The Best High Schools in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

The Best High Schools in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Introduction

While there are many factors to consider when choosing where to live, finding an area that has solid schools whether they are public, private, parochial, or charter schools is an important decision for those who are planning on starting a family or already have children. Given that education is so important in children’s lives and that an excellent school experience can make a world of difference in children’s lives, it is no wonder that people planning to have kids and those raising children want to ensure that the children they are raising have the best school and educational experience possible. While some can and/or willing to pay to send their kid(s) private school(s), not everyone is able or willing to pay to send their kid(s) private school(s), which could end up costing as much as sending a child to college.

 

Taking this into consideration this list includes public, Catholic, and private high schools, schools for students in grades 9 through 12 and the neighbourhoods they are located in. It is important to remember that while this article contains information on some of the schools that are considered to be the best in the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), that we are not ranking these schools. The schools detailed in this article are listed in no particular order. In other words, if one school is listed before another school, this is no way means that the author of this article believes that that one school is greater than another since this post is examining the best schools in the area and what neighbourhoods they are located in. This is not a numbered ranking of the ten or fifteen best high schools in which schools are the best in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with one school occupying the coveted number one spot and one occupying the tenth or fifteenth spot.

 

It is important to remember that what really matters and is important here is that you find the school that is the best match for your student, their needs, interests, abilities, and your family. Everyone is different, everyone’s needs, abilities, talents, skills, interests, goals, and paths are unique and different. What might be great for one student might not work for another student? In an ideal world, you will be able to find a home you love, in a neighbourhood that you will love living in, which also happens to have great schools, and is a great fit for you and your family. Buying a home is a complex and layered decision, with a lot at stake. However, it is important to remember that you might have to make some sacrifices if you wish to move into a neighbourhood with excellent public schools since these neighbourhoods have a tendency of being pricey and many other people also want to send their kids to these schools so it might be competitive and challenging to find a home in the area.

The article is broken up into multiple sections, the first section deals with the best public high schools in the City of Toronto, the best Catholic high schools in the City of Toronto and some of the best private high schools in the City of Toronto. This is followed by an examination of some of the best public high schools in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and some of the best private high schools in the Greater Toronto Area. Finally, it is important to check to see whether or not your child or children will need to apply to attend some of these public and Catholic schools since the enrollment for some of these public schools is based on admissions, and other factors such as your child’s provincial report card for grades 7 and 8, their feeder school, and where you live, among other factors.

Best High Schools in Toronto

 

The best high schools in the Amalgamated City of Toronto

The Best Public High Schools in the City of Toronto

Ursula Franklin Academy

Ursula Franklin Academy (UFA) is a public high school for students in 9-12 grades located in the High Park neighbourhood in Midtown Toronto. It is important that you must apply to be accepted at Ursula Franklin Academy, admission is competitive since this is such a well-regarded school and that enrollment is capped at 500 students per year. Ursula Franklin Academy is unique in that unlike most schools in the Toronto District School Board, UFA does not have an in-area residential catchment, in other words, you do not have to live nearby in order to attend.

UFA prides itself on being a small community of learners and is known for being an integrated science and technology school with liberal arts focus with a rigorous curriculum that prioritizes teaching students how to be independent learners. Ursula Franklin, the founder and those who work here are focused on helping students become people who are part of diverse, movements supporting the advancement of democracy, social justice, and economic justice movements.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, Co-Ed, Non-Semester, Public High School

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: High Park, Midtown Toronto

Ursula Franklin Academy

146 Glendonwynne Rd, Toronto, ON M6P 3J7, Canada

+1 (416) 393-0430

Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute

The Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute is a public co-ed high school for students in grades 9-12 located in Lytton Park, in North Toronto, in the former suburb of Old Toronto, the closest TTC subway station is the Lawrence station. It is important to note that this school’s motto is “Amor Doctrinae Floreat” (Let the love of learning flourish). Since the school’s beginning students, families, and teachers have worked to create and maintain an environment and community marked by academic excellence. This school is committed to providing rich and varied academic offerings for students, providing them with many opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities which will provide students with ample opportunity to develop and cultivate their leadership skills.

Important Information:

Co-ed public high school, Grades 9-12, Non-semester

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Lytton Park, North Toronto, (formerly Old Toronto)

Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute

125 Chatsworth Dr, Toronto, ON, M4R 1S1, Canada

+1 (416) 393-9500

North Toronto Collegiate Institute

The North Toronto Collegiate Institute founded in 1912, is a public, co-ed high school for students in grades 9-12 located in North Toronto. It is a 500-meter walk from the Eglinton station (Subway Line 1) as part of the Yonge–University line for Toronto’s subway/TTC. This school is unique in that it reopened in 2010, in a five-storey building that shares space and land with two high-rise condo towers. When school is not in session residents of these condos and the community at large are able to use the public spaces for this school.

This school is known for being well-regarded and having an excellent academic reputation, they purport to be committed to building a diverse community of learners and helping students to develop and cultivate their creativity and critical thinking skills. Its enrollment boasts over 1,200 students. However, if you want to attend school here you must apply to be a student here.

Important Information:

Public, co-Ed, grades 9-12, non-semester

Toronto District School Board

Enrollment: over 1,200 students

Neighbourhood: Yonge-Eglinton, North York, Toronto

North Toronto Collegiate Institute

17 Broadway Ave

Toronto ON M4P 1T7, Canada

+1 (416) 393-9180

Leaside High School

Leaside High School is another excellent co-ed high school for students in the neighbourhood of Leaside, in Central-East Toronto, it is situated at the corner of Eglinton Avenue and Bayview Avenue. It is known as a great place for students interested in languages.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, Co-Ed, Public

Enrollment: approximately 900-1000 students

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Leaside, Central-East Toronto,

Leaside High School

200 Hanna Rd, East York, Toronto, ON M4G 3N8, Canada

+1 (416) 396-2380

Malvern Collegiate Institute

While the Malvern Collegiate Institute shares the same name as the neighbourhood of Malvern in Scarborough, which is located 16.1 kilometres (approximately 10 miles) northeast of the school, it is located in an area known as the Beach (Beaches), in the east end of Toronto. It is a co-ed public high school that prides itself on its long history of promoting academic and extracurricular achievement and excellence, such as clubs, sports, and leadership programs. They also pride themselves on their connection to the community in Beaches and helping students to develop as their whole selves. They offer an Extended French program and Immersion French program as well as a wide variety of programming in the arts, including music and drama, business, technology, modern languages, English, geography, science, math, and more.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, co-ed, public

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: The Beaches, East End of Toronto

Malvern Collegiate Institute

55 Malvern Ave, Toronto, ON M4E 3E4, Canada

+1 (416) 393-1480

Bloor Collegiate Institute

This is another excellent and well-regarded co-ed, public, high school, located at the intersection of Bloor Street and Dufferin Street in the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood of Toronto.

Important Information

Grades 9-12, co-ed, public

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Dufferin Grove

Bloor Collegiate Institute

1141 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON, M6H 1M9, Canada*

*In September 2020, the school’s main location will be temporarily relocated to another school site so the school can be rebuilt. it is anticipated that this rebuilding project should take at least two years to finish. In an open letter to parents Trustee Stephanie Donaldson, Ward 9, Davenport and Spadina-Fort York, and Superintendent Mike Gallagher, Learning Network 21, dated 24 April 2019, noted that the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) was actively devising plans to figure out how to accommodate students, faculty, staff, and administration at nearby school beginning in September 2020. They note that the Central Technical School, (725 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 2R5, Canada), located 2.5 kilometres east of the Bloor Collegiate Institute’s current location, with close proximity to the Bloor/Danforth subway line. The school will remain at its current location for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year.

Alpha II Alternative School which is also located at this school’s location (grades 7-12) and will also be temporarily relocated to the Central Technical School’s location)

Forest Hill Collegiate Institute

The Forest Hill Collegiate Institute is a well-regarded co-ed public high school located in the tony, Forest Hill area of Toronto. They pride themselves on a safe and welcoming educational community that is meant to support the needs of a dynamic and diverse student population. They argue that their school is built on a solid foundation of academic excellence with caring teachers and staff supporting students help their students develop a love of learning and sense of community for students living in Toronto and around the world, so they can experience ‘Falcon Pride’. One of their most famous and notable students is Aubrey Graham (Drake), who owns a home in Forest Hill. Enrollment here is based on an admission, so if your child or children want(s) to attend they will need to apply.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, co-ed, public school, semester, enrollment  

Enrollment: approximately 950 students and 55 teachers

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Forest Hill

Forest Hill Collegiate Institute

730 Eglinton Ave W, Toronto, ON, M5N 1B9, Canada

 

Best High Schools in Toronto

Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

The Rosedale Heights School of the Arts is an arts-focused high school located in downtown Toronto which in the past has been recognized for being one of Canada’s specialty focused high schools for its excellent artistic programs. It is known for accepting students not only from the City of Toronto but students from all over the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and it is the only art school that the Toronto District School Board that does not have students audition in order to be accepted. It is also the only art school in Toronto that encourages students to explore the arts in an interdisciplinary manner, in that they do not expect students to pick a “major” in one specific art, they make students select a variety of art courses in their first two years. Students here can take classes in dance, dramatic arts, instrumental music (band or strings, vocals, visual, and media arts including photography. It is located within close proximity to the Castle Frank metro station.

 Important Information:

Grades 9-12, public, co-ed, non-semester

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Downtown Toronto

Rosedale Heights School of the Arts

711 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON M4W 1J4, Canada

Humberside Collegiate Institute

The Humberside Collegiate Institute established in 1892 is a public, co-ed, high school located in the High Park neighbourhood of Toronto. This school serves the ambitious and academically inclined youth living in High Park, as well as students in the Bloor West Village, Baby Point, High Park North, and Junction neighbourhoods. It is known for having an excellent academic program, as well as a strong music program, and Extended and French Immersion.

Important Information

Grades 9-12, public, co-ed, non-semester

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: High Park

Humberside Collegiate Institute

280 Quebec Avenue, Toronto, ON M6P 2V3

+1 (416) 393-8122

Riverdale Collegiate Institute

The Riverdale Collegiate Institute is a public high school, established in 1907, is located in the East York section of Toronto. It is known for having a solid academic offering, strong music, Extended French, and French Immersion programs. During the 2019-2020 school year, they will be beginning an eight-week exchange program for select students in 9thand 10thgrades with the Nara Women’s University Secondary School in Nara, Japan. Host families in Japan will host select students from the Riverdale Collegiate Institute and these students will attend classes at the Nara Women’s University Secondary School and the Japanese students from the Nara Women’s University Secondary School will come to Toronto to attend classes at Riverdale for eight weeks. The idea of this program is to foster understanding and engagement between Japanese and Canadian high school students.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, public, co-ed, high school, non-semester

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: East York

Riverdale Collegiate Institute

1094 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 2A1, Canada

+1 (416) 393-9820

William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute

William Lyon MacKenzie Collegiate Institute is another high school in the former suburb of North York. It is known for having a solid academic program, including Advanced Placement (AP), a Gifted Program, and more, as well as excellent athletic teams.

Important Information

Grades 9-12, co-ed, public, semester,  

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: North York

William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute

20 Tillplain Road, North York, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5R2, Canada

Etobicoke School of the Arts

The Etobicoke School of the Arts founded in 1981, is Canada’s oldest free-standing arts-focused high school located in the Etobicoke neighbourhood in Toronto. The Etobicoke School of the Arts is run by the Toronto District School Board and accepts students from all over Toronto. Enrollment here is by application with auditions. It has been recognized as one of the best arts-focused high schools in Toronto and in Canada.

Important Information

Grades 9-12, Co-ed, academic arts high school

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: Etobicoke

Etobicoke School of the Arts

675 Royal York Rd, Etobicoke, Toronto, ON M8Y 2T1, Canada

+1 (416) 394-6910

Earl Haig Secondary School

Earl Haig Secondary School is another excellent co-ed, public high school located in the former suburb of Nork York in the City of Toronto. It has two secondary programs, Earl Haig’s normal secondary program and the Claude Watson Arts program, which is integrated into the regular curriculum.

However, admission into the Claude Watson Arts program is by audition only and is open to students living in Toronto outside of the normal attendance area for Earl Haig. The curriculum for the Claude Watson arts program is similar to the curriculum for the arts only, Etobicoke School of the Arts. Each student in the Claude Watson Arts program takes a full academic course load and also majors in one of five artistic disciplines from performing arts to filmmaking, and the visual arts, Dance, Drama, Music, Film Arts, and the Visual Arts.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, co-ed, public high school, with an integrated academic art curriculum

Toronto District School Board

Neighbourhood: North York

Earl Haig Secondary School

100 Princess Ave, North York, Toronto, ON M2N 3R7, Canada

+1 (416) 395-3210

 

Best High Schools in Toronto

The Best Catholic High Schools in the City of Toronto

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts is a co-ed, hybrid, middle and secondary public, Catholic school for students in grades 7-12. It is located in the former suburb of North York and admission is by audition only, primarily for students in grades 7 and 9, however, students can be admitted whenever it academically makes sense during the year and there are spaces available in their desired art.

Important Information

Grades 7-12, co-ed, Catholic public, arts-focused school

Toronto Catholic District School Board

Neighbourhood: North York

Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts

36 Greenfield Avenue, Willowdale, ON, M2N 3C8

+1 (416) 393-5556

St. Michael’s Choir School

St. Michael’s Choir School is a semi-private Catholic boys school operated jointly by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and the Toronto Catholic District School Board. It is located in the Garden District, in Downtown Toronto and enrollment is by application and audition, unlike the other public schools on this list, there is a tuition requirement for the choral program. The mission here is to help boys become men, in their pursuit of knowledge and the service of sacred music.

Important Information:

Grades 3-12, Semi-Private, Roman Catholic Boys School

Operated jointly by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

Neighbourhood: Garden District of Downtown Toronto

St. Michael’s Choir School

66 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1X2, Canada

+1 (416) 393-5518

Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame High School is an all-girls Catholic public high school located in the Upper Beaches area of the city of Toronto. They are known for their film productions, department for dramatic arts, and strengths in specialties in math and science.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, all-girls Catholic public school,

Enrollment: between 600-700 students

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCSB)

Neighbourhood: Upper Beaches

Notre Dame Catholic School

12 Malvern Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4E 3E1, Canada

+1 416-222-8282

St. Joseph’s College School

St. Joseph’s College School is an all-girls, Catholic public school located in Downtown Toronto, founded in 1854. They offer a full-time Extended French program, Advanced Placement, Gifted Education program, and enriched courses as well as a wide variety of courses within the sciences, arts, and humanities. that frequently scores within the top 10% of schools for the Educational Quality and Accountability Office’s standardized tests.

Important Information:

All-girls Catholic public school, Grades 9-12

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCSB)

Enrollment: between 800 and 900 students

Neighbourhood: Downtown Toronto

St. Joseph’s College School

74 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 1C4, Canada

+1 (416) 393-5514

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is an all-girls Catholic public school, located in the Hogg’s Hollow neighbourhood of the former suburb of North York in Toronto. It is one of the oldest schools in the City of Toronto. The school operates on a non-semester system so they can offer academic and applied for courses since roughly 85% of the school’s courses are offered at the academic level, ensuring that their students will be educated for university entrance standards. They offer co-operative education, Extended French, Advanced Placement, Special Education Resource and Gifted Programmes.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, all-girls Catholic public high school, non-semester system

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCSB)

Neighbourhood: Hogg’s Hollow

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School

101 Mason Blvd, North York, ON M5M 3E2, Canada

+1 (416) 393-5510

St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School

St. Patrick’s Catholic Secondary School is a public Catholic high school located in the East Danforth neighbourhood in the East End of Toronto. It is known for having an incredibly ethnically and culturally diverse student population and being recognized as having a Centre for the Arts, Media, and Technology. At St. Patrick they aim to cater to student’s interests by offering a wide range of academic programming so they can accommodate individual students needs in the classroom and when learning, while providing greater opportunities for students to learn about, develop, and cultivate their interests and strengths through various opportunities for enhanced learning. The idea behind this approach is that helping students to develop these abilities, skills, and competencies will allow students to progress and achieve their post-secondary goals such as attending college or university, doing apprenticeships or entering the work world.

Important Information:

Grades 9-12, co-ed, Catholic public school

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCSB)

Neighbourhood: East Danforth, East End of Toronto

St. Patrick Catholic Secondary School

49 Felstead Ave, Toronto, ON M4J 1G3, Canada2

St. Mary Catholic Academy

St. Mary Catholic Academy is a co-ed Catholic public school located in the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood, in the western part of the City of Toronto. It is known for having a diverse student body, with a diverse set of interests and needs. In order to accommodate their students’ diverse needs and interests, it is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, which offers a variety of classes and programs so students can explore their interests. Students here have the opportunity to complete their core classes while exploring the arts, modern languages, and technology.

St. Mary’s was recently selected as a provider in Specialist High Skills Major in the area for Transportation Technology, this allows students interested in the automotive industry to develop and cultivate their theoretical and practical understanding in this area. Additionally, they offer an extensive cooperative education program and comprehensive English as a Foreign Language classes to accommodate their English Language Learners. They also have five computer labs to accommodate their students’ growing interest in developing their computer and technology literacy skills. They pride themselves on the fact that their state-of-the-start science labs have computer interface technology. Enrollment here is based on admission so interested students will need to apply to this and be accepted at this school in order to attend.

Important Information:

Co-ed, Catholic public high school, grades 9-12

International Baccalaureate (IB) World School

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCSB)

Neighbourhood: Dufferin Grove, West Toronto

St. Mary Catholic Academy

66 Dufferin Park Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 1J6, Canada

 

Best High Schools in Toronto

The Best Private High Schools in the City of Toronto

Bishop Strachan School

Bishop Strachan School, originally founded in 1867, it is known as Canada’s oldest continuously operating independent day and boarding schools for girls. It is known for its commitment to preparing young women to be leaders. The school is known for blending traditional and modern, you will find the history in a beautiful 100-year-old building and modern in their new multi-million-dollar STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) complex. They have an excellent faculty in a community that is not lacking resources, where your daughter will be challenged creatively and intellectually by her faculty, in a variety of Advanced Placement courses, and by her peers who come from all over Toronto and the world.

Important Information:

Private, all-girls school, Junior Kindergarten (JK)-12th grade

Day and Boarding students

Neighbourhood: Forest Hill

The Bishop Strachan School

298 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, ON, M4V 1X2, Canada

Upper Canada College

If you are enrolling your daughter at Bishop Strachan, then it’s a no-brainer to enroll your son at Upper Canada College (UCC), which is only a minute down the road. It is one of North America’s most prominent boys’ schools, founded in 1829, it is the oldest independent school in Ontario and an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. It is an excellent choice if you are planning on living in Forest Hill and wish for your son to be intellectually and creatively challenged by faculty and classmates, preparing him to be a leader.

Important Information:

All-boys private school, Senior Kindergarten-12th grade

Day and Boarding Students

Total Enrollment: 740 students

Neighbourhood: Forest Hill

Upper Canada College

200 Lonsdale Road, Toronto, ON, M4V 1W6, Canada

+1 (416) 488-1125

Crescent School

The Crescent School located in eastern Toronto between Lawrence Park and the Bridle Path is an internationally recognized, independent all-boys school. This school’s reputation as a school is unique in that they focus on offering boys a unique education, focusing on developing their character and helping them reach their highest potential. They also excel in providing an intellectually and creatively rigorous curriculum with support for teachers, coaches, and staff so they can feel seen and understand their unique potential.

Important Information:

All-boys private school, grades 3-12

Day students only

Enrollment: 750 students

Neighbourhood: Eastern Toronto between Lawrence Park and the Bridle Path

Crescent School

2365 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON, M2L 1A2, Canada

+1 (416) 449-2556

Branksome Hall

Branksome Hall founded in 1903 is an independent, all-girls private school with a liberal arts focus, offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, with some of Toronto’s best teachers. Students have access to STEM-related disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), an international language program and an international student exchange program, as well as excellent athletics and wellness facilities.

Important Information:

All-girls private school, Junior Kindergarten-12th grade

Day Students and Boarding Students

Enrollment: Over 900 students

Neighbourhood: Rosedale

Branksome Hall

10 Elm Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4W 1N4, Canada

+1 (416) 920-6265 ext. 268

Havergal College

Havergal College is an all-girls private school located on 22 acres of land in the posh Lawrence Park neighbourhood. Its 22-acre campus is the largest girls’ school campus in the City of Toronto, and they offer an excellent education for your daughters, instilling the values of integrity, inquiry, compassion, and courage.

Important Information:

Private, all-girls school, Junior Kindergarten-12th grade

Enrollment: 920

Day Students and Boarding Students

Neighbourhood: Lawrence Park

Havergal College

1451 Avenue Road

Toronto, ON, M5N 2H9, Canada

+1 (416) 482-4724

University of Toronto Schools

The University of Toronto Schools (UTS), founded in 1910, are affiliated with the University of Toronto. They purport to offer a transformative education to high-achieving students in grades 7 through 12. They argue that their alumni take initiative and are innovative socially responsible global citizens. UTS is unique in that they have a financially accessible, merit-based admissions process, and the school identifies and works with underrepresented schools and neighbourhoods to ensure that students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultures, etc. will be able to attend. This makes it an ideal school for students seeking a rigorous academic environment.

Important Information:

Private co-ed, Grades 7-12

Enrollment: 660 Students

Neighbourhoods: Humbert and Bloor

University of Toronto Schools

Humbert Site

30 Humbert Street, Toronto, ON M6J 1M5, Canada

Bloor Site

371 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 2R7, Canada

+1 (416) 978-3212

Bayview Glen

Bayview Glen is a co-ed, multicultural, independent, private school located in the former suburb of North York. They purport to offer their students a highly rigorous and challenging athletic, academic, and character building experience. Additionally, they purport to be committed to creating a sense of community that includes parents, families, faculty, and staff, so they can work together to support a child’s complete development, supporting their development of leadership skills, self-esteem, and academic achievement.

Important Information:

Co-ed private school, Age 2/Pre-Kindergarten-12th grade

Day students only

Neighbourhood/Area: North York

Bayview Glen

275 Duncan Mill Road, Toronto, ON, M3B 3H9

+1 416-443-1030

 

Toronto GTA ontario

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

The Best Public High Schools in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Abbey Park High School

Abbey Park High School is known as being one of the strongest high schools academically in Ontario. Abbey Park offers a variety of enrichment programs including the Cluster Program for achieving students, two specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) programs for students interested in studying business and/or social sciences, and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship program for fashion. They recently began offering Advanced Placement Calculus, Advanced Placement Statistics, and Advanced Placement Statistics courses.

Important Information:

co-ed, grades 9-12 public high school

Halton District School Board

Abbey Park High School

1455 Glen Abbey Gate, Oakville, ON L6M 2G5, Canada

St. Robert Catholic High School

St. Robert Catholic High School is a well-regarded Catholic public high school in Thornhill that has been recognized as being one of the best high schools in Ontario outside of Toronto.

Important Information:

co-ed, grades 9-12, public Catholic high school

York Catholic District School Board

St. Robert Catholic High School

8101 Leslie St., Thornhill L3T 7P4, ON, Canada

+1 (905) 889-4982

St. Therese Lisieux Catholic High School

St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School, is a co-ed Catholic, public high school, located in Richmond Hill, a suburb of Toronto. It is another one of the best high schools in Ontario. St. Theresa of Lisieux offers Pre-Advanced Placement programs and Advanced Placement courses for students in the English, Math, Science, and Social Sciences.

Important Information:

Co-ed, Catholic public school, grades 9-12

York Catholic District School Board

St. Therese Lisieux Catholic High School

230 Shaftsbury Ave, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 0E8, Canada

Bayview Secondary School

Bayview Secondary School is a public high school located in Richmond Hill, a suburb of Toronto. It is a two-semester secondary school, while unlike other schools on this list that have an Advanced Placement (AP) programme, they are an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, this program is only available for students living in the school’s area. The students here are ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse.

Important Information:

Co-ed public school, grades 9-12

Halton District School Board

Bayview Secondary School

10077 Bayview Ave, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 2L4, Canada

The Best Private High Schools in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Appleby College

Appleby College is a private co-ed school located in Oakville, a Toronto suburb, it is a boarding school with day students from the area that prides itself on offering an outstanding education to students from more than 25 different countries. It is approximately 50 kilometres west of Toronto, situated on Lake Ontario. While they offer many opportunities and an excellent education their tuition, can be as much as $50,000 CAD per year makes it one of the most expensive boarding schools in the world.

Important Information:

Co-ed private school, grades 7-12, one of the most expensive boarding schools in the world

Enrollment: 750 students

Boarding and day students

Neighbourhood: Oakville, located approximately 50 kilometres west of Toronto on Lake Ontario

Appleby College

540 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, ON, L6K 3P1, Canada

+1 (905) 845-4681

St. Jude’s Academy

St. Jude’s Academy is a co-ed private school for students in Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade that has a mix of a traditional curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum since they are now an IB World School. It is one of the leading IB schools in Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Important Details:

Co-Ed, IB World School, Junior Kindergarten (JK)-12th grade

Enrollment: 500 students

St. Jude’s Academy

2150 Torquay Mews, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 2M6, Canada

MacLachlan College

MacLachlan College is an independent private school located in Oakville, a suburb of Toronto. As a school, they purport to have a vision for a school that helps students embrace the concepts of academic excellence within a stimulating, dynamic environment that helps promote the joy of learning.

Important Information:

Co-ed private school, preschool-12thgrade

MacLachlan College

337 Trafalgar Road

Oakville, ON, L6J 3H3, Canada

+1 (905) 844-0372

Holy Trinity School

Holy Trinity School (HTS) is a co-ed, independent, private school located on 37 wooded acres in Richmond Hill, a suburb of Toronto, that is meant to provide a safe and supportive environment where students are challenged to grow and will be prepared for university and for life after secondary school.

Important Details:

Co-ed private, independent school

Grades: Junior Kindergarten-12th grade

Day School

Enrollment: 759

Holy Trinity School

11300 Bayview Avenue, Richmond Hill, ON, L4S 1L4, Canada

Conclusion

Reading this guide to the best high schools in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) should hopefully help you to make more informed decisions about choosing where to live in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) if you have kids or hope to have kids one day. It is important to remember that deciding where to live is a complex, layered, and nuanced decision, so while picking the best school(s) for your child or children should be an important factor in making the decision in picking where you want to live. Reading this should help you gain insight into which neighbourhoods in Toronto tend to have the most highly rated schools since for public schools in Toronto they tend to be spread out in different areas of Toronto with some neighbourhoods having more highly recognized schools than others.

There is a school for every child and a home for every family, it might take some time, longer than you think for you to find the home and school which is the best for you and your family, so have patience and be flexible throughout this process. You might find the best home and school for you and your family when you least expect it to happen, so be open to the unexpected, new things, new experiences and new possibilities.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash