels in its reputation as an all-boys public school. No fewer than seven British prime ministers have been Harrovians, as well as the first prime minister of India, Pandit Nehru. As well as having highly qualified academics on its books to teach students, there is also a super-curriculum in place which focuses on aspects of study that are not formally assessed. These include habitual reading, independent research, reflection and debate. The foundation of the curriculum is the electives system, which allows boys to select an intellectually challenging course that is off-syllabus and taught in small groups. At the centre of these courses are independent learning and problem-solving.
In 2024, roughly 66% of grades achieved were at grade 9 level, with around 90% of grades A*/B level. Furthermore, Harrow’s robotics team, Team Euclid, placed among the top eight teams nationally at the National Robotics Competition at Cambridge University, making it through to the semi-finals.
Cheltenham Ladies College - £20,490
Cheltenham Ladies’ College is world-renowned for their teachers who display commitment towards quality education by instilling self-motivation, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm in their students. The college is very large and is constantly growing, which allows its students to choose from an ever-increasing list of subjects. Class sizes are small which retains the school’s high standards and girls are encouraged to be active members in every lesson which in itself is a valuable teacher as it challenges them to think critically, develop their own opinions, and convey their thoughts in a conducive environment. In 2024, Cheltenham Ladies’ College students have achieved great results, with 69.5% A*/A in A-Levels, 85.8% 9-7 in GCSE, and 39.3 Point Average in IB results. This is a very great indication about how well the school has managed disruptions caused by the pandemic and still manage to maintain their high standards in education.
Tonbridge School - £19,708
Originally founded in 1553, the School moved to its present privileged site in the mid-19th century. At Tonbridge, they take special pride in their renewed chapel and its beauty and calm. Boarding is situated in solid Victorian houses. Younger boys are accommodated in functional four-bed rooms, whereas older boys have two-bed rooms. The School’s 150 acres, situated next to the town’s main street, are private, secluded, but at the hub of things at the same time.
Tonbridge boys have achieved an excellent set of GCSE and IGCSE results for 2024. In A-level 2024, 75% of students achieved A*/A.
Wycombe Abbey - £19,524
Wycombe Abbey is one of the UK’s leading boarding schools and the top girls’ boarding school based on academic results. In 2024, the school achieved 83.3% A*/A in A-Levels and 97% 9-7 at GCSE. The founding Headmistress, Dame Frances Dove, dedication to the pursuit of excellence and the development of each pupil’s character and individual talents forms the foundation of Wycombe Abbey’s long, distinguished history. This serves as a guide for the School even to this day. In 2024, Wycombe Abbey has been named one of the Top 30 UK Independent Schools by Carfax Education, and ranked third out of 20 boarding schools in Education Choices Magazine.
Roedean School - £19,350
Roadean is an independent girls’ school situated in Brighton on the English coast and sits in its beautiful sea-front grounds close to the city marina. Located in Sussex, the school has a one year Pre-A programme for students at GCSE level for international students with core subjects, and a programme of English language support, the aim of which is to improve and develop grammar, pronunciation, listening, writing and reading, and general fluency. This comes with preparation for students wishing to take IELTS at a later date. Pride of place must belong to the Dame Emmeline Tanner library, which is not the only such facility – there are two more libraries within the school, one of which is primarily a research library with 2,000 research books available – which houses over 20,000 books, CDs and DVDs. Library staff are comprised of librarians and assistants.
Roedean School is colloquially known as the all-girls’ equivalent of Eton College as the institution offers top-notch education at the highest level. In 2023, Roedean school pupils scored 57.7% A*/A for A Levels and 79.1% 9-7 for their GCSEs. The destination of most Roedean School leavers are the top universities in the UK and around the world. More than half of Roedean students enrol in the Russell Group universities.
Whitgift - £19,197
Whitgift School is an independent, boys’ day and boarding school located in Croydon, South London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1596 by Archbishop John Whitgift, making it one of the oldest schools in England. It has a rich history and has evolved over the centuries into a modern educational institution. The school has a strong ethos of community and service, and it often engages in charitable activities and community outreach programmes. It offers education from ages 10 to 18 and follows the British education system. Students typically take their GCSE exams at age 16 and then pursue A-levels or the IB for their post-16 education. The school has a strong academic reputation and often achieves excellent exam results. In 2024, Whitgift School students achieved 64% A*-A at the A-Levels, 86% 9-7 at GCSE, and 37 point average at IB results.
Charterhouse School - £18,806
Charterhouse is a co-educational school founded in 1611. It has a long history but is also dedicated to pioneering educational progress this century. Charterhouse accepts boys at 13+ and girls at 16+. The majority of the School’s 800 pupils are boarders. Charterhouse values intellectual development, and offers an impressive array of extracurricular activities, as well as excellent pastoral care to pupils.
Academic life is at the centre of every Carthusian’s experience. The depth and breadth of their curriculum, combined with the excellence of teaching staff, delivers a forward-thinking education that is future-ready. By providing each of their pupils with the strongest foundations of knowledge, skills and experiences, they are prepared for academic success, as well as laying the foundations for future professional, social and personal fulfilment. In 2024, Charterhouse students achieved great academic results. 55% of students scored A*-A for their A Levels examination, 74% of students scored 9-7 for their GCSE, and also scored a 37.4 Point Average for IB exams.
Summary
So there you have it, the most expensive independent UK boarding schools. Of course, fees is just one of the main factors when deciding where to send your child. There are plenty of other important things to consider when school hunting such as academic rankings, pastoral care, and extra-curricular activities, to name a few.
Contact Britannia StudyLink today if you’re deciding to send your child to one of the schools above. We can give you the best advice that will be the best choice that will suit your child’s educational needs.
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