Toronto is one of the most beautiful cities in Canada. It has High Park, The High Line, and sports teams like the Maple Leafs that all call this city home. There are also hundreds of educational institutions in Toronto that offer high school education to students who live anywhere in Ontario.
These schools can be difficult to choose from because there are so many top-quality options! In this article, we will list the top 10 best high schools in Toronto for your consideration.
Why did we make the list of the top 10 best high schools in Toronto?
Every parent wants the best for their child, and it is a tough decision when choosing which high school to send them to. It’s that time of year again where high school students are gearing up for the intense process of applying to schools. To help with this difficult task, we have compiled a list of Toronto’s 10 best high schools. These schools are ranked on student satisfaction, teacher quality, college readiness of students, and other factors. One thing all these schools have in common is their dedication towards providing outstanding education for their students.
Take a look at our rankings and see if any of these schools would be the perfect fit for you!
Importance of High School:
High school is a pivotal time in one’s life as it represents both academic preparation for university or college and preparation for entering society as an adult member.
For this reason, parents should do their research when choosing which institution they would like their child to attend so that they may have the best possible experience at such a formative time!
High school is a big step and an important one at that. High school not only sets you up for success but also lays the groundwork for what’s to come.
The list of Top 10 Best High School in Toronto
- Earl Haig Secondary School
- The Great Lakes College of Toronto
- Bloor Collegiate Institute
- Central Toronto Academy
- Martingrove Collegiate Institute
- Neil McNeil High School
- Rosedale Heights School of the Arts
- Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute
- Father John Redmond Catholic School
- Ursula Franklin Academy
1. Earl Haig Secondary School:
Earl Haig Secondary School (EHSS), formerly Earl Haig Collegiate Institute, is a public high school with 2,048 students in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition to being a public secondary school, the school is also host to the Claude Watson Arts Program, an auditioned arts program integrated into the secondary school curriculum.
Opened in 1930 by the North York Board of Education, the school is named after Field Marshal The 1st Earl Haig, who was commander of the British Expeditionary Force during the majority of the First World War.
The school was established in 1928, shortly after Earl Haig’s death.
The original school was designed by the Toronto architectural firm of Craig and Madill, and construction started in November 1929. The building officially opened in 1930 as Earl Haig Collegiate Institute.
It is currently the largest high school in the Toronto District School Board and the oldest high school in the former City of North York.
The Claude Watson Arts Program began in 1982. The program consists of dance, drama, music, film arts, and visual arts.
Earl Haig Secondary School is a platinum eco-school with 2,300 strong students! It is known for its massive amount of clubs and healthy salad eating!
Earl Haig Secondary School was founded in 1929 and, since then, has been one of the best schools in all of Ontario. It has a strong educational system and a decent music program.
| Address | 100 Princess Ave, North York, ON M2N 3R7, Canada |
| Phone | +14163953210 |
| Website | http://earlhaig.ca/ |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/earlhaigss/ |
| Rating | 4.3 |
| Review | 126 |
| Established | 1929 |
| Motto | “Seize the day.” |
2. The Great Lakes College of Toronto
The Great Lakes College of Toronto is a private international school preparing students to enter Canadian and American universities. Established in 1978, the school has developed expertise in providing university preparation and English language training for overseas students. In 1994, our college began offering a Language Study and Tour Summer Camp, and the success of the summer camps has grown each year, attracting young people from all over the world.
As Their summer camp program allows students to learn and practice English as a Second Language (ESL) and, at the same time, have fun while visiting major attractions in Toronto and other areas of Ontario.
Their five-level English a Second Language (ESL) program is based on the Ontario Ministry of Education curriculum. A staff of highly professional teachers teaches it. This program enables students to acquire effective communication skills in all areas of language study, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It enables students to achieve the standard of English necessary to succeed in high school and university courses.
and During their time at GLCT, students select an appropriate combination of academic courses to add to their knowledge and skills base; explore courses of interest; determine the type of educational program they are best suited to pursue in university/college, and gain entrance university or college. University/college preparation courses include content relevant to the study of both university and college programs.
From The Great Lakes College of Toronto:
“Great Lakes College of Toronto is a certified Private High School located in downtown Toronto, Canada. We offer Ontario Grade 9 – 12 curriculum, ESL Program, Fast-Track and Regular University Pathway Program with both in-person learning, online learning, and hybrid learning model, and provide year-round accommodation with 24-7 security.”
| Address | 323 Keele St, Toronto, ON M6P 2K6, Canada |
| Phone | +14167634121 |
| Website | https://www.glctschool.com/ |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesCollegeToronto/ |
| Rating | 4.0 |
| Review | 116 |
| Established | 1978 |
3. Bloor Collegiate Institute:
Bloor Collegiate Institute (Bloor CI, BCI, or Bloor, originally Davenport High School and Bloor High School is a public secondary school located at Bloor Street and Dufferin Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school is located in the Dufferin Grove neighborhood, and part of the Toronto Board of Education merged into the Toronto District School Board. Attached to the school is Alpha II Alternative School.
The school was founded in 1920 as Davenport High School, located in five classrooms on the top floor of the Jesse Ketchum Public School to form the first student body that became Bloor High School. It later became Bloor Collegiate Institute in October 1925, and the original building opened in September 1925 had 15 standard classrooms, one lecture room, physics, and science rooms.
In September 2021, the school will be relocated into the refurbished building in the former Brockton High School. The school building located in 7.6 acres is now transferred to the Toronto Lands Corporation, a TDSB-managed realtor arm.
Bloor Collegiate Institute, established in 1925, has a long tradition of scholarship and post-secondary success for its many graduates. Bloor C.I. offers a full range of courses. Grade 9 students choose from a unique selection of options, including a course in skills for success in high school and courses in computer arts, Business, and music. They offer a variety of enrichment opportunities. Opportunities for senior students include mathematics lectures at the University of Toronto.
| Address | 1141 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1M9, Canada |
| Phone | +14163931420 |
| Website | http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/bloorci/ |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/bloorcollegiate/ |
| Rating | 4.6 |
| Review | 30 |
| Established | 1925 |
| Motto | What We Have Begun, We Shall Finish |
4. Central Toronto Academy:
Central Toronto Academy (CTA), formerly Central Commerce Collegiate Institute and originally High School of Commerce and Finance, is a public, semestered secondary school located in the Palmerston-Little Italy neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, part of the Toronto District School Board. Before 1998, the school was part of the former Toronto Board of Education. The school was founded in 1911 as an offshoot of the Central Technical School.
Central Toronto Academy is a school that embraces 21st-century learning. Their small size, caring staff and semester format foster a climate that provides students with a high school experience optimized for personal growth and development.
Their intimate and personable atmosphere fosters wonderful relationship development amongst all grades and all members of their community. Their numerous activities and events reflect the welcoming beauty, creativity, values, and diversity of all their students.
At Central Toronto Academy, they are:
*Digital Innovators:
They ensure our students remain current with the rapidly changing digital spectrum by offering classes fully online & blended (online support for face-to-face classes). They fuse Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics learning together through their STEM program, complemented by a mandatory computer programming course, a complete Wi-Fi environment, and Chromebooks for their grade 9 and 10 students.
*Compassionate Leaders:
They encourage students to nurture and develop their skills as leaders through their leadership courses, student council, and numerous extra-curricular clubs and activities.
*Experiential Learners:
Driven by their two Specialist High Skills Major and Cooperative education programs, CTA has brought experiential learning to the forefront of all classes by partnering with numerous industry professionals and organizations. By putting theory into practice, students are deeply engaged in the material they study and gain a lasting academic experience.
| Address | 570 Shaw St, Toronto, ON M6G 3L6, Canada |
| Phone | +14163930030 |
| Website | http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/centraltorontoacademy |
| Social Media | https://twitter.com/cta_tweets |
| Rating | 4.5 |
| Review | 48 |
| Established | 1911 |
| Motto | Academics, Arts, Athletics |
5. Martingrove Collegiate Institute:
also referred to as Martingrove, is a non-semester public secondary school in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1966 and is currently overseen by the Toronto District School Board.
a vibrant and active high school in Toronto’s west end, is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
*Gifted Program:
Martingrove is currently one of two TDSB designated high schools for the Gifted Program in Etobicoke (Thistletown Collegiate Institute).
*AP & Pre-AP Program:
Martingrove offers the Advanced Placement Program and Pre-AP Program to its students. The Pre-AP Program begins in Grade 9 and continues through Grade 11 and is meant to teach students the necessary skills, knowledge, and foundations for success in preparation for entrance to the Advanced Placement Program in grade
*Reach for the Top:
Martingrove has a history of participation in the high school quiz program Reach for the Top. They have won numerous local, regional and provincial tournaments, with appearances at the provincial and national level finals.
*Model United Nations:
Martingrove is host to one of the largest Model United Nations in Ontario, Martingrove Model United Nations, running the annual 2-day event since 1986.[
*School Newspaper:
Martingrove’s student-run news magazine is called The Martingrove Beacon. It was created in 2002 and since then has won 15 Toronto Star high school newspaper awards.
| Address | 50 Winterton Dr, Etobicoke, ON M9B 3G7, Canada |
| Phone | +14163947110 |
| Website | https://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/martingrove |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/mcibears/ |
| Rating | 4.4 |
| Review | 42 |
| Established | 1966 |
| Motto | There is a light in you |
6. Neil McNeil High School:
is an all-boys Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), formerly the Metropolitan Separate School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Neil McNeil, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver from 1910 to 1912, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto from 1912 to 1934.
Neil McNeil is one of 31 high schools run by the TCDSB and one of four all-boys schools and currently has 826 students. The school offers a Broad-based technology center, cooperative education program, and one of the largest visual arts studios in the city.
This school is a sister school to Notre Dame High School.
In 1954, six Holy Ghost Fathers came from Ireland. Their original purpose was to get missionaries as Archbishop James Charles McGuigan wanted an all-boys school in east Toronto and the first high school in Scarborough founded in 1958 by the Holy Ghost Fathers. The school was named after Neil McNeil, Archbishop of Toronto, from 1912 to 1934.
During his entire term as Archbishop, he fought tirelessly to extend funding for Catholic secondary schools. In both words and deeds, he demonstrated the school motto “Fidelitas in Arduis,” which translates to “Faith In Hard Times.”
| Address | 127 Victoria Park Ave, Scarborough, ON M4E 3S2, Canada |
| Phone | +14163935502 |
| Website | https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/neilmcneil |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/neilmcneilhs/ |
| Rating | 4.4 |
| Review | 42 |
| Established | 1958 |
| Motto | Loyalty in Difficult Times |
7. Rosedale Heights School of the Arts:
is an arts-based high school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Formerly Castle Frank, the school has been reinvented and re-purposed by Principal Barrie Sketchley. So, It is a non-semester school with an emphasis on the arts. Students can take dance, dramatic arts, music-instrumental (band or strings), vocals, visual and media arts. In 2005, Maclean’s Magazine named RHSA one of the best arts-focus high schools in Canada, as well as one of the three best special-focus schools in Canada.
They provide students with a unique educational opportunity by preparing them for university and college through challenging academic programs emphasizing the performing and visual arts.
Their facilities include science labs, technology, video communications equipment, dance studios, drama studios, music studios, a dark room, visual arts studios, a fitness center, and a swimming pool.
Rosedale offers a wide selection of courses in academic and artistic areas of study complemented by numerous opportunities for extra-curricular involvement in student clubs and sports.
The mission of Rosedale Heights School of the Arts:
To enable all students to reach high levels of achievement and well-being and acquire the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become responsible, contributing members of a democratic and sustainable society.
| Address | 711 Bloor St E, Toronto, ON M4W 1J4, Canada |
| Phone | +14163931580 |
| Website | https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Find-your/Schools/schno/5630 |
| Social Media | https://m.facebook.com/Rosedale-Heights-School-of-the-Arts-106049209426736/photos/ |
| Rating | 4.3 |
| Review | 53 |
| Established | 2005 |
8. Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute:
(also known as Bethune, BCI, or Dr. Norman Bethune CI) is a high school in Toronto, located in the northwest part of Scarborough. It was founded in 1979 and named after Norman Bethune, a Canadian doctor and communist who served under the Eighth Route Army.
Bethune has a reputation for academic excellence. Students are offered the opportunity to excel in Math, Science, the Arts, Business, Computer Science, and Technology.
and Courses in the Social Sciences and English give students a solid background in the liberal arts and prepare them for post-secondary education. Newcomers are supported in ESL classes and in programs outside the classroom that ensure they are involved in the school community. Bethune maintains close relationships with elementary schools through mentoring programs in Music, Robotics, Drama, Visual Art, Technology, and Bethune’s Eco-club. Bethune also offers a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) in Business.
School Programs:
*English as a Second Language (ESL)
Bethune’s ESL program features field trips that promote Canadian culture and experiential learning.
*Individual Education Plan (IEP)
A variety of special education programs and services are offered to meet the needs of all students, including students with exceptionalities, such as behavioral, communication, intellectual, physical, and multiple learning disabilities. Students’ exceptionalities are identified through a formal review process undertaken by an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC).
More Information:-
Students taking Modern Language classes are offered opportunities, including outings to French and Spanish movies, theatre productions, and restaurants. Senior students may travel abroad to France and Spain. Bethune students receive excellent results in French and Spanish Contests as well as the Concours D’Art Oratiore (French Public Speaking}
| Address | 200 Fundy Bay Blvd, Scarborough, ON M1W 3G1, Canada |
| Phone | +14163968200 |
| Website | http://www.tdsb.on.ca/Findyour/Schools.aspx?schno=4116 |
| Social Media | https://www.facebook.com/BethuneGuidance/ |
| Rating | 4.1 |
| Review | 53 |
| Established | 1979 |
| Motto | Confident, courteous, and charming |
9. Father John Redmond Catholic School:
Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre (also known as Father John Redmond, Father John Redmond CSS and RAC, FJRCSS, FJR, or Redmond in short) is a Catholic high school located in the New Toronto area of Etobicoke in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada operated by the Toronto Catholic District School Board (previously the Metropolitan Separate School Board) in a regional art school focus from grades 9-12.
Redmond was founded in the Spring of 1985 as the south campus of Etobicoke’s first Catholic high school, Michael Power/St. Joseph High School merged in 1982 and then became a separate, standard high school in 1986. The Regional Arts Program had since started in 2006.
The school was named after Father John Redmond C.S.B. (1934-September 21, 1981), a teacher, coach, educator, priest, and principal of Michael Power.
At Father Redmond Catholic Secondary School, they have attempted to fulfill this responsibility by:
- Hiring strong, caring, supportive staff
- Fostering cooperation, consideration, and mutual respect among administration, staff, support staff, and students
- Making staff and students aware of the importance of modeling and giving witness to Catholic Christian behavior and attitudes
- Encouraging participation by all students in such activities as food drives, community volunteerism, and school liturgies
- Encouraging students to set aside time for personal prayer
- Seeking feedback from the internal and external community to gain some insight into the degree to which they are succeeding in fulfilling their obligation.
Father Redmond Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre offer a varied co-curricular program. And They participate in most athletic activities sponsored by the TDCAA. Each year they put on a musical, dramatic performance, singing and dancing performance, and other shows put on by their RAP students. Some other activities include debating, public speaking, the yearbook, the school newspaper, and language clubs.
| Address | 28 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr, Etobicoke, ON M8V 4B7, Canada |
| Phone | +14163935540 |
| Website | http://www.fatherredmond.com/ |
| Social Media | https://twitter.com/fjrcss |
| Rating | 4.0 |
| Review | 38 |
| Established | 1986 |
| Motto | I Have Finished The Race; I Have Kept The Faith |
10. Ursula Franklin Academy:
(colloquially known as UFA; pronounced as oo-fah) is a high school located in the High Park neighborhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and owned by the Toronto Board of Education until its merger into the Toronto District School Board.
Originally located in the Dufferin-Bloor area at 90 Croatia Street, UFA moved in 2002 to share a building with Western Technical-Commercial School and The Student School. UFA has no feeder schools, and as a result, students attend UFA from various middle schools in Toronto;
students generally attend after applying, writing an entrance exam, and winning a space secured through a competitive lottery system. Founded in 1995, Ursula Franklin Academy’s teaching style is a doctrine of Dr. Ursula Franklin’s work in the field of education. It was the Toronto Board of Education’s first school to require students to wear uniforms.
Ursula Franklin Academy opened in 1995 in the former Brockton High School, which was originally built and named in 1966. The Toronto Board of Education (TBE) planned it as a traditional academic school focusing on languages, mathematics, science, and technology.
| Address | 146 Glendonwynne Rd, Toronto, ON M6P 3J7, Canada |
| Phone | +14163930430 |
| Website | http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/ufa/ |
| Social Media | https://twitter.com/ufaofficeinfo |
| Rating | 4.0 |
| Review | 32 |
| Established | 1995 |
Conclusion: Top 10 Best High Schools in Toronto, Canada
So, if you are looking for the best high schools in Toronto? The best high schools in Toronto can be challenging to gauge. Here we present the top 10 best high schools in Toronto, so you can choose which school will be right for your child. We hope this post was helpful to you!
In this article, you will find details of the best high schools in Toronto for those who wish to acquire a high school education in any part of the province.
Like Toronto’s universities, its high schools offer students and teachers alike the opportunity to explore and engage with an incredible variety of topics and disciplines.
you can also see our others top ten schools