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Alberta boarding schools

A titan in the Canadian landscape.

On this page we cover boarding schools in the province of Alberta. This includes boarding schools in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, and Banff. 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

Private school expos are ideal launching pads for your school-finding journey. All expos are held in the fall at a number of centres across Canada. There are three expos hosted in Ontario, one in Toronto, one in Halton-Peel, and one in Ottawa. Expos are also held each fall in Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. All are opportunities to speak with administrators from leading boarding schools within the regions in which the expos are held.

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 Alberta boarding schools:

Institutional metrics

Academics

Special needs support

Course pedagogies

Extracurricular clubs

Extracurricular sports (competitive)

When people think of Canada their thoughts turn, in a sense, to Alberta. The province is home to Banff and Jasper, two resort towns nestled within the vast sweep of the Canadian Rockies. They were two of the first international resort destinations in Canada, a reputation that they retain to this day. Also here is a wealth of UNESCO heritage sites, including Dinosaur Provincial Park, home to some of the most important fossil discoveries ever made as well as the highest concentration of dinosaur remains in the world. Alberta is also home to some of the richest fossil fuel deposits in the world, representing an important aspect of both the provincial and the national economy.

Private schools in Alberta have been officially recognized since 1946 and have received provincial financial support since 1967. Private schooling in Alberta has enjoyed the highest level of consistent public support of any of the provinces. Alberta's accredited private and independent schools receive 60 per cent of the basic instruction per-pupil grant given to public and separate schools. Extra funding is also available to them for special needs students, materials and transportation costs. That support is reflected in the range and the quality of the private and independent schools operating in the province today, and a robust, integrated education system throughout the province

Graduation Requirements

High school graduation requirements are set by the Alberta Ministry of Education, not the federal government. To earn a high school graduation diploma in Alberta students are required to complete a minimum of 100 credits in grades 10 through 12, where each credit represents 25 of in-class instruction or workplace learning. Required credits include those given for completion of the core curriculum: English, social studies, math, science, physical education, and career and life management. Remaining credits are discretionary.