Below is OUR KIDS' comprehensive rankings of Alberta private schools. We discourage parents from over-emphasizing rankings in their school choice. Focus instead on how well your child fits in at the school. Use OUR KIDS as part of an immersive search process that follows the best advice and includes all the options available, so you find the school where your child(ren) will thrive.
Explore the complete list of Alberta private schools on OUR KIDS, the guide families trust to make the right choice.
Reliance on lists of "best schools" can mislead parents into making the wrong choice for their child(ren). Along with Alberta schools that list with us, OUR KIDS cautions you to focus on matching schools with your values, not someone else's. Investigate every aspect important to you, including academics, pedagogical philosophy, extracurricular activities, special needs support, and/or gifted programming.
That said, the rankings below can help you discover schools that are new to you that meet your top concerns. needs. OUR KIDS has worked closely with Alberta private schools for more than two decades, helping them articulate their unique value. Data in the lists below comes directly from that work.
A low admission rate might seem a simple, straightforward measure of which private schools are the best. However, other mitigating factors affect schools' acceptance rates. Some Alberta private schools have better marketing; others have a perceived prestige that may be based on a long history. Regardless, many excellent schools have a 100% acceptance rate and will help your child(ren) thrive. As said above, we encourage you to focus your school search efforts on finding the school that matches the needs of your child(ren).
| School | Location | Grades | Acceptance rate |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenmore Christian Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 9 | 50% |
| 2 | Foothills Academy | Calgary, AB | 3 to 12 | 50% |
| 3 | Rundle College | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 70% |
| 4 | Clear Water Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 75% |
| 5 | Calgary French & International School | Calgary, AB | NS to 12 | 75% |
| 6 | Banbury Crossroads School | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 75% |
| 7 | North Point School | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 75% |
| 8 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Foothills, AB | K to 12 | 80% |
| 9 | Lycée international de Calgary | Calgary, AB | PS to 12 | 85% |
| 10 | River Valley School | Calgary, AB | PS to 6 | 90% |
Many parents focus on class size as the most important factor when considering the private school option. However, the teacher-student ratio is only one aspect of overall school life. Many Alberta private schools with standard class sizes offer an excellent education. Below, find private schools ranked in terms of the average class size they report to OUR KIDS.
| School | Location | Grades | Avg. class size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Banbury Crossroads Academy | Calgary, AB | 1 to 12 | 6 to 8 |
| 2 | Rundle Academy & Rundle Studio | Calgary, AB | 4 to 12 | 6 to 12 |
| 3 | Banbury Crossroads School | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 8 to 12 |
| 4 | Foothills Academy | Calgary, AB | 3 to 12 | 12 to 14 |
| 5 | Rundle College | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 13 to 16 |
| 6 | North Point School | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 13 to 18 |
| 7 | Lycée international de Calgary | Calgary, AB | PS to 12 | 14 to 18 |
| 8 | Clear Water Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 15 to 20 |
| 9 | Calgary French & International School | Calgary, AB | NS to 12 | 16 to 20 |
| 10 | Calgary Academy & Calgary Collegiate | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 16 to 20 |
It can seem easy (even simplistic) to equate cost with quality. It may seem implicit that schools charging the highest tuition offer the best education, being able to provide the best facilities, hire the most qualified teachers, and facilitate the best sports programs, etc. However, other factors affect the overall school environment, of course.
More importantly, many students will not fare well in an environment their parents choose solely based on expense. We encourage parents to use common sense and focus on choosing a school where their child(ren) will thrive personally, academically, spiritually and socially. Many Alberta private schools with very reasonable tuition rates will offer your child(ren) the ideal learning environment to propel them to success.
| School | Location | Grades | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Island College (Calgary) | Calgary, AB | 7 to 12 | $22,460 to $35,000 |
| 2 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Foothills, AB | K to 12 | $20,508 to $26,170 |
| 3 | Calgary Academy & Calgary Collegiate | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | $17,400 to $22,000 |
| 4 | Rundle College | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | $16,800 to $21,500 |
| 5 | Rundle Academy & Rundle Studio | Calgary, AB | 4 to 12 | $12,100 to $21,400 |
| 6 | Progressive Academy | Edmonton, AB | NS to 12 | $8,700 to $19,500 |
| 7 | River Valley School | Calgary, AB | PS to 6 | $16,450 to $19,390 |
| 8 | Lycée international de Calgary | Calgary, AB | PS to 12 | $16,990 to $19,260 |
| 9 | Banbury Crossroads Academy | Calgary, AB | 1 to 12 | $18,800 |
| 10 | Banbury Crossroads School | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | $16,800 to $18,800 |
Below is a list of Alberta private schools ranked by their date of founding. Parents may view the age of a school as a sign of its prestige, but many other factors should be part of your school decision process. Please review the cautions against focusing on ranking above.
| School | Location | Grades | Founded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Foothills, AB | K to 12 | 1905 |
| 2 | Lycée international de Calgary | Calgary, AB | PS to 12 | 1966 |
| 3 | Calgary French & International School | Calgary, AB | NS to 12 | 1969 |
| 4 | Banbury Crossroads School | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 1979 |
| 5 | Foothills Academy | Calgary, AB | 3 to 12 | 1979 |
| 6 | Banbury Crossroads Academy | Calgary, AB | 1 to 12 | 1979 |
| 7 | Glenmore Christian Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 9 | 1980 |
| 8 | Calgary Academy & Calgary Collegiate | Calgary, AB | K to 12 | 1981 |
| 9 | West Island College (Calgary) | Calgary, AB | 7 to 12 | 1982 |
| 10 | Progressive Academy | Edmonton, AB | NS to 12 | 1983 |
Listed below are Alberta schools ranked by the most notable alumni. Parents choosing a private school might be understandably swayed by this factor. However, many other factors should take precedence if you are looking for the best school for your child. The list below ranks private schools by the number of graduates who have Wikipedia entries. Although there is doubt about its consistent reliability, we consider biographical entries that meet Wikipedia’s notability criteria a reasonable measure of influence.
| School | Location | Grades | Notable alumni |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Island College (Calgary) | Calgary, AB | 7 to 12 | 1 |
| 2 | Banbury Crossroads School | Calgary, AB | JK to 12 | 1 |
| 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 | 100 |
| 3 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | 53 |
| 4 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 47 |
| 5 | Collingwood School | West Vancouver, BC | JK to 12 | 31 |
| 6 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 30 |
| 7 | Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E. | Richmond Hill, ON | 1 to 8 | 25 |
| 8 | St. Clement's School | Toronto, ON | 1 to 12 | 25 |
| 9 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 25 |
| 10 | Ontario Virtual School | Toronto, ON | 6 to 12 | 25 |
| 11 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 24 |
| 12 | Mulgrave School | West Vancouver, BC | PS to 12 | 21 |
| 13 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 20 |
| 14 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 16 |
| 15 | Elmwood School | Ottawa, ON | PS to 12 | 16 |
| 16 | York School | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 15 |
| 17 | Abelard School | Toronto, ON | 7 to 12 | 15 |
| 18 | St. John's-Ravenscourt School | Winnipeg, MB | K to 12 | 15 |
| 19 | J. Addison School | Markham, ON | 1 to 12 | 14 |
| 20 | Holy Trinity School ✝ | Richmond Hill, ON | JK to 12 | 12 |
| School | Location | Grades | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agate Private School | St. Catharines, ON | NS to 12 | $350 |
| 2 | Glenmore Christian Academy ✝ | Calgary, AB | JK to 9 | $3,210 to $7,595 |
| 3 | Jehovah Jireh Christian School ✝ | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | $4,000 |
| 4 | ABC Montessori | Mississauga, ON | NS to 5 | $4,576 to $11,650 |
| 5 | Bishop Hamilton Montessori School ✝ | Ottawa, ON | NS to 8 | $4,620 to $18,925 |
| 6 | Kuper Academy | Kirkland, QC | PS to 12 | $5,122 to $14,349 |
| 7 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | $5,250 to $9,250 |
| 8 | College Bourget | Rigaud, QC | PS to 12 | $5,330 to $15,700 |
| 9 | Toronto Waldorf School | Thornhill, ON | NS to 12 | $5,742 to $25,450 |
| 10 | Nile Academy | Toronto, ON | PS to 12 | $8,400 to $8,900 |
| 11 | École Montessori | Pickering, ON | NS to 6 | $8,400 to $17,000 |
| 12 | Maples Academy | Amaranth, ON | PS to 8 | $8,700 to $10,400 |
| 13 | Progressive Academy | Edmonton, AB | NS to 12 | $8,700 to $11,000 |
| 14 | Whytecliff Agile Learning Centre - Burnaby | Burnaby, BC | 8 to 12 | $8,900 to $19,500 |
| 15 | Whytecliff Agile Learning Centres | Langley, BC | 8 to 12 | $8,900 to $19,500 |
| 16 | Saplings Nature School | North Vancouver, BC | PS to 5 | $9,060 to $9,950 |
| 17 | Luther College High School ✝ | Regina, SK | 9 to 12 | $9,960 |
| 18 | Guiding Light Academy ✝ | Mississauga, ON | JK to 8 | $10,000 |
| 19 | Junior Academy | Toronto, ON | NS to 8 | $10,000 to $29,400 |
| 20 | Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning | Toronto, ON | 5 to 12 | $10,250 to $12,800 |
| School | Location | Grades | Endowment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK 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 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | $21,000,000 |
| 7 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | $20,000,000 |
| 8 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 4 to 12 | $17,000,000 |
| 9 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | $17,000,000 |
| 10 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | $13,500,000 |
| 11 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Foothills, AB | K to 12 | $12,000,000 |
| 12 | Study | Westmount, QC | K to 11 | $10,000,000 |
| 13 | Country Day School | King, ON | JK to 12 | $9,000,000 |
| 14 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | $9,000,000 |
| 15 | St. Anne's School | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | $7,500,000 |
| 16 | Balmoral Hall School | Winnipeg, MB | PS to 12 | $3,750,000 |
| 17 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | $3,000,000 |
| 18 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | $2,637,233 |
| 19 | Glenlyon Norfolk School | Victoria, BC | JK to 12 | $1,000,000 |
| 20 | Woodland Christian High School ✝ | Breslau, ON | 9 to 12 | $300,000 |
| School | Location | Grades | Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology | Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | 70% |
| 2 | Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning | Toronto, ON | 5 to 12 | 60% |
| 3 | Foothills Academy | Calgary, AB | 3 to 12 | 40% |
| 4 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 40% |
| 5 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 40% |
| 6 | Academie Providence ✝ | Ottawa, ON | NS to 8 | 35% |
| 7 | Hawthorn School ✝ | Toronto, ON | NS to 12 | 35% |
| 8 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 33% |
| 9 | King's-Edgehill School | Windsor, NS | 6 to 12 | 33% |
| 10 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | 30% |
| 11 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | 30% |
| 12 | YMCA Academy | Toronto, ON | 6 to 12 | 30% |
| 13 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 30% |
| 14 | Unisus School | Summerland, BC | PS to 12 | 30% |
| 15 | Sacred Heart School of Montreal ✝ | Montreal, QC | 7 to 12 | 30% |
| 16 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | 30% |
| 17 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 30% |
| 18 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | 28% |
| 19 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | 27% |
| 20 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 26% |
| School | Location | Grades | Day enrollment avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alderwood Academy ✝ | Mississauga, ON | JK to 8 | 1 |
| 2 | Aurora Alternative Micro School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 1 |
| 3 | Dunblaine School | Toronto, ON | 1 to 8 | 1 |
| 4 | The Cole Academy | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 1 |
| 5 | Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning | Toronto, ON | 5 to 12 | 2 |
| 6 | Monarch Academy by Monarch House | Toronto, ON | K to 10 | 2 |
| 7 | Académie de la Capitale | Ottawa, ON | JK to 12 | 2 |
| 8 | Oakwood Academy | Mississauga, ON | JK to 12 | 3 |
| 9 | Olivet School ✝ | Etobicoke, ON | JK to 5 | 3 |
| 10 | Elevate Learning Centre | Burlington, ON | 1 to 8 | 3 |
| 11 | Summit Micro School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 3 |
| 12 | Banbury Crossroads Academy | Calgary, AB | 1 to 12 | 3 |
| 13 | Magnificent Minds | North York, ON | JK to 8 | 4 |
| 14 | Erudite School | Toronto, ON | JK to 8 | 4 |
| 15 | Oak Learners | Etobicoke, ON | JK to 8 | 4 |
| 16 | InnovOak School | Kitchener, ON | PS to 12 | 4 |
| 17 | Vianney Academy ✝ | Mississauga, ON | SK to 12 | 4 |
| 18 | March Academy | Kanata, ON | 1 to 8 | 4 |
| 19 | Adelfiha Christian Academy | North York, ON | PS to 6 | 4 |
| 20 | GlenOak Academy | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | SK to 8 | 4 |
| School | Location | Grades | Enrollment avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | 111 |
| 2 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 110 |
| 3 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 109 |
| 4 | Woodland Christian High School ✝ | Breslau, ON | 9 to 12 | 92 |
| 5 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | 92 |
| 6 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 91 |
| 7 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 82 |
| 8 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 4 to 12 | 81 |
| 9 | Crescent School | Toronto, ON | 3 to 12 | 80 |
| 10 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | 77 |
| 11 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 72 |
| 12 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 70 |
| 13 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | 62 |
| 14 | Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Foothills, AB | K to 12 | 58 |
| 15 | Glenlyon Norfolk School | Victoria, BC | JK to 12 | 57 |
| 16 | Country Day School | King, ON | JK to 12 | 55 |
| 17 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 45 |
| 18 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | 44 |
| 19 | St. Anne's School | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 38 |
| 20 | Study | Westmount, QC | K to 11 | 32 |
Are Alberta private schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about Alberta private schools on this page.
What is the most expensive Alberta private school?
West Island College (Calgary) has the highest tuition fees from $22,460 to $35,000 per year with an average tuition of $28,730 per year.
Which Alberta private school has the lowest acceptance rates?
The Alberta private school with the lowest acceptance rate is Glenmore Christian Academy. The school has an overall accepance rate of 50%.
What is the oldest Alberta private school?
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School is the oldest Alberta private school. The school was founded in 1905.
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