Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
The GTA cities with the best schools for 2027 are Oakville, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Burlington. They are served by the Halton and York Region boards, which beat Ontario’s averages on EQAO tests, and Oakville, Markham and Richmond Hill had top-ranked high schools in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 report.
This guide is for parents who want to buy or rent in the part of the GTA with the strongest schools in 2027. You get my five picks, the test results and school rankings behind them, what a family home costs in each, and how to check the school for one specific address.
How do you find the best schools in the GTA?
No government body ranks GTA cities by school quality. There are two public yardsticks, and I used both:
- EQAO results. The Education Quality and Accountability Office tests Ontario students in Grade 3 and Grade 6 (reading, writing and math), Grade 9 math, and the Grade 10 literacy test (OSSLT). Results are published for the province, each school board and each school. The 2025–2026 results came out on 25 September 2026.
- Fraser Institute report cards. The Fraser Institute, a think tank, turns EQAO results into a score out of 10 for each school and ranks them. Its 2025 secondary report, released in November 2025, ranked 747 Ontario high schools. Its elementary report, released in January 2026, ranked 3,052 schools.
School boards are regional. The Halton District School Board serves Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, and the York Region boards serve all of York’s towns. So I looked for two things: a public board that beats the provincial average across the board, and top-ranked individual schools inside the city itself. Five cities stood out.
Which GTA school boards have the best EQAO results?
| Board (year) | Grade 3 math | Grade 6 reading | Grade 6 math | Grade 9 math | OSSLT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halton District SB (2025–26) | 71% | 92% | 64% | 76% | 91% |
| Ontario (2025–26) | 65% | 86% | 52% | 59% | 86% |
| York Region District SB (2024–25) | 72% | 91% | 65% | 74% | 92% |
| York Catholic District SB (2024–25) | 69% | 92% | 60% | 73% | 90% |
| Ontario (2024–25) | 64% | 86% | 51% | 58% | 85% |
| Durham District SB (2025–26) | not stated | 85% | 48% | 58% | 86% |
Source: EQAO provincial results (25 September 2026); results published by each board (HDSB, September 2026; YRDSB and YCDSB, December 2025; DDSB, October 2026). Share of students meeting the provincial standard. Boards had published different years at the time of writing, so compare each board with the provincial figure for the same year. YCDSB’s own release gives the provincial literacy rate as 84%.
Halton and York’s public boards were well ahead of the province in every subject, especially math. In Grade 9 math, Halton’s public board was 17 points above the 2025–26 provincial result, and York’s was 16 points above the 2024–25 result. Durham’s public board was close to the provincial average.
1. Oakville
Why it ranks: Oakville had three of the top-ranked high schools in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 report. Iroquois Ridge High School, Abbey Park High School and Gaétan-Gervais Secondary School all tied for eighth place in Ontario. Abbey Park’s score rose from 8.1 to 9.3. Oakville also had at least one of the 31 elementary schools that tied for first with a perfect 10 in the January 2026 report. Its public schools are run by the Halton board, which had the strongest 2025–26 results of any board in the table.
Who it suits: families who want strong public high schools and can afford the GTA’s top-end prices.
What it costs: the median detached home sold for $1,625,000 from January to October 2026, down 3.0% from a year earlier. Freehold townhouses had a median of $1,005,000. My guide to the best neighbourhoods in Oakville covers the main areas.
What to check: the school your address is zoned for. A top school two kilometres away does not help if the boundary puts you somewhere else.
2. Markham
Why it ranks: Markham had two of Ontario’s top six high schools in 2025. St. Augustine Catholic High School tied for first place with a perfect score, and Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School placed sixth. Unionville, in Markham, was also home to one of the elementary schools that tied for first in 2026. Both the York Region public board and the York Catholic board were well above the province in 2024–25.
Who it suits: families who want strong options in both the public and Catholic systems.
What it costs: the median detached home was $1,420,000 from January to October 2026, down 6.5%. Freehold townhouses had a median of $999,990, and condo apartments $558,000. See my best neighbourhoods in Markham for the areas I like.
What to check: whether a top school takes students by home address or by application to a special program. That changes what buying nearby gets you.
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3. Richmond Hill
Why it ranks: St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School in Richmond Hill tied for first in Ontario in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 secondary report. Richmond Hill also had one of the perfect-score elementary schools in the January 2026 report. It is served by the same York Region boards as Markham.
Who it suits: families who want York Region schools and a slightly different mix of homes and prices than Markham.
What it costs: the median detached home was $1,485,000 from January to October 2026, down 8.9%, one of the larger drops in the GTA. That gives buyers more room to negotiate than they had in 2024. Freehold townhouses had a median of $1,040,000. My Markham and Richmond Hill market outlook has the full numbers.
What to check: Catholic boards set their own admission rules. Confirm them with the York Catholic board before you buy for a specific Catholic school.
4. Vaughan
Why it ranks: Vaughan is served by the same two strong York Region boards. St. Agnes of Assisi in Woodbridge was one of the 31 elementary schools that tied for first in Ontario in January 2026. St. Robert Catholic High School, which tied for first among high schools in 2025, is in Thornhill, a community that straddles Vaughan and Markham.
Who it suits: families who want York Region schools with a wider choice of newer subdivisions.
What it costs: the median detached home was $1,415,000 from January to October 2026, down 5.0%. Freehold townhouses had a median of $1,014,500.
What to check: in Thornhill, check which city and which school boundary your address actually falls in. The name on the street sign does not decide it.
5. Burlington
Why it ranks: Burlington is served by the Halton board, so its public schools share the strongest board-wide results in the table. In my research I did not find a Burlington school among the top ten high schools named in 2025, so this pick rests on the board’s strength across the city, not on one headline school.
Who it suits: families who want Halton’s public schools at a lower price than Oakville.
What it costs: the median detached home was $1,249,750 from January to October 2026, flat against 2025, and freehold townhouses had a median of $860,000. Those are the lowest family-home prices of my five picks.
What to check: results for the specific school on EQAO’s Find My School tool, not just the board average.
| City | Detached median 2026 | Change vs 2025 | Freehold town median 2026 | Public board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | $1,625,000 | -3.0% | $1,005,000 | Halton DSB |
| Markham | $1,420,000 | -6.5% | $999,990 | York Region DSB |
| Richmond Hill | $1,485,000 | -8.9% | $1,040,000 | York Region DSB |
| Vaughan | $1,415,000 | -5.0% | $1,014,500 | York Region DSB |
| Burlington | $1,249,750 | 0.0% | $860,000 | Halton DSB |
Source: TRREB MLS data via REALM, January–October 2026 vs the same period of 2025. Medians for each city as a whole.
What about schools in Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton?
Toronto has some of the very best schools in Ontario and some of the weakest. In 2025, St. Michael’s Choir School tied for first among high schools, Ursula Franklin Academy was fifth and Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts tied for eighth. Several Toronto elementary schools, including Cottingham, High Park Alternative, Northmount and St. Sebastian, tied for first in 2026. Yet some of the lowest-ranked schools in the province were also in Toronto, in North York and Scarborough.
Peel is similar. Olive Grove in Mississauga placed seventh among high schools in 2025, while schools in Mississauga and Brampton were also near the bottom of the list. In these cities the school matters far more than the city name. My guide to Leaside vs Willowdale shows how two Toronto areas compare school by school.
A school ranking is not a promise for your child. Fraser scores are built only from test results, and a school’s score can move a lot from year to year. Boundaries can also change, and a popular school can be full. Before you pay more for a home because of a school, confirm with the board that the address is in its boundary today.
How do you check the school for a specific home?
- Use the school board’s school locator to find the public and Catholic schools for the exact address.
- Look up each school on EQAO’s Find My School tool and compare it with the board and provincial results.
- Check its Fraser Institute score and trend over several years, not just one year.
- Call the school or board to ask about capacity, French Immersion and any special programs.
In my experience, families overpay most when they buy the city instead of the school. If schools are your main reason for moving, pick the school first, confirm the boundary, then look at homes inside it. If you are deciding between Oakville and Burlington, or Markham and Richmond Hill, the price gap is often bigger than the school gap. For a wider view on how schools affect value, see my piece on what school proximity is actually worth.
What to do next
- Shortlist two or three cities from this guide that fit your budget.
- Pick target schools first, using EQAO results and Fraser scores.
- Confirm each school’s boundary with the board before you book showings.
- Get an estimate of your current home’s value so you know your buying budget.
Need help with this? Talk to me.
I’m Jatin Dua, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, and I’m the best agent to do this kind of work for you in Toronto and across the GTA. Over $100 million in GTA sales and 100+ families helped sell. Feel free to contact me any time: call or text 833-330-1925 or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Which GTA city has the best schools?
Oakville and Markham have the strongest case in 2027. Oakville had three high schools tied for eighth in Ontario in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 report, and its public board, Halton, beat the provincial average in every 2025–26 EQAO test. Markham had two of Ontario’s top six high schools in 2025, and both York Region boards scored well above the province.
What is the best school district in the GTA?
Halton and York Region have the strongest public school boards in the GTA on EQAO results. In 2025–26, 76% of Halton District School Board students met the standard in Grade 9 math against 59% provincially. In 2024–25, 74% of York Region District School Board students met it, against 58% provincially. Both were also well above average in reading and writing.
Which high school is ranked number one in Ontario?
Four schools tied for first in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 Ontario secondary report, each with a perfect score: St. Robert Catholic High School in Thornhill, St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School in Richmond Hill, St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham and St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto. The report, released in November 2025, ranked 747 high schools.
What is the Fraser Institute school ranking?
The Fraser Institute’s report cards rank Ontario schools using scores built from EQAO provincial test results, giving each school a score out of 10. The 2025 secondary report ranked 747 public, Catholic and independent high schools, and the elementary report released in January 2026 ranked 3,052 schools. The rankings measure test results only, not every part of a school.
Are York Region schools good?
Yes, on test results York Region’s boards are among the strongest in Ontario. In 2024–25 the York Region District School Board beat the provincial average on every EQAO test, including 65% in Grade 6 math against 51% provincially. The York Catholic board was also above average in every test. Results still vary from school to school, so check the specific school.
Are Halton schools better than the Ontario average?
Yes. In 2025–26 the Halton District School Board beat the provincial average in every EQAO assessment. Its Grade 9 math result was 76% against 59% for Ontario, and its Grade 6 math result was 64% against 52%. The board serves Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, so all four cities share these board-wide results.
Do Catholic high schools rank higher in the GTA?
Several do. Three of the four high schools tied for first in the Fraser Institute’s 2025 Ontario report were Catholic high schools in York Region, in Thornhill, Richmond Hill and Markham. The York Catholic District School Board also beat the provincial average on every 2024–25 EQAO test. Catholic boards set their own admission rules, so check with the board first.
What do EQAO scores mean?
EQAO scores show the share of students who met the provincial standard, which is Level 3 or 4, on Ontario’s provincial tests. Students are tested in Grades 3, 6 and 9 and on the Grade 10 literacy test. In 2025–26, 52% of Ontario Grade 6 students met the math standard and 86% met the reading standard. Results are public for every school.
How do I find out which school a house is zoned for in the GTA?
Use the school board’s online school locator and enter the exact address. Each GTA region has a public board and a Catholic board, and each sets its own boundaries. Then confirm with the board or school by phone, because boundaries can change and a full school may send new students elsewhere. Do this before you firm up an offer.
Sources
- EQAO: Assessment results 2025–2026 (news release, 25 September 2026)
- HDSB students continue to demonstrate strong achievement in EQAO results (2025–2026)
- York Region District School Board: students continue to achieve above provincial averages in EQAO results
- York Catholic District School Board: 2024–25 EQAO results
- Durham District School Board: 2025–2026 EQAO results highlights
- CP24: New report ranks Ontario secondary schools (Fraser Institute 2025)
- CP24: Ontario’s best- and worst-performing elementary schools ranked (Fraser Institute, January 2026)
Related reading
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Mississauga in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Brampton in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Markham in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Oakville in 2027
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume.
Reach me at [email protected] or 833-330-1925, or book a call.