Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Diploma

Duration

10 months – 2 years

Indicative Cost

$9,200 – $34,000

AUD — confirm with college

Colleges

309

ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

Median cost

$17,100

Half charge more, half less

What this course is

Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care is a diploma that typically takes 10 months – 2 years and is offered by 309 accredited providers across ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA in the field of Education.

Estimated total cost of study

Based on tuition from the CRICOS register, DHA living cost figures, and the current student visa application charge. Duration: 0.8 years – 2 years.

Tuition

Total course cost as registered on the CRICOS register. Confirm current fees directly with the provider before applying.

$9,200 – $34,000

Living costs

DHA financial capacity figure — $29,710/year × 0.8 years – 2 years. This is the amount DHA requires students to demonstrate access to; actual living costs vary by city and lifestyle.

$24,568 – $59,420

Student visa application charge (Subclass 500)

Government fee, primary applicant. Effective 1 July 2026.

$2,500

Estimated total

Range reflects different providers offering this course.

$36,268 – $95,920

Not included: Health cover (OSHC) and medical exam costs. OSHC cost varies by approved provider and policy length. There is no government-set price — each provider (ahm, Allianz Care, BUPA, CBHS, Medibank, nib) sets their own rates independently. No verified figure is available for medical exam and biometric costs either.

Tuition source: CRICOS register (Commonwealth of Australia). Retrieved from the Australian CRICOS register. Not guaranteed current — confirm fees directly with the provider.

Living costs source: Migration (LIN 19/198) Amendment (LIN 24/042) Specification 2024 — Federal Register of Legislation (F2024L00529). Retrieved 2026-08-07. Effective 2024-05-10.

Visa charge source: Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026 (F2026L00874). Retrieved 2026-08-07. Effective 2026-07-01.

Where you can study this course

309 colleges on the CRICOS register offer this course. Narrow the list, or sort it by a figure that matters to you.

Colleges shown: 309
Median cost: A$17,100

What colleges charge for this course (select a column to narrow the list)

A$8kmedian A$17kA$33k+

The same course, the same register. Each column is the total fee recorded against the course, in dollars. Where a college sits on this spread is worth asking them about.

State

Type

Sort

Brisbane College of Australia Pty LtdQLD1.7 yearsA$9,200A$108/week
Brisbane College of Australia Pty LtdQLD1.7 yearsA$9,200A$108/week
Southern Institute of Early Learning and Leadership Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$9,700A$187/week
Southern Institute of Early Learning and Leadership Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$9,700A$187/week
KKTC EDUCATION PTY LTDQLD1.1 yearsA$9,900A$177/week
KKTC EDUCATION PTY LTDQLD1.1 yearsA$9,900A$177/week
EIM International Training Pty LtdQLD1 yearA$10,250A$197/week
Greenhouse Education Pty LtdWA1 yearA$10,250A$197/week
Sunshine International College Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$10,450A$201/week
Prospect Education Group Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$10,500A$202/week
Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$10,500A$202/week
Prospect Education Group Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$10,500A$202/week
Iascend Polytechnic Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$10,600A$204/week
Supreme Business College Pty LtdNSW11 monthsA$10,620A$217/week
Supreme Business College Pty LtdNSW11 monthsA$10,620A$217/week
A.I.W.T. Pty. Ltd.WA1 yearA$10,715A$206/week
Australian Higher Education Academy Pty LtdWA1.3 yearsA$10,715A$167/week
Australian Higher Education Academy Pty LtdWA1.3 yearsA$10,715A$167/week
Australian Academy of Vocational Education and Trades Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$10,780A$207/week
Australian Academy of Vocational Education and Trades Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$10,780A$207/week
Australian Professional Training Academy Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$11,000A$212/week
West Australian Institute of Further Studies Pty LtdWA1 yearA$11,150A$214/week
West Australian Institute of Further Studies Pty LtdWA1 yearA$11,150A$214/week
Australian Professional Training Academy Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$11,500A$221/week
Australian Learning Group Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$11,555A$222/week
Charter Australia Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$11,670A$224/week
Riverdale Institute Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,000A$231/week
TAFE QueenslandQLD1 yearA$12,000A$235/week
TAFE QueenslandQLD1 yearA$12,000A$235/week
St George & Sutherland Community College IncorporatedNSW1 yearA$12,000A$231/week
Riverdale Institute Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,000A$231/week
Stirling Institute of Australia Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,150A$234/week
Stirling Institute of Australia Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,150A$234/week
Australian Learning Group Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$12,495A$240/week
Early Learning Professional Development Pty LtdVIC10 monthsA$12,500A$284/week
Early Learning Professional Development Pty LtdVIC10 monthsA$12,500A$284/week
Gradskill International Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,500A$240/week
Gradskill International Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$12,500A$240/week
Job Training Institute Pty LtdVIC1.1 yearsA$12,600A$225/week
Job Training Institute Pty LtdVIC1.1 yearsA$12,600A$225/week
Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO) Pty LtdQLD1 yearA$12,750A$245/week
Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO) Pty LtdQLD1 yearA$12,750A$245/week
Tred Consultants Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$12,900A$248/week
Tred Consultants Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$12,900A$248/week
Excellent Accounts Pty LtdWA1 yearA$13,000A$250/week
Zoi Education Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$13,000A$250/week
Zoi Education Pty LtdVIC1 yearA$13,000A$250/week
Diverse Solutions Pty LtdNSW1 yearA$13,000A$250/week
Cairns College of English Pty LtdQLD1.4 yearsA$13,050A$181/week
Cairns College of English Pty LtdQLD1.4 yearsA$13,050A$181/week

Showing 50 of 309

Source: CRICOS register, Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 2.5 AU. The register is authoritative for registration, provider and course code. It is not authoritative for fees, duration or intake dates — those are provider-published, and the college is the one to confirm them with.

Entry requirements

The CRICOS register does not publish entry requirements. They are set and published by each provider. Open the provider's own page for the requirements that apply to a given course and intake.

Course details and pricing are from the Australian CRICOS register. Providers may have updated their offerings, confirm directly with the provider before applying.

Questions about Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

Answered from the records on this page.

How much does this course actually cost?

Across the 309 colleges with a fee recorded, this course runs from A$9,200 to A$34,000, with a middle figure of A$17,100. That is the same qualification on the same register — the spread is real, and it is the reason the list above can be sorted by price and by cost per week. Fees come from the CRICOS register, which is not authoritative for what a college charges today.

Why does a price here differ from the college's own website?

The register records what the provider lodged. The provider's own page records what they charge now. Where the two differ, the college is the one to trust — always confirm the fee, the course length and the intake dates with them before you apply or pay anything.

Does it matter which state I study this in?

This course is registered with colleges across 8 states and territories, and the fee varies between them — you can see the spread above. Living costs also differ by city, and that difference is often larger than the difference in tuition. What we cannot tell you is which is right for you; that depends on things this register does not record.

What does this page not tell me?

Entry requirements, English language levels, intake dates and what the course leads to afterwards. The CRICOS register does not publish any of those, so neither do we. Entry requirements are set by each college. For anything about a visa, a registered migration agent is the person to ask — every one of them holds a number issued by the Migration Agents Registration Authority.