For Montreal parents and their high school offspring, the long wait is over. The annual ranking of Montreal's high schools, both private and public, have just appeared. From the list of over 650 Quebec schools, here are the top contenders.
The study is based on findings from the 2005-2006 academic year. As seen in the lists at the bottom, the top private schools tend to score similarly so they are ranked by place (1st , 2nd , 3rd etc) while the public schools show more variance in their scores so are listed from 1 to 10.
Montreal's Latest High School Rankings
The Fraser Institute and the Montreal Economic Institute have just released the latest rankings of Montreal high schools. Mostly, there are no surprises. College Jean de Brebeuf and College Jean Etudes are still tied for first spot.
This year, they are joined by a third private school, Herzliah High School in Snowden. Another private school of note, Lower Canada College, has slipped almost 20 spaces down the list.
Montreal Public High Schools
Public schools, as might be expected, ranked considerably lower. On the 10 Most Improved list, half were English public high schools.
The highest rated public high schools are Royal West Academy and Vincent Massey Collegiate, which function like private schools in that they select their students following strict entrance requirements, including an examination. According to proponents of the ranking system, this selection factor is the main reason why it is unfair to rank private and public schools together.
Top 10 Public High Schools in Montreal:
- Royal West Academy
- Vincent Massey Collegiate
- St. Thomas High School
- Ecole Pierre Laporte
- FACE (Anglophone Section)
- Academie de Roberval
- Royal Vale School
- Ecole Joseph Francois Perrault
- Ecole St. Luc
- Lauren Hill Academy
Top 11 Private High Schools in Montreal:
Tied for 1st Place:
- College Jean de Brebeuf
- College Jean Eudes
- Herzliah High School – Snowden
Tied for 2nd Place:
- College Ste, Anne de Lachine
Tied for 3rd Place:
- College Regina Assumpta
- Villa Ste. Marcelline
Tied for 4th Place:
- Pensionnat du St. Nom de Marie
- College Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur
- Ecole International de Montreal
- College St. Louis
- Selwyn House School (Campus 2)
Choosing a high school is never an easy task. Adolescents are apt to favour schools based on social considerations or proximity to their homes. Parents have more concerns with safety and academics. Well established private schools, while not such a big consideration for elementary school students, are almost always the best bet at the secondary school level.
Along with pricey entrance fees, students will have to pass entrance examinations and be subjected to intake interviews. More often than not, the better private schools consider a potential student from a much wider perspective than simply grades. A potential student should be active in the community for example, show leadership ability and appear to be a well rounded individual. The two top public schools in these rankings also have entrance examinations and choose their students carefully.
