On this page we cover boarding schools in Toronto and the GTA. This includes boarding schools in downtown Toronto (such as the Annex and Bloor West), midtown (such as St. Clair West and Forest Hill), North York, Scarborough, Vaughan, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Markham, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, and Aurora.
|For a complete guide to boarding in Canada, including information about admissions, please see our introductory guide.
| School Name | Type | Pace | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bond Academy (est. 1978)
This traditional private school in Toronto offers preschool to grade 12 with average class sizes of 15 students. Facilities include a double gym and more. [View profile] |
| Standard-enriched | $13,000 to $34,300 | |
|
Upper Canada College (est. 1829)
Located in the heart of Toronto, Upper Canada College is the oldest independent boys' school in Ontario. Our IB graduates are highly regarded by top universities and post-secondary institutions worldwide. [View profile] |
| Accelerated | $32,650 to $64,205 | |
|
Branksome Hall (est. 1903)
Branksome Hall is an all girls school in Toronto, from JK to Grade 12, including 56 boarding students. Tuition ranges from $28,995 to $31,245 for day students. [View profile] |
| Standard-enriched | $32,570 to $64,305 | |
Havergal College (est. 1894)
Havergal College is an all-girls school in Toronto for students in JK to Grade 12. Preparing Young Women to Make a Difference Since 1894. [View profile] |
| Standard-enriched | $32,750 to $59,875 | ||
The Bishop Strachan School (est. 1867)
Located in Toronto, The Bishop Strachan School is Canada's oldest independent JK to Grade 12 day and boarding school for girls, welcoming students from Toronto and around the world. [View profile] |
| Standard-enriched | $32,060 to $60,730 | ||
TAIE International Institute (est. 1998)
TAIE International Institute offers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, University Preparation Courses and English as a Second Language. Flexible schedule and monthly enrollment at the best location in downtown Toronto [View profile] |
| Standard-enriched | $23,000 |
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 are ideal launching pads for your school-finding journey. The Toronto private school expo allows you to speak with administrators from leading boarding schools. If you live in the west end of the GTA, we also host an expo for Halton-Peel, where schools from that region exhibit. Both expos are held in the fall.
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.
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.
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 Toronto boarding schools:
| Tuition (boarding school) | Students receiving financial aid | Grade eligibility for financial aid | Avg. aid package size (annual) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Upper Canada College | $55,060 to $61,560 | 18% | 5 - 12 | $15,000 |
Branksome Hall | 5% | 7 - 12 | $15,000 | |
Havergal College | 7% | 7 - 12 | $16,000 | |
The Bishop Strachan School | $57,500 to $60,130 | 7% | 7 - 12 | $15,000 |
| Founding date | Endowment | Admissions rate | Enrollment | Enrollment per grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | 1978 | 100% | 550 | ||
Upper Canada College | 1829 | $40,000,000 | 33% | 1160 | 83 |
Branksome Hall | 1903 | 100% | 966 | 64 | |
Havergal College | 1894 | $2,637,233 | 50% | 920 | 61 |
The Bishop Strachan School | 1867 | $253 | 40% | 900 | 64 |
TAIE International Institute | 1998 | 400 | 100 |
Primary curriculum | Secondary curriculum | Curriculum pace | Academic culture | Average class size | Language immersion | Special needs support | Tech integration |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | Liberal Arts | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 15 | No support | Medium integration | ||
Upper Canada College | Liberal Arts | International Baccalaureate | Accelerated | Rigorous | 20 | Withdrawal Assistance | Heavy integration | |
Branksome Hall | Liberal Arts | International Baccalaureate | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 12 to 22 | Withdrawal Assistance | Heavy integration | |
Havergal College | Liberal Arts | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 18 to 22 | No support | Medium integration | ||
The Bishop Strachan School | Progressive | Standard-enriched | Rigorous | 16 to 20 | No support | Heavy integration | ||
TAIE International Institute | Traditional | Standard-enriched | Supportive | 10 to 15 | No support | Light integration |
Legend:
Bond Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Upper Canada College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Branksome Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Havergal College | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Bishop Strachan School | ||||||||||||||||||||
TAIE International Institute |
| Admission deadline | SSAT required | Interview required | Acceptance rate | Next open house | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | Day: rolling Boarding: rolling Homestay: rolling | Nursery/Toddler - 12 | 100% | ||
Upper Canada College | Day: Dec 2, 2016 Boarding: rolling | 7 - 11 | SK - 11 | 33% | |
Branksome Hall | Day: Dec 4, 2015 Boarding: rolling | 9 - 11 | JK - 12 | 100% | |
Havergal College | Day: Nov 30, 2018 Boarding: rolling | 7 - 12 | JK - 12 | 50% | |
The Bishop Strachan School | Day: Nov 30, 2018 Boarding: rolling | JK - 11 | 40% | ||
TAIE International Institute | 9 - 12 |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | |||||||||||||||||
Upper Canada College | 40% | 33% | 33% | 33% | 33% | 20% | |||||||||||
Branksome Hall | 80% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 100% | 80% | 90% | 100% | 100% | ||
Havergal College | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | |||||||||||
The Bishop Strachan School | 50% | 50% | 25% | 50% | 30% | 30% | 10% | 30% | 30% | 25% | 25% | 15% |
Nursery/Toddler | Preschool | JK | SK | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | |||||||||||||||||
Upper Canada College | 33% | 33% | 33% | ||||||||||||||
Branksome Hall | 100% | 100% | 80% | 80% | 90% | 100% | |||||||||||
Havergal College | 50% | ||||||||||||||||
The Bishop Strachan School | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | |||||||||||||
TAIE International Institute |
| Math | Science | Literature | Humanities Social Sciences | Foreign Languages | Fine Arts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | Traditional Math | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Upper Canada College | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
Branksome Hall | Traditional Math | Equal Balance | ||||
Havergal College | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance | Equal Balance |
The Bishop Strachan School | Traditional Math | Inquiry | Social Justice | Pragmatism | Communicative | Creative |
TAIE International Institute | Traditional Math | Expository | Traditional | Perennialism | Communicative | Creative |
Student council | School newspaper | Yearbook | Radio club | Photograph club | Art club |
Choir | Band | Dance club | Yoga club | Drama club | Debate club |
Chess club | Math club | Science club | Robotics club | Computer club | Environmental club | Outdoor club | Community service |
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Bond Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Upper Canada College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Branksome Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Havergal College | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Bishop Strachan School | ||||||||||||||||||||
TAIE International Institute |
Badminton | Baseball | Basketball | Cricket | Equestrian | Football | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice Hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Rugby | Soccer | Softball | Squash | Swimming | Tennis | Track and Field | Volleyball | Wrestling |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Upper Canada College | ||||||||||||||||||||
Branksome Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Havergal College | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Bishop Strachan School | ||||||||||||||||||||
TAIE International Institute |
Toronto is home to some of Canada’s foremost and longest-running educational institutions as well as some of its newest and most innovative. Upper Canada College, Ontario’s oldest independent school, dates from a time when Canada was still a collection of British colonies. Columbia International College, the largest boarding school in North America, is in Hamilton, just a short drive away.
It is also home to four colleges and four universities, including both the largest and and the third largest in the country. Within them are some of Canada’s premier business schools and arts institutions. The public and private schools of the city rightly make frequent use of all the educational resources that the city provides, including partnerships with local universities, colleges, galleries, museums, and archives.
Toronto is the financial capital of Canada and, in many ways, it’s the country’s cultural capital as well. The Toronto Stock Exchange is here—one of the largest stock exchanges in the world—as is the CBC, Canada’s national broadcaster, the National Ballet of Canada, and a wealth of national and international corporate headquarters. The Royal Ontario Museum is home to Canada’s most extensive natural history collection and hosts international exhibitions from around the world. These are just a hint of the vast cultural resources found scattered throughout the city.
The city is Canada’s gateway to the world, hosting a broad range of international festivals, congresses, and events, including the renowned Toronto International Film Festival held throughout the city each fall. It’s also the country’s foremost a major international transportation hub, proximate to the two largest customs ports between Canada and the United States, and home to the largest and busiest airport in the country. Toronto is also within a few hours drive to some of the most pristine and affecting natural environments in North America, including Algonquin Park and the Niagara Escarpment region.
The Ontario Ministry of Education legally requires all private schools in the province to register and provide annual statistical reports, and every Ontario private school must file a yearly Notice of Intention to operate. While private schools are considered businesses or non-profit organizations, the provincial ministry inspects all private secondary schools annually in order to authorize them to award credits toward completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
High school graduation requirements are set by the Ontario Ministry of Education, not the federal government. To earn a high school graduation diploma in Ontario students are required to complete at least 30 credits in grades 9 through 12. A credit represents the completion of an entire course, not a portion of it.
The provincial ministry requires that all students complete 18 mandatory credits which represent the core of the high school curriculum: English, math, science, history, geography, arts, health and physical education, French, career studies, and civics.
The remaining 12 credits are subject to students’ discretion and chosen from a list of recognized courses. These include technology and computer studies, graphic and performing arts, world studies, international languages, social studies, and cooperative education. These discretionary credits allow students to design a course of study that reflects their interests and to prepare for their post-secondary career.
In addition to course work, students are required to complete 40 hours of volunteer community service activities over the course of their four-year high school career.
Many boarding schools impose their own graduation requirements in addition to those outlined by the province. At Columbia International College, for example, students must complete 36 credits in order to graduate. At Appleby College, students are required to study at least one international language, that is, a language other than French and English, the two official languages of Canada. Many private schools also choose to exceed the provincial service requirement, over and above the hours of volunteer service than mandated by the provincial board.
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