Below, we offer some ways of ranking boarding schools based on specific criteria as a helpful tool for parents as they research schools. Across our website, we caution against any undue focus on school rankings and remind you to focus on the best school for your child. However, parents request rankings, and thanks to our long history of working with boarding schools, OUR KIDS can offer curated information you can't easily find elsewhere.
Explore the complete list of boarding schools on OUR KIDS, the guide families trust to make the right choice.
Boarding school rankings like those provided below can be a helpful tool if used properly:
Finding the best boarding school for your child should be an extensive process, where you confirm that boarding is indeed the best type of school for your child, meet schools face to face at one of our school expos, and do all the other legwork and homework necessary to make the best school selection for your family.
Bearing all those qualifications in mind, here is OUR KIDS' look at some boarding school rankings.
Some parents see low acceptance rates as a sign of a top boarding school, but factors like marketing and location can also drive demand. In reality, no single metric can define the best school. Many excellent boarding schools have high acceptance rates. Parents should look at the full picture to find the right fit for their child.
| School | Location | Grades | Acceptance rate |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Globe Cambridge School | North York, ON | 1 to 12 | 25% |
| 2 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 30% |
| 3 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 30% |
| 4 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 32% |
| 5 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 40% |
| 6 | St. Stephen's School, Rome | Rome, Italy | 9 to 12 | 50% |
| 7 | Ridley College | St. Catharines, ON | JK to 12 | 57% |
| 8 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 62% |
| 9 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 3 to 12 | 70% |
| 10 | Unisus School | Summerland, BC | PS to 12 | 70% |
| School | Location | Grades | Grads in Top US/UK Schools (5 yrs) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 100 |
| 2 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 45 |
| 3 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 30 |
| 4 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 25 |
| 5 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 24 |
| 6 | St. Stephen's School, Rome | Rome, Italy | 9 to 12 | 22 |
| 7 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 20 |
| 8 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 16 |
| 9 | J. Addison School | Markham, ON | K to 12 | 14 |
| 10 | Bodwell High School | North Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | 10 |
Below, find a list of the top boarding schools ranked by the most notable alumni produced by the school. Our rankings of most notable alumni are based on graduates with a Wikipedia page. We view this as a credible contemporary indicator of influence or achievement. As with all ranking factors, we hope parents recognize this has limitations. For example, older schools have had more time to produce influential graduates. Larger schools also have an advantage. Regardless, your primary focus in choosing a school should be finding the best fit for your child.
| School | Location | Grades | Notable alumni |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 97 |
| 2 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 21 |
| 3 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 15 |
| 5 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 13 |
| 6 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 13 |
| 7 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 9 to 12 | 13 |
| 8 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 12 |
| 9 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 12 |
| 10 | IMG Academy | Bradenton, Florida(USA) | 6 to 12 | 8 |
| School | Location | Grades | Avg. class size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Globe Cambridge School | North York, ON | 1 to 12 | 1 to 15 |
| 2 | TAIE International Institute | Thornhill, ON | 7 to 12 | 3 to 15 |
| 3 | Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning | Belleville, ON | 3 to 12 | 4 to 6 |
| 4 | NOIC Academy | Markham, ON | 9 to 12 | 5 to 15 |
| 5 | Trafalgar Castle School | Whitby, ON | 4 to 12 | 6 to 14 |
| 6 | Fulford Academy | Merrickville, ON | 9 to 12 | 10 to 14 |
| 7 | Royal Crown School | Scarborough, ON | 7 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 8 | Nancy Campbell Academy | Stratford, ON | 7 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 9 | Niagara Christian Collegiate ✝ | Fort Erie, ON | 6 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 10 | Fort Erie International Academy | Fort Erie, ON | 5 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
Find boarding schools ranked on the basis of foundation date below:
| School | Location | Grades | Founded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King's-Edgehill School | Windsor, NS | 6 to 12 | 1788 |
| 2 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 1829 |
| 3 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 1836 |
| 4 | Pickering College | Newmarket, ON | JK to 12 | 1842 |
| 5 | College Bourget | Rigaud, QC | PS to 12 | 1850 |
| 6 | Albert College | Belleville, ON | PS to 12 | 1857 |
| 7 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 1865 |
| 8 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 1867 |
| 9 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | 1872 |
| 10 | Trafalgar Castle School | Whitby, ON | 4 to 12 | 1874 |
The following list ranks boarding schools on the size of their financial endowment.
| School | Location | Grades | Endowment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | $150,000,000 |
| 2 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | $60,000,000 |
| 3 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | $41,751,462 |
| 4 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | $33,000,000 |
| 5 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | $25,000,000 |
| 6 | Gow School | South Wales, New York(USA) | 5 to 12 | $24,000,000 |
| 7 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | $20,000,000 |
| 8 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 3 to 12 | $17,000,000 |
| 9 | St. Stephen's School, Rome | Rome, Italy | 9 to 12 | $9,036,180 |
| 10 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | $9,000,000 |
| School | Location | Grades | Total sports programs |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | 56 |
| 2 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 40 |
| 3 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 38 |
| 4 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 36 |
| 5 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | 36 |
| 6 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 9 to 12 | 36 |
| 7 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 36 |
| 8 | Pickering College | Newmarket, ON | JK to 12 | 36 |
| 9 | Bodwell High School | North Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | 33 |
| 10 | Gow School | South Wales, New York(USA) | 5 to 12 | 30 |
| School | Location | Grades | Boarding rates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College Bourget | Rigaud, QC | PS to 12 | $16,070 to $37,480 |
| 2 | Luther College High School ✝ | Regina, SK | 9 to 12 | $16,800 |
| 3 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | $17,450 to $21,450 |
| 4 | Bronte College | Mississauga, ON | 9 to 12 | $21,480 to $25,200 |
| 5 | TAIE International Institute | Thornhill, ON | 7 to 12 | $25,500 |
| 6 | McDonald International Academy | Toronto, ON | 9 to 12 | $26,600 |
| 7 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 9 to 12 | $32,000 to $46,000 |
| 8 | Nancy Campbell Academy | Stratford, ON | 7 to 12 | $33,775 |
| 9 | Bodwell High School | North Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | $39,000 to $45,000 |
| 10 | Laureate College | Burlington, ON | 1 to 12 | $39,300 |
| School | Location | Grades | Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 40% |
| 2 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 40% |
| 3 | Gow School | South Wales, New York(USA) | 5 to 12 | 40% |
| 4 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 33% |
| 5 | King's-Edgehill School | Windsor, NS | 6 to 12 | 33% |
| 6 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 9 to 12 | 30% |
| 7 | Unisus School | Summerland, BC | PS to 12 | 30% |
| 8 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | 30% |
| 9 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | 30% |
| 10 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 30% |
Here are boarding schools in Canada, ranked by tuition costs. Some parents may view this as an indicator of the quality of education offered by the school. We urge you to avoid this oversimplification when deciding what school is best for your child.
| School | Location | Grades | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | $32,000 to $96,300 |
| 2 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | $33,300 to $94,800 |
| 3 | Albert College | Belleville, ON | PS to 12 | $22,900 to $91,500 |
| 4 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | $45,140 to $90,710 |
| 5 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | $29,500 to $90,000 |
| 6 | Pickering College | Newmarket, ON | JK to 12 | $39,400 to $87,500 |
| 7 | Ridley College | St. Catharines, ON | JK to 12 | $31,875 to $87,500 |
| 8 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | $45,670 to $87,485 |
| 9 | St. John's-Kilmarnock School | Waterloo Region (Breslau), ON | JK to 12 | $26,925 to $86,700 |
| 10 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | $43,090 to $85,970 |
Are private Boarding schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about private Boarding schools on this page.
What is the most expensive private Boarding school?
Brentwood College School has the highest tuition fees from $32,000 to $96,300 per year with an average tuition of $64,150 per year.
Which private Boarding school has the lowest acceptance rates?
The private Boarding school with the lowest acceptance rate is Globe Cambridge School. The school has an overall accepance rate of 25%.
What is the oldest private Boarding school?
King's-Edgehill School is the oldest private Boarding school. The school was founded in 1788.
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