If you have chosen Canada to be a home for your family, you’ve already made a huge and wise step towards a great education for yourself or your children. Let’s look at statistics. According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada maintains first place in the ranking of the most educated countries in the world for the past 10 years. Almost 57% of Canadian adults have received a post-secondary degree.
So, yes, the population is extremely educated and values academics a lot. It goes without saying that the public system of education is very strong in Canada. So In many cases, parents do not want to invest in private schooling.
What they do is simply buy a home in a great neighbourhood that grants their children access to highly-ranked public schools.
Please check my 3 part video about the best public high schools in Toronto here:
- Unlocking Your Child’s Future: Top Public High Schools Part 1
- Unlocking Your Child’s Future: Top Public High Schools Part 2
- Unlocking Your Child’s Future: Top Public High Schools Part 3
How Much Do Private Schools Cost in Toronto?
Only 12% of the students attend private schools. I know you are probably thinking what is wrong with those 12% of the parents, who spend thousands and thousands of dollars for private schools?
Well, I think nothing is wrong. Believe me, all of them have done their research, have attended many private school open houses, spoken to other parents, and found some benefits that outweigh the cost.
Private schools can be for boys only, for girls only, and co-ed. Some of them are day schools some also offer boarding. The tuition cost is approximately $30,000 per year for day schools and $60,000 for a boarding option.
The acceptance rates to these schools are 20-30%. The higher the grade – the higher the competition to expect. Candidates have to pass SSAT exam, IELTS or similar language exam if English is not their first language, and to meet with an admission teams for the interview.
Learn more about questions you should ask admissions officers in this post here.
Do Toronto Private Schools Offer Extracurriculars?
All of the schools offer an enormous amount of extracurricular activities in arts and music, sports, science, programming, etc. Each school has its own specialty and is famous for specific achievements.
For example, Upper Canada College – we call it UCC, an all boys school. is famous for its academic intensity with the International Baccalaureate program, which opens doors to many world-class universities. Besides, UCC offers a strong athletic program, which often results in graduates’ careers. UCC is also famous for the highest rate of famous graduates in Canada.
Another great example is Bishop Strachan School or BSS as people call it, an all girls school. They have a special approach which they call the Signature of a BSS Girl.
This school does things differently.
These students develop core academic skills through exploration and discovery. They drive their own learning and embrace complexity and challenge. BSS graduates are confident, resilient, and ready to lead.
How Big Are Toronto Private Schools?
Some of the schools are small and form a very tight community of students and teachers. A great thing about it is that your child will always be connected and supervised. As an example, I can mention Royal St George’s College. It is for boys only. The admission is only 400 students vs most of the private schools which is over 1000 students.
They practice Relational teaching, and implement a good balance between pushing boys and encouraging them. This is a very special school. It was Founded as an Anglican choir school in the tradition of the great collegiate and cathedral choir schools in the United Kingdom. It is the only pre-university school in Canada authorized to use the “Royal” designation, and it houses the historic Chapel of St. Alban-the-Martyr.
Private Schools in Toronto and Religion
Some of the private schools are founded as catholic or Anglican schools. They still remember their history, however, the church’s influence became less noticeable in recent years. The schools embraced the new demographic trends in the country and in the entire world.
My youngest daughter Sofiya attends Havergal College, which was founded as a school with a strong Anglican influence. Nowadays, not only all religions and confessions are welcome, but the school celebrates and honours their main holidays and traditions. Every day The students have a special time before classes which is called “Prayers”. They say a very neutral prayer thanking them for everything they have, they also recognize their achievements and if there is any holiday for the students of another religion they will greet them and listen to the tradition of this holiday to educate themselves.
By the way, Havergal College is one of the oldest schools in Canada, it has a huge outdoor area for lots of sports, and other activities. The acceptance rate to this school is 30%. And it has 100% university placement.
Private Schools in Toronto for Gifted Children
If your child demonstrates excellence in academics and is ready for an advanced program, then I can recommend two perfect schools. The York School and the University of Toronto Schools. Both of them are co-ed both are not gifted schools, at least in names, the ideal student is one who thrives within a challenging, brisk academic environment.
The acceptance rate for both schools is 20%. The York School offers the International Baccalaureate program and the schooling process is fully integrated into a high technology. Just recently It was rebuilt and the new environment inspired a new academic approach. My children used to be students at this school. And I must say that it was an excellent environment to study and grow. The only thing missing was a lack of outdoor space. So the students have to use some public school amenities.
The University of Toronto Schools is known for its affiliation with the University of Toronto. This fact gives an unbelievable acceleration for its students. Probably this is the main reason that The school has 2 Nobel Laureates and many famous alumnae.
To make my list complete I would like to mention a few more schools in this video. Those are the top schools in Toronto.
Academically-Challenging Private Schools in Toronto
If your child has an aptitude for languages and overall academics, then Toronto French School is a great option. The process is running in French and this school is among the top-rated in Canada. It is co-ed.
Two highly ranked schools for boys – Crescent School and St Michael’s College School. Crescent School opens a lot of doors to prestigious universities worldwide. Its excellence is recognized by its slogan “Man of character from boys of promise”.
St Michael’s College is familiar to me as my two sons are its former students. I have warm memories of its teaching staff, and traditions, and also I am grateful for their input in developing a great outlook for my boys. This school is known for its academic challenging program and also athletic clubs and teams.
Branksome Hall and St Clements are two equally great options for girls. Old traditions, excellent academics, a great learning environment, and a lot more. These two schools are located within two outstanding family-friendly neighbourhoods. Branksome Hall features a big green outdoor space around the school. Even though St Clements has a restricted area, however, its location allows being close to all the neighbourhood amenities. It doesn’t affect the popularity of this school.
This is a very short overview of the most sought-after private schools in Toronto. To learn more about the best private schools in Toronto, watch my YouTube video right here.
If you are looking for help choosing a neighbourhood close to one of these fantastic private schools in Toronto, let me be your guide. Please don’t hesitate to contact us by calling or texting (647) 294-3039 or emailing olena@agentolena.com today!
