In honour of the release of the final Harry Potter Film, Centives decided to investigate what it would cost to go to Hogwarts.

Hogwarts is believed to be the best wizarding school in England. The average tuition for a year at England’s five most prestigious boarding schools is about £25,800.

On page 51 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry receives a letter detailing the equipment that he is required to purchase for Hogwarts. The letter is reproduced here. Centives went to Amazon.co.uk to estimate how much each of the items would cost.

Three sets of plain robes



Each set of robes costs £100, bringing the total to £300

One Plain Pointed Hat



Even an ancient and magical hat only costs about £20

One Pair of Protective Gloves (Dragon Hide or Similar)



Would Spirafil Synthetic Insulation and GORE-TEX waterproofing technology qualify as ‘similar’ to Dragon Hide? If so then they’ll cost you about £76.

One Winter Cloak (black, silver fastenings)



A winter cloak will sell for £25 and a silver brooch can be bought for £26.

One Wand







These go for £100.

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)



There aren’t that many pewter cauldrons available on the internet but a heavy cast iron one will set you back £23.

1 Set Glass or Crystal Phials



These can be bought for £8.

1 Telescope



Gaze at the heavens for £108.

1 Set Brass Scales



Just £8, although as of this writing there is apparently only one left in stock so you better get a move on if you plan to go.

Students are also required to buy seven text books. According to this site an average textbook in the United Kingdom costs £46. Seven textbooks will see you fork over £322.

The total cost for the first year at Hogwarts comes out to £26,816 or US$42,752 at today’s exchange rates. This of course is the bare minimum and doesn’t consider the cost of pets, Quidditch robes and other incidentals that every student invariably faces. Nor does this analysis account for the premium paid for magical items.

Enjoyed this article? Check out our answer to the classic question of How Much Does It Cost To Build The Death Star? And our recent look at the cost of being Batman.

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