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The age-old debate when it comes to the discussion around schooling is whether to send your child to a single-sex or co-educational school. And notably, there has been a surge in co-educational schooling in recent years, with close to 86 per cent of students in the independent sector of Victoria alone said to be attending a co-educational school, according to Independent Schools Victoria.

The topic doesn’t come without its share of controversies, however. While many are in the camp that co-educational programs are, in large, leading to a more diverse, inclusive and progressive schooling experience for students, there is also a backing that voices its disadvantages and challenges – coeducational schooling can prove detrimental for certain types of learners, and at times, for girls.

So, as the educational system faces a changing with the times for future students, below we look at the very best co-ed schools in Melbourne based off a number of criteria, from academic and extracurricular programs, to facilities and location, plus more.

But first…

What is co-ed schooling?

Co-educational schooling, in its simplest form, refers to an educational system where both male and female students attend classes together in the same educational institution. Whereas single-sex schooling are institutions segregated by gender.

Is it better to go to a co-ed school?

To many, it depends the specific needs of the child at hand. While it’s proven that co-ed schooling does promote a sense of gender equality, a greater dynamic of social interaction and an opportunity to develop—or further enhance—interpersonal skills, some would argue that it can also present its challenges. For one, it can be said that educators would need to employ a more diverse teaching style to accomodate for the varied learning styles of both male and female students.

What is the most expensive school in Melbourne?

In 2024, it’s Geelong Grammar, with an average tuition fee of $46,344 per year for Year 12 students.

What is the most prestigious school in Melbourne?

While somewhat subjective, the most prestigious school in Melbourne is often determined by a number of varying factors, like academic performance, facilities, and extracurricular activities. Geelong Grammar, again, is at the top of the schooling hierarchy in Victoria – a boarding and day school founded in 1855 and one that has long held a reputation as one of the most prestigious co-educational institutions in Australia.

Below you will find nine other prestigious co-educational schools in and around Melbourne.

1. St Leonards College

Located in Brighton East, St Leonards College is one of Melbourne’s leading independent co-educational schools catering for students in all year levels, from ELC for three-year-olds through to Year 12. Since 1914, St Leonards College has been the Bayside school of choice, and remains an institution well regarded for its extracurricular activities.

2. Geelong Grammar

Geelong Grammar is Australia’s largest co-educational boarding school, catering for over 1,500 girls and boys from pre-school through to year 12. In its rich 168-year history, Geelong Grammar has taught some notable alumni or “Old Geelong Grammarians”, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch and even King Charles III.

3. Carey Baptist Grammar School

Carey Grammar is a known leader in independant co-education, with campuses in Kew and Donvale that caters for students from early leaning to Year 12. With a strong focus on innovation, Carey is renowned for its progressive and diverse curriculum.

4. Wesley College

Wesley College is an open-entry, co-educational school that has been offering the highest forms of education and cocurricular programs for over 150 years. Today, Wesley is one of Australia’s leading coeducational schools, with multiple campuses throughout Melbourne. Notably, Wesley is also one of the leading International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in the country, and is the only school in Victoria to offer IB from primary through to senior school.

5. Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School

In Melbourne’s north-west you’ll find the suburb of Essendon, where you’ll find most of the city’s most popular co-educational schools: Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, or ‘PEGS’. But PEGS offers a different structure to its co-educational system; in primary years of prep to year 6, there is a seperate junior school for girls (Moonee Ponds), and boys (Essendon). Its flagship Keilor East campus is home to a seperate Middle School campus for girls, and one for boys. From years 11 and 12—or VCE—, the senior school is combined.

This structure, as PEGS explains, allows students to “enjoy the proven benefits of a single-gender education during childhood and early adolescence as well as a mature co-educational environment during critical VCE years.”

6. Haileybury

With an educational history dating back to 1892, Haileybury is considered one of the country’s finest co-educational schools thanks to a number of factors, from innovative teaching methods and outstanding academic results, to a strong focus on international studies.

7. Yarra Valley Grammar

A school that is highly regarded for its extensive range of contemporary opportunities and impeccably high standards of performance—led by principal Dr. Mark Merry— Yarra Valley Grammar, a school originally built on farmland “in the middle of nowhere”, is one of Melbourne’s best co-educational schools in the heart of the famed Yarra Valley region.

8. Caulfield Grammar School

Caulfield Grammar has long held its reputation for academic excellence, as well as its commitment to a well-rounded, co-educational program. With a particular focus on VCE curriculum, students in years 10–12 will participate in a diverse academic program with 49 VCE subjects to choose from, and a range of broad and balanced co-curricular experiences.

9. Mentone Grammar

Located in Melbourne’s idyllic Bayside area, Mentone Grammar is a leader in co-educational schooling, providing students from ELC to year 12 a plethora of opportunities to thrive, from its creativity and science centres to its immaculate sporting facilities, all designed to support a well-rounded—and highly regarded—educational program for females and males.

10. Huntingtower School

With a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, the co-educational program at Huntingtower School in Melbourne’s south-east enables its students to “develop deeper level thinking skills.” Plus, with a strong extracurricular program that allows students to experience activities like triathlons, urban adventures and language immersion programs, there’s no shortage of what is possible at Huntingtower School.

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All Photography supplied.