School rankings lists should play a very limited role in parents' school decision process. Parents naively view ranking lists such as those provided by the Fraser Institute and others as a shortcut to help them find "the best schools." Be advised that finding the right school should be a long process where you investigate schools' academics, facilities, environment, pedagogy, tuition costs and all the other considerations, to find a school that is truly the best one for your family.
Still, parents persist in requesting school rankings. To some degree, our ranking pages are a reluctant surrender to this longstanding request. That said, there can be some value gleaned from lists that rank isolated aspects of schools. If used properly as part of your larger research, lists below can be a discovery aid, to expose you to schools you may not have considered before.
Here are some things to bear in mind when considering the lists of boys' schools below:
With that in mind, we hesitantly provide the rankings of boys' schools below.
Private boys' schools with a low acceptance rate would seem to be more difficult to get into, and to some degree (for some parents) this is a measure of how good the school is. Parents should not be swayed by this simple statistic. There are many other facets of a school that should have a much stronger impact on your decision as to which is the best school for your son. Many schools with a 100% acceptance rate offer a superior education that will set your son on the path to success.
| School | Location | Grades | Acceptance rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 25% |
| 2 | Sterling Hall School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 35% |
| 3 | Royal St. George's College | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 40% |
| 4 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 62% |
| 5 | St. Michael's College School ✝ | Toronto, ON | 7 to 12 | 70% |
| 6 | Clear Water Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 75% |
| 7 | North Point School | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 75% |
| 8 | Sacred Heart School of Halifax ✝ | Halifax, NS | JK to 12 | 78% |
| 9 | Robert Land Academy | Wellandport, ON | 5 to 12 | 80% |
| 10 | St. Clement's Early Learning School | Toronto, ON | PS to 2 | 85% |
The following ranks boys' schools by tuition cost. Some parents may feel that the most expensive schools must be offering the best education. Of course, there's no guarantee that this will be the case. Many boys' private schools with very reasonable tuition offer an exceptional education. For interest's sake, the following lists the most expensive boys' schools that list with ourkids.net.
| School | Location | Grades | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | $41,440 to $77,070 |
| 2 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | $36,750 to $71,875 |
| 3 | Robert Land Academy | Wellandport, ON | 5 to 12 | $61,200 to $65,200 |
| 4 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | $39,590 |
| 5 | Sterling Hall School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | $37,000 |
| 6 | Northmount School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | $19,000 to $36,000 |
| 7 | Royal St. George's College | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | $35,320 |
| 8 | St. Michael's College School ✝ | Toronto, ON | 7 to 12 | $22,250 |
| 9 | St. Clement's Early Learning School | Toronto, ON | PS to 2 | $8,500 to $20,500 |
| 10 | Sacred Heart School of Halifax ✝ | Halifax, NS | JK to 12 | $13,820 to $19,360 |
Some parents may feel that the age of the school is important, in terms of prestige and tradition. Here is a list of boys schools, ordered by their age.
| School | Location | Grades | Founded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 1829 |
| 2 | Sacred Heart School of Halifax ✝ | Halifax, NS | JK to 12 | 1849 |
| 3 | St. Michael's College School ✝ | Toronto, ON | 7 to 12 | 1852 |
| 4 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 1899 |
| 5 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 1913 |
| 6 | St. Clement's Early Learning School | Toronto, ON | PS to 2 | 1955 |
| 7 | Royal St. George's College | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 1964 |
| 8 | Robert Land Academy | Wellandport, ON | 5 to 12 | 1978 |
| 9 | Sterling Hall School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 1987 |
| 10 | Northmount School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 1990 |
Parents choosing a boys only school might be understandably swayed by this list that ranks schools by influential graduates. There should be many other factors that go into determining what school is the best fit for your son. The list below ranks schools by graduates with Wikipedia entries. Although there is some contention about its reliability, biographical entries that meet Wikipedia’s notability criteria are a reasonable measure of influence in today's world. Of course, the search for the right school for your son should be a deep process that goes well beyond any third party school rankings.
| School | Location | Grades | Notable alumni | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 98 |
| 2 | St. Michael's College School ✝ | Toronto, ON | 7 to 12 | 47 |
| 3 | Royal St. George's College | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 31 |
| 4 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 17 |
| 5 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 7 |
Are All-Boys private schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about All-Boys private schools on this page.
What is the most expensive All-Boys private school?
St. Andrew's College has the highest tuition fees from $41,440 to $77,070 per year with an average tuition of $59,255 per year.
Which All-Boys private school has the lowest acceptance rates?
The All-Boys private school with the lowest acceptance rate is Crescent School. The school has an overall accepance rate of 25%.
What is the oldest All-Boys private school?
Upper Canada College is the oldest All-Boys private school. The school was founded in 1829.
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