Ask ten Calgary parents which school is “the best” and you’ll get ten different answers, because the honest answer depends entirely on what a specific child needs. This guide names the best schools in Calgary that consistently come up across public, Catholic, and private systems — what each one is actually known for, not just its ranking — and gives you a framework for judging whether a well-regarded school is the right fit for your own child, rather than just the right fit for the rankings.
Get a guide to and explanation of the different types of secondary schools here.
The best public high schools in Calgary
Western Canada High School (inner SW) is one of Calgary’s most established public high schools, known for a strong International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and a long-standing academic reputation.
Sir Winston Churchill High School (NW) is consistently cited for strong academics and extracurricular depth, with an IB pathway supported by feeder schools offering the Primary Years Programme.
Ernest Manning High School (SW) has built its reputation around technology and Advanced Placement (AP), with a large dedicated technology and trades wing. While Western Canada and Churchill lean toward IB, Manning is a leader in AP, offering university credit courses in subjects including calculus, physics, and psychology.
Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School (SW) is known for a long-standing AP programme alongside French Immersion and Spanish Bilingual options, and ranked 14th in Alberta in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 report with a score of 8.8 out of 10.
William Aberhart High School is another consistently top-performing Calgary Board of Education school, regularly named alongside Western Canada, Churchill, and Manning in academic comparisons.
| School | Known for | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| Western Canada High School | Long-standing academic reputation | IB |
| Sir Winston Churchill High School | Academics + extracurriculars | IB (with PYP feeder schools) |
| Ernest Manning High School | Technology, AP leadership | AP |
| Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School | AP, French Immersion, Spanish Bilingual | AP |
The best Catholic high schools in Calgary
Bishop Carroll High School and St. Francis High School are the most frequently cited Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) high schools for strong academics. Bishop Carroll in particular has built a long-running reputation for flexible, self-directed learning models alongside solid academic results.
CCSD also offers French Immersion at several of its schools, giving Catholic families a bilingual option within the faith-based system — worth checking directly with CCSD’s school finder, since programme availability varies by location.
The best private (independent) schools in Calgary
Webber Academy consistently holds Calgary’s highest Fraser Institute ranking, scoring a perfect 10 out of 10 in the 2025 report — the top score among all 292 ranked schools in Alberta, public or private. Located in Aspen Woods, Webber runs from junior kindergarten through Grade 12 with class sizes averaging around 18 students, and its students regularly place in provincial and national science fairs, debate competitions, and mathematics contests.
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School (STS), located on a 220-acre rural campus in Okotoks just outside Calgary, offers the full IB continuum from elementary through high school. STS is distinctive for weaving outdoor education directly into its curriculum — students spend significant time on the school’s own trails, at its outdoor education centre, and on extended wilderness trips, an approach designed to build resilience alongside academics. In the same Fraser Institute timeframe that produced Forest Lawn’s dramatic public-school improvement, STS itself rose from a score of 8.2 to 9.7.
West Island College is a Grade 7–12 college-preparatory school focused specifically on academic achievement and post-secondary readiness.
Calgary French & International School provides full French immersion from preschool through Grade 12, a distinctive option for families prioritising bilingual education at the independent level.
Rundle College and Calgary Academy round out the most frequently cited private options, each with a distinct approach to curriculum and student support — Calgary Academy in particular is built specifically around students with learning differences alongside average-to-above-average cognitive ability (see our Calgary charter schools guide for more on schools with specialized academic mandates).
| School | Location | Distinctive feature |
|---|---|---|
| Webber Academy | Aspen Woods | #1 in Alberta (Fraser Institute 2025, 10/10) |
| Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School | Okotoks (rural) | Full IB continuum, outdoor education |
| West Island College | Calgary | College-prep focus, Grades 7-12 |
| Calgary French & International School | Calgary | Full French immersion, preschool–12 |
How to actually use a “best schools” list
Rankings and reputation lists like this one are a useful starting point — but as multiple sources covering Calgary schools consistently note, they should not be the only deciding factor. A school’s culture, extracurricular programmes, class sizes, and teaching philosophy matter just as much, and none of those show up in a numerical ranking.
A few practical steps that matter more than the ranking itself:
Trace the feeder pathway, not just the destination school. Families targeting an IB high school like Western Canada or Churchill should check which elementary and junior high schools feed into that programme, since some IB pathways (like Churchill’s Primary Years Programme) start years before high school.
Check actual programme availability for your neighbourhood. French Immersion seat availability, for example, varies significantly by school and often involves waitlists — proximity to a school does not guarantee a seat in a specific programme.
Match the school’s philosophy to your child, not the other way around. Webber Academy’s intensive, competition-oriented academic culture is an excellent fit for a student who thrives on pace and challenge. Strathcona-Tweedsmuir’s outdoor-education-integrated model suits a different kind of learner. Neither is objectively “better” — they are built for different students.
Confirm your child’s actual readiness, not just their report card. Grades from one school don’t always translate directly to another’s pace or rigour. Before applying to a more academically intensive school — public, Catholic, or private — knowing exactly where your child’s skills currently stand gives you a far more reliable basis than school grades alone, which can vary in rigour between schools and even between teachers at the same school.
How Think Academy Canada supports Calgary families
Think Academy Canada works with high-performing students across Canada from Grade 1 through Grade 12, delivered fully online — Calgary families have the same access to our programmes as families anywhere else in the country.
For families weighing options among Calgary’s best-regarded public, Catholic, and private schools, our free diagnostic assessment gives you the one piece of information no ranking or reputation list can provide: a clear, individual picture of where your own child’s academic skills currently stand. This is particularly useful before applying to a more academically intensive programme — whether that’s an IB or AP track at a top public school, or an application to a competitive independent school like Webber Academy or Strathcona-Tweedsmuir.
FAQ
What are the best public high schools in Calgary?
Western Canada High School, Sir Winston Churchill High School, Ernest Manning High School, Dr. E.P. Scarlett High School, and William Aberhart High School are among the most frequently cited top-performing Calgary Board of Education high schools, known respectively for IB programming, academic depth, AP and technology leadership, and strong diploma exam results.
What is the highest ranked school in Calgary?
Webber Academy, a private school in Aspen Woods, consistently holds Calgary’s highest Fraser Institute ranking and scored a perfect 10 out of 10 in the 2025 Report Card on Alberta’s High Schools — the top score among all 292 ranked schools in the province.
What are the best Catholic high schools in Calgary?
Bishop Carroll High School and St. Francis High School are the most frequently cited top-performing schools within the Calgary Catholic School District, both known for strong academic results.
What are the best private schools in Calgary?
Webber Academy, Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School, West Island College, Calgary French & International School, Rundle College, and Calgary Academy are among Calgary’s most recognised private (independent) school options, each with a distinct academic focus.
Is Webber Academy the best school in Calgary?
Webber Academy holds the highest Fraser Institute ranking in Calgary and Alberta-wide, but “best” depends on fit. Its competition-oriented, intensive academic culture suits students who thrive on pace and challenge — it is not automatically the best fit for every student.
Should I choose a school in Calgary based on Fraser Institute rankings alone?
No. Rankings provide a useful academic comparison but don’t capture school culture, extracurricular programming, class sizes, or teaching philosophy — all of which matter for whether a school is the right fit for an individual child.
What is special about Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School?
STS is a private K–12 school on a 220-acre rural campus near Calgary, offering the full IB continuum and integrating outdoor education directly into its curriculum, including time at its own outdoor education centre and extended wilderness trips.
How do I find the best school for my specific child in Calgary?
Start with reputation and ranking as a shortlist, then evaluate fit directly: check feeder pathways for specialized programmes like IB, confirm actual seat availability for your neighbourhood, and most importantly, understand your child’s actual academic readiness rather than relying on school grades alone, which can vary in rigour between schools.
Are Calgary’s best schools all in the same neighbourhoods?
Top-performing schools are spread across Calgary’s quadrants. Communities like Aspen Woods, West Springs, Springbank Hill, Brentwood, and Varsity are frequently mentioned for strong school access, but excellent options exist throughout the city — checking specific school boundaries and programme availability is more reliable than relying on neighbourhood reputation alone.
How can Think Academy Canada help me choose between Calgary’s best schools?
Think Academy Canada offers a free diagnostic assessment for students in Grades 1 to 12 across Canada, including Calgary. The assessment provides an objective picture of a child’s current academic standing, giving families a much clearer basis for judging whether a specific school’s pace and approach are the right fit, beyond rankings or reputation alone.
About Think Academy Canada Think Academy Canada is a K-12 mathematics tutoring programme, part of TAL Education Group. We work with motivated students across Canada from Grade 1 through Grade 12, with a focus on curriculum support, assessment preparation, and competition mathematics including CEMC and AMC. All lessons are delivered online. Follow us on Instagram at @thinkacademyca.
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