Tatler – the “high society” lifestyle magazine for posh people – has dropped their annual guide to the UK’s private schools. They’ve announced their shortlist for “The best public school in the land” 2025 award, and there are some wildly expensive UK boarding schools on the list. So, here’s a deep-dive into the ridiculous amounts it would cost you to attend “the best public schools in the land”.
Brighton College
Not too shabby
(Credit: Hassocks5489)
The first of the UK private schools on Tatler’s 2025 “The best public school in the land” list is Brighton College. You’ve probably heard of it (or at least, read tabloid stories about it). UK papers seem to love dragging Brighton College for being too “woke” whenever the school dares show support for LGBTQ+ pupils. The school has a cinema, yoga studio and rooftop running track.
Brighton College is actually the second-most expensive in the UK. Boarding fees for sixth form students are now £66,375 a year. Yikes.
Canford School
I would get lost trying to find the toilers
(Credit: Anastasiaacole)
This school is surrounded by 300 acres of parkland in the Dorset countryside. Erm, I guess that means there are an extra 300 acres of parkland between your precious Petunia Pemberley-Phillips and the working classes. Never mind just netball – Canford has clay pigeon shooting and kayaking clubs. 80 per cent of pupils join the army, navy or marines cadets.
Boarding fees are £54,495 per year, and day fees are still a huge £40,902 per year.
Caterham School
Erm, I’m sure it doesn’t always look so gloomy…
(Credit: Dr Neil Clifton)
This Surrey school only has 200 acres of grounds. Wow, how small. Caterham has its own “Outdoor Learning Centre”, with a climbing wall and a high ropes course. I am not making this up.
If you’re a full boarder who joins for sixth form, you’ll have to cough up a whopping £60,435 for a year.
Gresham’s
This is a boarding house, not a Victorian hospital
(Credit: Adam Stanworth)
Er, apparently this place is so well-known that it doesn’t need to have “school” or “college” in its name. Gresham’s is in Norfolk. It’s website proudly states it’s an “All Steinway School”, so children can learn to play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on only the poshest of pianos. Gresham’s also has 20 tennis courts, an armed forces standard assault course and a 220 metre-long zip wire. At this point, you might as well just send you child to Go Ape and save yourself approximately half a million pounds.
Senior school boarding fees are now £50,160 per year. Alternatively, you could just take your child to Go Ape and save yourself upwards of a quarter of a million pounds.
Eton College
This statue of King Henry VI stares at you judgementally as you run to lessons (Credit: Martin Kraft )
I’m going to assume that if you’ve made it this far down the article, you already know what Eton College is. Tatler definitely seems keen on the school – the Tatler Schools Guide 2026 supplement featured a fashion shoot on the playing fields. Well, if it’s good enough for Prince Harry and Prince William, it might be alright for other people too.
Fees now reach £63,298.80 per year. Good heavens.
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Featured image credit: Martin Kraft.
