Quick answer: In Australia, English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) are free for eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants, and library language apps are free with a library card. Other language courses in our sources cost $172–$499 at a community college such as WEA or CAE, $215–$445 at a university language centre and $525–$550 a term at a cultural institute. Full-time English at a private school costs $380–$460 a week. All prices are in Australian dollars.
Language course cost checker
Pick a course type to see the typical Australian price range and where the figure comes from.
Prices change and depend on the size of the job, the property, access and location. Figures were last checked . Always get a written quote before work starts.
Request a free quoteAustralia has two price systems. Government-funded English for migrants, through the AMEP, is free for people who qualify and is delivered by TAFEs and other providers in each state. Almost everything else, from Italian evening classes to Japanese at a university language centre, is sold by community colleges, universities, cultural institutes and private schools at their own prices. The table shows both. Every figure comes from the provider’s own page, checked in September 2026. We could not find a published source for typical private tutor rates in Australia, so we have left that out rather than guess.
Australian language course prices
| Course type | Price | What you get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) | Free | English for eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants until they reach vocational English, with free childcare for face-to-face classes; delivered by TAFE NSW, TAFE Queensland, TAFE SA, North Metropolitan TAFE and others | About the program (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au); Adult Migrant English Program (tafensw.edu.au; tafesa.edu.au) |
| Community college short course | $172–$499 | WEA Adult Learning, Adelaide: 5–8 week courses $172–$278 (e.g. $260 for 8 x 2 hours); WEA Sydney: 9 weeks $334 ($301 concession); CAE Melbourne: Italian Elementary 1, 8 x 2 hours, $499 ($474 concession) | Language Courses (wea-sa.com.au); Spanish Courses (weasydney.com.au); Italian: Elementary 1 (cae.edu.au) |
| University language short course | $215–$445 | UQ Institute of Modern Languages, Brisbane: survival courses $215–$235, semester courses $425–$445; University of Sydney CCE: 10 weeks, 20 hours live online, $410–$430 | 2026 Course fees (iml.uq.edu.au); Language (cce.sydney.edu.au) |
| Cultural institute term course | $525–$550 | Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Melbourne: 20 hours over 10 weeks, $525–$550 full fee, $450–$500 for members; Alliance Française de Sydney quotes from $22.90 an hour | Course Fees (iicmelbourne.esteri.it); Adult French Courses (afsydney.com.au) |
| Government school of languages (adults) | $400 a year | School of Languages, Adelaide: subject charge for adult students; adults 21 and over are only eligible in limited cases, such as Auslan and Pitjantjatjara | Subject Charges and Payment; Adult enrolment (schooloflanguages.sa.edu.au) |
| Private English school (full-time) | $380–$460 a week | ILSC Adelaide and Perth: 20 hours a week, plus a $250 registration fee and $15 a week materials | Price List: Perth; Price List: Adelaide (ilsc.com) |
| Library language apps | Free | Mango Languages, 70+ languages, with a City of Sydney, City of Melbourne or Brisbane City Council library card | Online learning and courses (cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au); eLibrary and digital resources (melbourne.vic.gov.au); Online library services (brisbane.qld.gov.au) |
Per teaching hour, the paid part-time courses in our sources cost about $16–$31: WEA Adelaide’s eight-week courses work out at about $16 an hour, Sydney CCE at about $21, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura at about $26–$28 and CAE’s Italian at about $31. Alliance Française de Sydney advertises rates from $22.90 an hour. Full-time English at a private school is about $19–$23 an hour before registration and materials. For who qualifies for the free AMEP, read who can join the Adult Migrant English Program.
What drives the price
Visa status. The AMEP is free for eligible permanent visa holders, some temporary visa holders and citizens who previously held an eligible visa. International students and visitors pay for English at private schools, colleges and universities.
Provider type. Community colleges such as WEA are the cheapest paid option per hour; university language centres sit in the middle; cultural institutes and CBD language schools charge the most.
Concessions and membership. WEA, CAE and WEA Sydney publish concession rates; the Istituto Italiano di Cultura charges members $50 less; Alliance Française Perth membership is $30.
Booking early. UQ’s IML takes $20–$50 off for early bird enrolment, Alliance Française de Melbourne offered $50 off before 4 October, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura knocks $25 off.
Extras to budget for
- Textbooks. UQ’s IML does not include textbooks in its fees; the Multicultural Language Centre in Perth includes class materials.
- Placement tests. The Istituto Italiano di Cultura charges $80 for a one-hour level evaluation; many others offer a free online test.
- Registration and materials. ILSC charges a one-off $250 registration fee and $15 a week for materials, capped at $450.
- Exams. Visa English tests and language certificates are booked separately: see English tests for Australian visas and DELF, DELE and the Goethe-Zertifikat.
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How to keep the cost down
- If you hold an eligible visa, register for the AMEP early. North Metropolitan TAFE in Perth says you must register within six months of your visa start date or arrival.
- Use your library card: Mango Languages is free through the City of Sydney, City of Melbourne and Brisbane City Council libraries.
- Ask for concession and early bird rates before you pay.
- Compare the hourly cost, not the headline price, and read tutoring vs group classes before paying for one-to-one lessons.
Local detail is in our guides for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. You can also compare course types or tell us what you need.
Are English classes free in Australia?
For eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants, yes. The AMEP is free, with free childcare for face-to-face classes, and there is no longer a 510-hour cap.
How much is an evening language course in Australia?
In our sources, $172–$499 at a community college, $410–$445 at a university language centre and $525–$550 a term at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Melbourne.
Can international students join the AMEP?
The AMEP is for eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants. International students generally pay for English at a private school, college or university.
Can I learn a language free with a library card?
Yes, in many council library services. The City of Sydney, City of Melbourne and Brisbane City Council libraries all offer Mango Languages free to members.
Is TAFE free for language courses?
TAFEs deliver the free AMEP for eligible migrants. We did not find published TAFE fees for general-interest language courses in the five cities we covered.
Sources
- About the program; Adult Migrant English Program (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au)
- Adult Migrant English Program (tafensw.edu.au)
- Adult Migrant English Program (tafesa.edu.au)
- Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) (tafeqld.edu.au)
- Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) (northmetrotafe.wa.edu.au)
- Language Courses (wea-sa.com.au)
- Spanish Courses (weasydney.com.au)
- Italian: Elementary 1 (cae.edu.au)
- 2026 Course fees; FAQs (iml.uq.edu.au)
- Language (cce.sydney.edu.au)
- Course Fees (iicmelbourne.esteri.it)
- Adult French Courses (afsydney.com.au)
- Adults (afmelbourne.com.au); FAQs (afperth.com.au)
- Subject Charges and Payment; Adult (schooloflanguages.sa.edu.au)
- Price List: Perth; Price List: Adelaide (ilsc.com)
- Online learning and courses (cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au)
- eLibrary and digital resources (melbourne.vic.gov.au)
- Online library services to enjoy anywhere, anytime (brisbane.qld.gov.au)
Last checked: September 2026. Course fees change each term, so confirm the price when you enrol. All prices are in Australian dollars.
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