How Much Does Cert 3 Early Childhood Education Cost?

If you are asking how much does Cert 3 early childhood cost, the honest answer is that it depends on the training provider and on what the fee includes. This guide sets out the full course fees that training providers publish for the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, explains how we show them in our comparison table, and lists what to check before you compare one price with another. All figures were taken from the training providers’ own public pages on 1 November 2026, and prices can change at any time.

How much does Cert 3 early childhood cost?

Among the training providers in our table that publish a full course fee, the totals range from $2,100 to $3,690. The lowest totals are $2,100 at ACTAC and at ACCSC, and the highest is $3,690 at ITAC. These are the figures our table shows. Several training providers also publish a lower pay-in-full price, and those are listed below.

Two training providers do not fit that range. Kirana Colleges advertises a weekly price from $35 and does not publish a whole-course total on the pages we read. CQUniversity does not show a dollar amount for this course on its course page. We have not worked out a total for either of them, because a total that we calculate could differ from what you are asked to pay.

The published fees, training provider by training provider

The list below copies what each training provider states. We checked each one on 1 November 2026.

• Kirana Colleges: The course page shows a start price from $35 per week. The payments page says certificate courses start from $35 per week and mentions interest-free payment plans.
• NCVE: The course page states $650 to start, then $120 per unit, for a $2,570 total, or $2,056 paid up front.
• ITAC: The course page states a course fee of $3,690, with interest-free payment plans available and all required course materials included.
• ACTAC: The course page shows $1,199 as a one-time payment, and a weekly plan with a total course fee of $2,100.
• ACCSC: The course page shows the same structure, $1,199 up front and a weekly plan with a total of $2,100.
• Monarch Institute: The course page shows $3,450 upfront and a weekly payment plan of $159.23. It does not publish a total for the plan.
• The Performance College: The course page shows $2,500, plus a $250 enrolment fee listed separately.
• CQUniversity: The course page describes fee types and does not show a dollar amount for this course.
• AIPC: The course page shows a reduced upfront payment of $2,490 for tuition and a total upfront course cost of $2,630. It also shows a fortnightly plan of $129 for 26 fortnights, with no plan total published.

How we choose the figure in our table

Our table follows one rule. Where a training provider publishes both a pay-in-full price and a higher total for paying by instalments, we show the higher instalment total. For example, NCVE’s table figure is $2,570, and its pay-in-full price of $2,056 appears in this guide. ACTAC and ACCSC show $2,100 in the table, and both publish $1,199 as a one-time payment.

Where only one whole-course price is published, we show that price. Enrolment fees and optional extras are not added. We never calculate a total ourselves from weekly or fortnightly amounts.

What a fee can cover

What a fee includes differs between training providers. From the pages we read:

• ITAC states that its fee includes all required course materials.
• The Performance College states that placement assistance is included in the course fee.
• NCVE states that it books and pays for first aid.
• AIPC states that its total upfront course cost includes tuition and practical sessions, with the practical sessions paid as they are undertaken.

Treat these as statements to confirm, not as promises, since the training provider decides what it includes.

What may sit outside the fee

Some costs appear outside the published fee on one or more of the pages we read:

• First aid. ITAC states that first aid is not delivered by ITAC and is not included in the fee. ACTAC states that it does not provide first aid and that learners complete it with a local training provider at their own cost.
• Placement help. Monarch Institute describes a Placement Matching Service with an administrative fee of $250. ACCSC lists a separate $299 Work Placement Support service.
• Industry checks and related items. Monarch Institute states that clearances, vaccinations, national child safety training and first aid are the student’s responsibility at their own expense.
• Other charges. The Performance College states that additional charges may apply if you are located outside Victoria. Kirana Colleges states that additional fees may apply if placement options are declined or interviews are missed. CQUniversity states that additional costs, such as uniforms and course resources, may also apply.

When you compare two fees, compare what each includes before you compare the amounts.

Payment plans and weekly prices

Many training providers offer payment plans. A weekly or fortnightly amount can look small, and the total depends on the number of payments. Where a training provider publishes the total for its plan, as ACTAC, ACCSC and NCVE do, we show it. Where the plan total is not published, as for Monarch Institute and the AIPC fortnightly plan, we show the whole-course price that is published and do not work out a plan total.

Kirana Colleges advertises a weekly price. Our cost column labels weekly prices clearly so that you do not read them as a full course fee.

Why a cost shows as Unknown

A cost shows as Unknown when the training provider does not publish a dollar amount for this course on the public page we read. It does not mean the course is free or expensive. It means you need to ask the training provider for the full course fee in writing.

Questions to ask about cost

1. What is the full course fee for the current code, CHC30125, and is it the same fee for pay-in-full and for instalments?
2. What is not included, such as first aid, checks, placement help and course materials?
3. Are there enrolment fees or fees for optional services?
4. Does the price change if I live in another state or territory?
5. Is a government subsidy available to me? Our free and subsidised study guide explains how funding differs by state and territory.

Related guides

Cost is only one part of the decision. Read how the work placement is arranged, how long the course takes, or browse all study guides. You can also return to the full comparison to see every column together.