Below, we offer some ways of ranking boarding schools based on specific criteria as a helpful tool for parents as they research schools. Across our website, we caution against any undue focus on school rankings and remind you to focus on the best school for your child. However, parents request rankings, and thanks to our long history of working with boarding schools, OUR KIDS can offer curated information you can't easily find elsewhere.
Explore the complete list of boarding schools on OUR KIDS, the guide families trust to make the right choice.
Boarding school rankings like those provided below can be a helpful tool if used properly:
Finding the best boarding school for your child should be an extensive process, where you confirm that boarding is indeed the best type of school for your child, meet schools face to face at one of our school expos, and do all the other legwork and homework necessary to make the best school selection for your family.
Bearing all those qualifications in mind, here is OUR KIDS' look at some boarding school rankings.
Some parents see low acceptance rates as a sign of a top boarding school, but factors like marketing and location can also drive demand. In reality, no single metric can define the best school. Many excellent boarding schools have high acceptance rates. Parents should look at the full picture to find the right fit for their child.
| School | Location | Grades | Acceptance rate |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 30% |
| 2 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 30% |
| 3 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 32% |
| 4 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 40% |
| 5 | Bodwell High School | North Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | 60% |
| 6 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 60% |
| 7 | Ridley College | St. Catharines, ON | JK to 12 | 61% |
| 8 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 62% |
| 9 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 4 to 12 | 70% |
| 10 | Unisus School | Summerland, BC | PS to 12 | 70% |
| School | Location | Grades | Grads in Top US/UK Schools (5 yrs) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 100 |
| 2 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | 53 |
| 3 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 47 |
| 4 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 30 |
| 5 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 25 |
| 6 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 24 |
| 7 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 20 |
| 8 | Branksome Hall | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 16 |
| 9 | J. Addison School | Markham, ON | 1 to 12 | 14 |
| 10 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | 7 |
Below, find a list of the top boarding schools ranked by the most notable alumni produced by the school. Our rankings of most notable alumni are based on graduates with a Wikipedia page. We view this as a credible contemporary indicator of influence or achievement. As with all ranking factors, we hope parents recognize this has limitations. For example, older schools have had more time to produce influential graduates. Larger schools also have an advantage. Regardless, your primary focus in choosing a school should be finding the best fit for your child.
| School | Location | Grades | Notable alumni |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 97 |
| 2 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 21 |
| 3 | St. Andrew's College | Aurora, ON | 5 to 12 | 17 |
| 4 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 15 |
| 5 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 14 |
| 6 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 13 |
| 7 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | 13 |
| 8 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | 13 |
| 9 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 12 |
| 10 | Glenlyon Norfolk School | Victoria, BC | JK to 12 | 10 |
| School | Location | Grades | Avg. class size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applewood Academy for Progressive Learning | Belleville, ON | 3 to 12 | 4 to 6 |
| 2 | National Ski Academy | Collingwood, ON | 9 to 12 | 4 to 12 |
| 3 | Dewey Institute | Bracebridge, ON | 7 to 12 | 5 to 15 |
| 4 | NOIC Academy | Markham, ON | 9 to 12 | 5 to 15 |
| 5 | Merrick Preparatory School | Merrickville, ON | 9 to 12 | 6 to 12 |
| 6 | Laureate College | Burlington, ON | 1 to 12 | 8 to 16 |
| 7 | Royal Crown School | Scarborough, ON | 7 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 8 | Nancy Campbell Academy | Stratford, ON | 7 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 9 | Fort Erie International Academy | Fort Erie, ON | 6 to 12 | 10 to 15 |
| 10 | Niagara Christian Collegiate ✝ | Fort Erie, ON | 6 to 12 | 10 to 16 |
Find boarding schools ranked on the basis of foundation date below:
| School | Location | Grades | Founded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King's-Edgehill School | Windsor, NS | 6 to 12 | 1788 |
| 2 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 1829 |
| 3 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 1836 |
| 4 | Pickering College | Newmarket, ON | JK to 12 | 1842 |
| 5 | College Bourget | Rigaud, QC | PS to 12 | 1850 |
| 6 | Albert College | Belleville, ON | PS to 12 | 1857 |
| 7 | Sacred Heart School of Montreal ✝ | Montreal, QC | 7 to 12 | 1861 |
| 8 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 1865 |
| 9 | Bishop Strachan School ✝ | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | 1867 |
| 10 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | 1872 |
The following list ranks boarding schools on the size of their financial endowment.
| 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 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | $20,000,000 |
| 7 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 4 to 12 | $17,000,000 |
| 8 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | $17,000,000 |
| 9 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | $13,500,000 |
| 10 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | $9,000,000 |
| School | Location | Grades | Total sports programs |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | 56 |
| 2 | Bodwell High School | North Vancouver, BC | 8 to 12 | 53 |
| 3 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 40 |
| 4 | Upper Canada College | Toronto, ON | SK to 12 | 38 |
| 5 | Trillium School | Markham, ON | NS to 12 | 38 |
| 6 | Lakefield College School | Lakefield, ON | 9 to 12 | 36 |
| 7 | Rothesay Netherwood School | Rothesay, NB | 6 to 12 | 36 |
| 8 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | 36 |
| 9 | Pickering College | Newmarket, ON | JK to 12 | 36 |
| 10 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 35 |
| School | Location | Grades | Boarding rates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luther College High School ✝ | Regina, SK | 9 to 12 | $15,980 to $32,030 |
| 2 | College Bourget | Rigaud, QC | PS to 12 | $16,070 to $37,480 |
| 3 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | $16,750 to $20,750 |
| 4 | Bronte College | Mississauga, ON | 9 to 12 | $21,480 to $25,200 |
| 5 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | $23,900 to $42,925 |
| 6 | McDonald International Academy | Toronto, ON | 9 to 12 | $26,600 |
| 7 | Nancy Campbell Academy | Stratford, ON | 7 to 12 | $32,275 |
| 8 | Trillium School | Markham, ON | NS to 12 | $37,500 |
| 9 | Laureate College | Burlington, ON | 1 to 12 | $39,300 |
| 10 | Brookes Westshore | Victoria, BC | 4 to 12 | $40,640 to $56,300 |
| School | Location | Grades | Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bishop's College School | Sherbrooke, QC | 7 to 12 | 40% |
| 2 | The Hill Academy | Caledon, ON | JK to 12 | 40% |
| 3 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | 33% |
| 4 | King's-Edgehill School | Windsor, NS | 6 to 12 | 33% |
| 5 | Stanstead College | Stanstead, QC | 7 to 12 | 30% |
| 6 | Rosthern Junior College High School ✝ | Rosthern, SK | 9 to 12 | 30% |
| 7 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | 30% |
| 8 | Unisus School | Summerland, BC | PS to 12 | 30% |
| 9 | Sacred Heart School of Montreal ✝ | Montreal, QC | 7 to 12 | 30% |
| 10 | Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ✝ | Wilcox, SK | 8 to 12 | 30% |
Here are boarding schools in Canada, ranked by tuition costs. Some parents may view this as an indicator of the quality of education offered by the school. We urge you to avoid this oversimplification when deciding what school is best for your child.
| School | Location | Grades | Tuition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Michaels University School | Victoria, BC | K to 12 | $25,120 to $96,930 |
| 2 | Brentwood College School | Mill Bay, BC | 8 to 12 | $32,000 to $96,300 |
| 3 | St. George's School | Vancouver, BC | K to 12 | $33,300 to $94,800 |
| 4 | Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC | 8 to 12 | $38,000 to $94,500 |
| 5 | National Ski Academy | Collingwood, ON | 9 to 12 | $64,230 to $93,230 |
| 6 | Appleby College | Oakville, ON | 7 to 12 | $43,090 to $85,970 |
| 7 | Albert College | Belleville, ON | PS to 12 | $21,400 to $85,500 |
| 8 | Ashbury College | Ottawa, ON | 4 to 12 | $38,970 to $84,700 |
| 9 | Havergal College | Toronto, ON | JK to 12 | $43,600 to $83,700 |
| 10 | Trinity College School | Port Hope, ON | 5 to 12 | $31,000 to $83,000 |
Are private Boarding schools good?
We interviewed both parents and students. You can read reviews about private Boarding schools on this page.
What is the most expensive private Boarding school?
St. Michaels University School has the highest tuition fees from $25,120 to $96,930 per year with an average tuition of $61,025 per year.
Which private Boarding school has the lowest acceptance rates?
The private Boarding school with the lowest acceptance rate is Branksome Hall. The school has an overall accepance rate of 30%.
What is the oldest private Boarding school?
King's-Edgehill School is the oldest private Boarding school. The school was founded in 1788.
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