United Kingdom · Crowthorne, Berkshire · Founded 1859
Wellington College
Well-being as a subject, a famous festival of education, elite rugby and hockey, and a choice of the IB or A-levels.
The character
Wellington reinvented itself in the 2000s as the progressive great school: happiness lessons, a global outlook, sister schools in China and a campus of astonishing facilities. It is co-educational, energetic and very good at sport; academically it is strong and getting stronger.
Good for
All-rounders, sport, families who want a modern outlook in a traditional shell
Less suited to
Children who want quiet, families suspicious of educational fashions
Getting in
Register two years ahead, pre-test in Year 6, Common Entrance or Wellington's own tests at 13, sixth-form entry at 16.
What it costs in total
At about £ 58,000 a year for boarding (£ 42,000 for day pupils), the 5 years from 13 to 18 add up to roughly €381,000 in today’s money including typical extras, before fee increases, tutoring and flights. The Education Cost Calculator adds inflation, extras and a second child.
Fees are rounded 2025/26 figures from the school’s own schedule and change every year. The school’s current fee sheet prevails. The picture is an impression of the setting, not a photograph of the campus.
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