Toronto has many private high schools, each with its own unique characteristics and areas of expertise. It is essential to thoroughly research schools and make a choice based on your child's individual needs. This article aims to provide a systematic introduction to the best private high schools in Toronto, Canada.
1. Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College (abbreviated as UCC) is a famous private boys' school in Canada, often regarded as the premier private school in the country. UCC is located in the prestigious Forest Hill neighborhood in downtown Toronto, covering a vast area of 17 hectares. UCC enjoys a high reputation in Canada and is perceived by Canadians as an elite school that only the very wealthy can afford.
UCC's alumni include 6 Lieutenant Governors, 3 Prime Ministers, 7 Supreme Court Justices, 4 Mayors of Toronto, 24 Rhodes Scholars, 13 Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and 10 Olympic medalists. Many graduates go on to attend prestigious universities, such as the U.S. Ivy League schools and Harvard University. Notable alumni include former Liberal Prime Minister John Turner, Rogers Cable President Ted Rogers, Eaton Centre President John Craig Eaton, former Federal Minister of Finance Donald L. Macdonald, former Toronto Mayor and renowned author Allan Lamport, former editor-in-chief of Maclean's magazine and renowned author Peter Newman, and CEO of ONCAP Gordon Cheesbrough.
2. Toronto French School
Toronto French School (abbreviated as TFS) was founded in 1962 and originated as a home school. The school has been continuously expanding and improving its campus, offering a comprehensive curriculum, bilingual education, and internationally recognized diplomas, gradually becoming a large, independent educational institution with complete facilities. TFS's IT curriculum is also highly acclaimed. Lower-grade students primarily use Macs, while upper-grade students primarily use PCs. The school has over three hundred computers and provides wireless internet access. In addition, the school is equipped with multimedia computer classrooms, physics laboratories, editing studios, mechanical laboratories, and more; the IB program creates excellent conditions for students to gain admission to world-renowned universities.
TFS students achieve impressive results. Students are accepted by many internationally renowned universities, such as the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of St Andrews. Previous graduates have also been admitted to the University of Paris, Princeton University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, the University of Edinburgh, and others.
3. Crescent School
Crescent School is another historic boys' school in Toronto, founded in 1913. Nearly a century of teaching experience has left a rich educational legacy in teaching boys how to face future challenges. In addition to basic courses, the school offers French, Spanish, music, art, drama, IT, economics, and law, with many senior-level courses laying the foundation for future university disciplines. It is worth noting that the school also offers as many as 13 AP courses. Most students are admitted to their first-choice schools, including Queen's University, the University of Toronto, Western University, and McGill University, and many students are also admitted to other prestigious universities in the United States and around the world.
4. Havergal College
Havergal College is a top-tier private girls' school in Canada. The college is known for its rigorous academic standards and excellent hardware facilities, with an emphasis on training in art, sports, leadership, and community service. The college has a high university acceptance rate, with 100% of graduates attending university last year.
As a well-known girls' school, in addition to its outstanding art and music courses, its university placement rate is very high, with internationally renowned schools such as the University of Toronto, Princeton University, Harvard University, the University of St Andrews, and others frequently recruiting students from this school.
5. The Bishop Strachan School
The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) is located in Ontario, Canada, and is a top-tier, world-renowned girls' school in North America. The motto of BSS is: "Girls can do anything." It focuses on cultivating girls' leadership and character, educating women to become leaders of the future world, and emphasizing that women and men are completely equal. Its students come from all over the world, making it a truly famous international girls' school.
Because BSS is an international school, its students come from all continents, so it places great emphasis on international exchange. In addition to English, it provides French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Chinese educational courses for its students. Every year, 100% of students graduating from BSS go on to university, and many students enter prestigious universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.
6. Bayview Glen (BVG)
Bayview Glen is located at the intersection of Don Mills and York Mills in North York and was founded in 1962. The school has complete facilities, including a theater, laboratories, a library, and a gymnasium. Art, music, language, and sports courses are the school's strengths and are highly praised by parents. Students study French every day starting from kindergarten, have computer courses in the first grade of elementary school, and have Spanish courses after the sixth grade. High school students can also choose AP courses. The school also provides small-class instruction for musical instruments and vocal music.
7. Branksome Hall
Branksome Hall was founded in 1903 and is a famous private girls' school in Canada. Branksome Hall is a private school ranked first in Ontario and in the top 10 in Canada. Many of the school's teachers are high-achieving graduates from prestigious European universities, and many students who graduate from this school are admitted to world-renowned universities, such as Harvard University, Yale University, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, etc.
8. University of Toronto Schools (UTS)
University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is located at Bloor and Spadina in the city center, adjacent to the University of Toronto. The school has impressive academic results, and the tuition is relatively affordable.