There are two main categories of private schools in Australia: Catholic schools and Independent schools.

Catholic schools

Catholic schools form the next largest sector after government schools, with around 21% of secondary school enrolments. The Catholic system is also vast and accessible – sometimes even for those not of the Catholic faith. Most Catholic schools belong to a system like government schools, and attempt to provide Catholic education evenly across the states through mainly coeducation (both boys and girls) schools. These schools are also known as systemic. Systemic Catholic schools are funded mainly by government and have low fees.

There are also a substantial number of independent Catholic schools, often single-sex, usually run by established religious orders, such as the Sisters of Mercy or the Christian Brothers. Independent Catholic school fees vary, ranging from low to high. However, fee concessions for Catholic families facing financial difficulty are quite common.

Catholic schools, both systemic and independent, have strong religious motivations and in most cases the majority of their staff and students will be Catholic.

Independent schools

Independent schools make up the last sector, which is the most popular sector for boarders. Independent schools are non-government institutions that are generally not part of a system.

Although most are non-aligned, some of the best known independent schools also belong to the big, long-established religious foundations (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian) but in most cases they do not insist on their students’ religious allegiance. They are usually expensive schools that tend to be up-market and traditional in style.