Private Tutor vs Tutoring Centre: Which Is Better for Your Child?
Short answer: a tutoring centre usually costs less and suits students who need routine and practice with core skills. A private tutor costs more but gives your child the whole lesson, built around their schoolwork and gaps, which suits assessments and the HSC. Research finds both help: about five months' extra progress for one-to-one tuition and four for small groups (Evidence for Learning).
At a glance
- Cost: centres range from around $73 a session to about $166 a class at a tutoring college; private one-on-one tutoring usually costs $55–$130 an hour.
- Attention: at a centre your child shares the tutor; with a private tutor, the whole lesson is theirs.
- Group size matters: once groups grow past six or seven students, tutoring becomes noticeably less effective.
- Choose a centre for routine and core skills; choose a private tutor for specific gaps, assessments and Years 11–12.
Side by side
The biggest differences are how much of the tutor's attention your child gets and who decides what is taught.
| Tutoring centre | Private tutor | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | About $73 a session at Kip McGrath; about $166 a class at Matrix (3-hour HSC classes of up to 15 students, $1,494 a term); $30–$70 per student in groups of 2–4 | $55–$130 an hour, one-on-one |
| Students per tutor | Several | One |
| What's taught | The centre's own program | Your child's school work, assessments and gaps |
| Pace | Set by the program | Set by your child |
| Where | At the centre | At home or online |
| When | The centre's class times | At your convenience, arranged with the tutor |
| Best for | Routine and core skills, especially for younger students | Specific gaps, assessments, Years 11–12 and the HSC |
Sources: Kip McGrath, Matrix Education, KIS Academics, Learnmate, Tutero.
Which one suits your child?
Neither is better for every student. Research on tutoring programs in Australian and UK schools finds one-to-one tuition adds about five months' progress over a year and small groups about four, and that both work best when they're linked to what the student is learning at school (Evidence for Learning: one-to-one, small groups).
A tutoring centre may suit your child if:
- the budget is tight and a lower weekly cost matters most
- they need routine and regular practice with core skills, such as number facts or reading
- they're in primary school and enjoy learning alongside other children
- the group is small: past six or seven students, tutoring becomes noticeably less effective
A private tutor may suit your child better if:
- they're behind in a particular subject or topic and need it fixed
- they have assessments coming up, or are in Years 11–12 working towards the HSC or VCE
- they're shy about asking questions in front of others
- they need help with their own school's work, such as English texts or assessment tasks
- the family's schedule makes travelling to a centre hard, and lessons at home or online fit better
What each costs per term
Over a term with one session a week, a centre or tutoring college typically costs around $300–$1,500 and a private tutor around $550–$1,300.
| Option | Per session | One session a week, per term |
|---|---|---|
| Small group (2–4 students) | $30–$70 per student | $300–$700 |
| Tutoring centre (Kip McGrath average) | About $73 | About $730 |
| Tutoring college HSC class (Matrix, Year 12 Maths Advanced) | About $166 (3-hour class) | $1,494 (9 classes) |
| Tutoring college class (Project Academy, Year 10 Maths Advanced) | About $92 (3-hour class) | About $920 (10 weeks) |
| Private tutor, online | $55–$95 | $550–$950 |
| Private tutor, at home | $75–$130, sometimes plus a travel fee | $750–$1,300 |
| Rubix, online | $95 (K–Year 10), $105 (Years 11–12) | $950–$1,050 |
| Rubix, at home in Sydney | $105 (K–Year 10), $115 (Years 11–12), no travel fee | $1,050–$1,150 |
Centres and tutors may also charge enrolment, assessment or materials fees, so always ask for the full cost of a term. Private tutor and Rubix rows assume a 10-week term; Matrix's price is from its Year 12 Maths Advanced page, and Project Academy's from its Year 10 Maths Advanced page ($369 per four weeks). Sources: Kip McGrath, KIS Academics, Learnmate.
How long are tutoring classes, and are they worth the time?
Many tutoring colleges run long group classes. Matrix's Year 12 Maths Advanced course and Project Academy's Year 10 Maths Advanced course are both 3-hour classes once a week (Matrix, Project Academy). That's on top of a school day that already runs about six hours, around 30 hours a week (for example, 9 am to 3:20 pm at Swansea High School), plus homework, sport and time to rest.
More hours don't always mean more learning:
- Attention is shared. In a 3-hour class of 15 students, even if the tutor split their time evenly, each student would get about 12 minutes of individual help.
- The pace is set for the group. Time goes on content your child may already know, or the class moves on before they've understood.
- Short, regular sessions work. Research on one-to-one tuition found that short, regular sessions, about 30 minutes three to five times a week, are effective (Evidence for Learning).
- It's a lot after a full school day. Three more hours in a classroom is a big ask for any student.
At Rubix, we believe one hour of personalised tutoring can teach your child more than three hours of structured, slower-paced learning. Every minute goes on what your child needs: the topics they find hard, their next assessment, and the questions they'd never ask in front of a class. That leaves the rest of the week for homework, sport and rest. Group classes still suit some students, especially those who enjoy working through a set program alongside friends.
Questions to ask before you choose
Ask these of any centre or tutor; the answers show quickly whether it suits your child.
- How many students will each tutor have at once? Smaller is better, and more than six or seven is a warning sign.
- Will lessons follow my child's school work and assessments, or a set program?
- Who exactly will teach my child, and what experience and results do they have? Do they hold a current Working With Children Check?
- How will we hear about progress, and how often?
- What does a full term cost, including enrolment, assessment or materials fees? Is there a minimum commitment or a cancellation fee?
- Can we try a lesson first, and can we change tutors if it isn't the right fit?
How Rubix answers those questions
Rubix Learning is a private tutoring company, so every lesson is one-on-one. Here's how it answers each question above:
| Question | Rubix's answer |
|---|---|
| Students per tutor | Always one |
| What's taught | Your child's school work and assessments, starting with the gaps their tutor finds first |
| Who teaches | Tutors trained by founder Chris Tembeleski, who completes onboarding with every tutor and matches each student to the right tutor. Every tutor must hold a current Working With Children Check |
| Progress | A written summary after every lesson, and a detailed report every 10 lessons |
| Cost | $95–$115 an hour, paid by the term, with no enrolment or travel fee; a fee applies for cancelling within 24 hours or rescheduling within 5 hours |
| Trying it first | If the first lesson isn't the right fit and you don't continue, you won't be charged |
| Changing tutors | Yes. If the first tutor isn't the right fit, we'll trial a different one, and that trial lesson isn't charged either. Getting the student–tutor match right is our priority. |
Lessons run at home across Sydney or online anywhere in Australia, any day from 8:30 am to 9 pm. In 2025, 241 of the 288 HSC students Rubix tutored (84%) achieved a Band 6 or E4 in their tutored subject.
Frequently asked questions
Is a tutoring centre cheaper than a private tutor?
Usually, yes, per session, though a tutoring college can cost more: Matrix's Year 12 Maths Advanced classes cost about $166 each ($1,494 a term for nine 3-hour classes of up to 15 students). Kip McGrath's average session is around $73, and small groups cost $30–$70 per student, while one-on-one private tutoring usually costs $55–$130 an hour (Kip McGrath, KIS Academics, Learnmate).
Is one-on-one tutoring more effective than group tutoring?
On average, slightly. Research on school tutoring programs finds about five months' extra progress for one-to-one tuition and four for small groups, with groups larger than six or seven noticeably less effective (Evidence for Learning). The quality of the teaching matters as much as the format.
Is online private tutoring cheaper than a centre?
It can be close. Online one-on-one tutoring usually costs $50–$95 an hour, and there's no travel to a centre (KIS Academics, Learnmate).
Can my child use both?
Yes. Some families use a centre for regular practice and add a private tutor before assessments or for a subject their child is struggling with.
At what age is a private tutor worth it?
At any age where there's a clear goal. In primary school that's often reading, writing or maths foundations; in Years 11 and 12 it's usually assessments and the HSC or VCE.
Talk to us about your child
Not sure which suits your child? Tell us where they're at and we'll give you an honest answer, even if it's that a centre would suit them better. Call 0490 712 060 or email info@rubixlearning.com.au.