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Toronto high school rankings

The best secondary schools by selected categories

Below you'll find our rankings of Toronto secondary schools based on a variety of factors.
 
We strongly caution against overemphasizing private school rankings in your research. You can read many reasons for skepticism in our look at private school rankings, but in summary, put very little credence in any school rankings.
 

Rankings on this page

Explore the complete list of Toronto private secondary schools on OUR KIDS, the guide families trust to make the right choice.


See the Full List  
In determining the best school for your child it's far more important to engage in a detailed research process and do the legwork. Attend private school expos, and follow our expert advice on choosing the right school, intended to help you make the most fully informed, well-reasoned decision about this critical life choice.
 
Below, find ranked lists of Toronto high schools, based on a variety of factors, using information provided by the schools themselves.  

Best Toronto high schools for university placement

Private schools that list with OUR KID self-report on the number of graduates who have gone on to 12 of the world's top universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford, or Cambridge) in the last five years. There is much more subtlety to this. On each school's report on our website, you can find other placement information, including all the universities students have gone to, or the percentage of students accepted into post-secondary studies, and more. Focus, though, on finding the school where your child will thrive. 
School Location Grades Grads in Top US/UK
Schools (5 yrs)
1 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 100
2 University of Toronto Schools Toronto, ON 7 to 12 60
3 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 45
4 St. Clement's School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 25
5 Ontario Virtual School Toronto, ON 6 to 12 25
6 Bishop Strachan School ✝ Toronto, ON JK to 12 20
7 Branksome Hall Toronto, ON JK to 12 16
8 Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Toronto, ON 7 to 12 15
9 Abelard School Toronto, ON 7 to 12 15
10 J. Addison School Markham, ON K to 12 14

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Toronto private secondary schools with the lowest admission rates

Which of Toronto's private high schools are the most difficult to get into? For interest's sake, below you will find a top ten list of private schools in Toronto who claim the lowest acceptance rates.
School Location Grades Acceptance
rate
1 University of Toronto Schools Toronto, ON 7 to 12 20%
2 York School Toronto, ON JK to 12 20%
3 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 25%
4 Globe Cambridge School North York, ON 1 to 12 25%
5 Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Toronto, ON 7 to 12 30%
6 Branksome Hall Toronto, ON JK to 12 30%
7 Crestwood Preparatory College Toronto, ON 7 to 12 30%
8 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 30%
9 TFS - Canada's International School Toronto, ON NS to 12 30%
10 De La Salle College ✝ Toronto, ON 5 to 12 33%

Toronto's ten best private high schools for sports

Here is a look at Toronto's most sports-oriented private high schools. This list is ideal for kids who love athletics, and who want to find a school where there will be competitiveness in both intramural and inter-school sports. This list is ranked on the number of competitive sports teams and clubs offered by the schools.
School Location Grades Total sports
programs
1 WillowWood School Toronto, ON K to 12 45
2 Bayview Glen Toronto, ON PS to 12 39
3 Kingsway College School Etobicoke, ON JK to 12 38
4 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 38
5 Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Toronto, ON 7 to 12 37
6 University of Toronto Schools Toronto, ON 7 to 12 36
7 Blyth Academy Lawrence Park Toronto, ON 7 to 12 35
8 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 32
9 Hawthorn School ✝ Toronto, ON NS to 12 28
10 Hudson College Toronto, ON JK to 12 28

High schools with the smallest class sizes

For many parents and families, the benefit of small class sizes are the preeminent appeal of private education. While the ranked list below can be helpful to understand the landscape of private secondary schools, weigh this factor against others, such as the quality of educators, the school's academic rigour, and how well your child will fit into the school.
School Location Grades Avg. class size
1 North York Academy North York, ON 9 to 12 1 to 8
2 Globe Cambridge School North York, ON 1 to 12 1 to 15
3 Toronto STEM School Toronto, ON 9 to 12 2 to 10
4 Monarch Academy by Monarch House Toronto, ON K to 10 3 to 8
5 TAIE International Institute Thornhill, ON 7 to 12 3 to 15
6 Bright Start Academy North York, ON PS to 12 4 to 6
7 Quantum Academy Richmond Hill, ON 7 to 12 5 to 6
8 AVRO Academy North York, ON 9 to 12 5 to 7
9 Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Toronto, ON 7 to 12 5 to 12
10 Wise Owl Private School Toronto, ON PS to 12 5 to 12

Top ten most expensive private high schools in Toronto

Some Toronto parents may view private school tuition as strongly correlative to the quality of education offered by the school, assuming that you get what you pay for. It's valid to believe that more expensive schools will have finer facilities, hire the best teachers, and offer superior sports programs and other extracurriculars. Remember that many excellent private high schools produce exceptional graduates while charging very reasonable tuition. (Note that the list below is limited to schools that list with OUR KIDS.) 
School Location Grades Tuition
1 Branksome Hall Toronto, ON JK to 12 $45,140 to $90,710
2 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 $45,670 to $87,485
3 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 $40,750 to $81,100
4 Bishop Strachan School ✝ Toronto, ON JK to 12 $39,800 to $78,200
5 J. Addison School Markham, ON K to 12 $21,775 to $55,275
6 Greenwood College School Toronto, ON 7 to 12 $49,530
7 Globe Cambridge School North York, ON 1 to 12 $13,500 to $47,300
8 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 $46,270
9 York School Toronto, ON JK to 12 $45,065
10 TFS - Canada's International School Toronto, ON NS to 12 $24,230 to $40,830

Oldest private secondary schools in Toronto

Below, find private secondary schools in Toronto, ranked by their age. Some people may view this as a sign of prestige. Please review our cautions against any focus on school rankings, above. We encourage a balanced, deeply thougtful decision process focused on finding a school that best suits your child.
School Location Grades Founded
1 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 1829
2 De La Salle College ✝ Toronto, ON 5 to 12 1851
3 St. Michael's College School ✝ Toronto, ON 7 to 12 1852
4 Bishop Strachan School ✝ Toronto, ON JK to 12 1867
5 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 1894
6 St. Clement's School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 1901
7 Branksome Hall Toronto, ON JK to 12 1903
8 University of Toronto Schools Toronto, ON 7 to 12 1910
9 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 1913
10 Crawford Adventist Academy ✝ North York, ON JK to 12 1953

Wealthiest schools in Toronto

Toronto's private secondary schools are ranked here by the size of their reported financial endowment.
School Location Grades Endowment
1 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 $150,000,000
2 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 $30,000,000
3 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 $2,637,233

Schools with most notable alumni

Below, we rank Toronto high schools by the number of renowned graduates produced. In order to qualify for this count, graduates must have an entry on Wikipedia, which follows stringent notability guidelines. With all ranking lists, there are limitations. We encourage parents to focus on far more pertinent aspects of schools when seeking one that will be the best fit for their child(ren).
School Location Grades Notable
alumni
1 Upper Canada College Toronto, ON JK to 12 97
2 St. Michael's College School ✝ Toronto, ON 7 to 12 47
3 University of Toronto Schools Toronto, ON 7 to 12 22
4 Royal St. George's College Toronto, ON 3 to 12 18
5 Bishop Strachan School ✝ Toronto, ON JK to 12 15
6 Havergal College Toronto, ON JK to 12 12
7 Crescent School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 9
8 Branksome Hall Toronto, ON JK to 12 7
9 TFS - Canada's International School Toronto, ON NS to 12 4
10 St. Clement's School Toronto, ON 1 to 12 3

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Toronto private schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about Toronto private schools on this page.

What is the most expensive Toronto private school?
Branksome Hall has the highest tuition fees from $45,140 to $90,710 per year with an average tuition of $67,925 per year.

Which Toronto private school has the lowest acceptance rates?
The Toronto private school with the lowest acceptance rate is University of Toronto Schools. The school has an overall accepance rate of 20%.

What is the oldest Toronto private school?
Upper Canada College is the oldest Toronto private school. The school was founded in 1829.

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