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Vancouver boarding schools

A world-class city that's as livable as it is inspiring

On this page we cover boarding schools in Vancouver. This includes boarding schools in North, West, and Downtown Vancouver, Yaletown, and Gastown. It also includes schools in the greater Vancouver area, such as in Surrey, Richmond, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, White Rock, and the Tri-Cities.

For a complete guide to boarding in Canada, including information about admissions, please see our introductory guide.

2. Choosing a school

Our boarding school guide has advice specific to finding boarding schools in Canada. For insights that are more general (on how to evaluate school options) we recommend you review our hub on choosing a school. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.

Private school expos

The Vancouver private school expo, held each fall, is an opportunity to speak with administrators from leading boarding schools in the Vancouver area.

Parent discussion forum

Word-of-mouth is another powerful tool in your school-finding arsenal. The Our Kids private school discussion forum allows you to discuss your options and debate topics around gifted education. You can use our community of parents, educational experts, alumni, and schools to help answer your questions and stimulate your thinking.

Upcoming open house events

Attending open houses is obviously a great way to learn more about a school and get a feel for the environment. For some advice on open house visits, go here. For questions to ask that are specific to boarding programs, refer to our main boarding school hub.

3. Tuition

Broadly speaking, the cost of boarding reflects the cost private school tuition in general, though with premiums added to cover housing and meals.

Many schools offer financial aid, including scholarships and bursaries. Financial aid is needs-based, and financial aid programs are created as a means of broadening the student base and attracting students, independent of means, who will contribute most to the culture of the school. Generally speaking, the larger and more expensive schools provide the most aid.

You can read more about financial aid and scholarships in our dedicated guide.

Below you'll find the range of costs at Vancouver boarding schools:

Institutional metrics

Academics

Special needs support

Course pedagogies

Extracurricular clubs

Extracurricular sports (competitive)

Private schools are a well-established aspect of British Columbia's education system, and the majority are partially funded by the province. More than 85% of B.C.'s private and independent schools receive some provincial funding, totaling more than $150 million in funding per year. The ministry of education inspects and regulates private schools in the province, and all remain accountable to the provincial School Act which identifies their responsibilities and requirements. The Ministry of Education also educates teachers about their classroom duties and responsibilities to their students.

British Columbia offers a range of financial incentives to families who choose private school, including tax credits. Additionally, families who send their children to faith-based schools (such as Christian and Catholic schools) are often eligible to claim a portion of tuition as a charitable donation, for which they receive a tax credit.

Graduation requirements

High school graduation requirements are set by British Columbia's Ministry of Education, not the federal government. In order to earn a high school diploma named the Dogwood Diploma students are required to complete 80 credits, where each credit represents 30 hours of in-class instruction. To graduate, a student must ear 48 credits for required courses, a minimum of 28 elective credits. Students are also required to earn 4 credits for Graduation Transitions, a requirement intended to prepare students to make a successful transition to life after graduation.

These are:

• 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in each of Grades 10, 11, and 12.
• 30 hours of work experience and/or community service.
• completion and presentation of a transition plan, outlining their post-secondary and career plans.

Regardless of when students begin their programs, all must fulfill all graduation requirements and demonstrate competence in one of Canada's two official languages in order to earn a graduation diploma. A high school completion certificate, known as the Evergreen Certificate, is granted in some cases, and is not equivalent to the Dogwood Diploma.

Living in Vancouver

Vancouver prides itself in being at the cutting edge of innovation, ecology, and urban design. It’s also strikingly beautiful proximate to both the ocean and the mountains with a vibrant, varied cultural life that reflects its position within the community of cities and and countries of the pacific rim. In keeping, Vancouver is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. More than half the population claims a first language other than English or French, the two official languages of Canada. Linguistic and cultural diversity is cherished as a strength and is evident everywhere you look. Vancouver consistently rates among the top five cities in the world or livability as ranked by the Economist.

Like the city itself, Vancouver's boarding schools offer the best of many worlds, bringing together people from the world's cultures in an environment that brings out the best in everyone. Students work with the latest technology, have easy access to the city's cultural institutions, and have access to sporting facilities that are second to none.