The Top 100 Boarding Schools are listed in this article based on their A-level results. Because academic excellence is widely regarded as the most important factor to consider when selecting a school, the schools in this table have been ranked according to the percentage of students who received A* or A, the two highest possible grades.
In the United Kingdom, boarding schools provide a comprehensive education that extends far beyond the classroom. Teachers and staff work with students to develop attributes such as independence, empathy, a sense of community, and social skills. When considering the variety of benefits that independent boarding schools in the United Kingdom provide students, it is clear that ranking them solely based on their academic performance does not provide a complete picture of each school’s true standings. However, because the benefits are intangible, statistical analysis is impossible, and a ranking based solely on academic results becomes the most logical option.
The following are the rankings:
A*/A Rank |
School Name |
Location |
A-level %A*/A |
1 |
Wycombe Abbey School |
High Wycombe |
85.7 |
2 |
Westminster School |
London |
85.4 |
3 |
Brighton College |
Brighton |
85.1 |
4 |
Winchester College |
Winchester |
84.2 |
5 |
Sevenoaks School |
Sevenoaks |
82.9 |
6 |
Queen Ethelburga’s College |
York |
82.5 |
7 |
St Paul’s School |
London |
81.4 |
8 |
Eton College |
Windsor |
80.7 |
9 |
The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s |
York |
80.2 |
10 |
Concord College |
Shrewsbury |
79.9 |
11 |
Tonbridge School |
Tonbridge |
78 |
12 |
St Mary’s School Ascot |
Ascot |
77.1 |
13 |
Cheltenham Ladies’ College |
Cheltenham |
74.5 |
14 |
Whitgift School |
South Croydon |
73 |
15 |
Ruthin School |
Ruthin |
72.8 |
16 |
Wellington College |
Crowthorne |
72.8 |
17 |
St Swithun’s School |
Winchester |
71 |
18 |
City of London Freemen’s School |
Ashtead |
70.5 |
19 |
Downe House |
Thatcham |
70.4 |
20 |
Westbourne School |
Penarth |
69.7 |
21 |
St Catherine’s, Bramley |
Guildford |
67.5 |
22 |
Caterham School |
Caterham |
65.3 |
23 |
Headington School |
Oxford |
65.2 |
24 |
Dulwich College |
London |
63.2 |
25 |
Badminton School |
Bristol |
62.7 |
26 |
Marlborough College |
Marlborough |
62.6 |
27 |
Abingdon School |
Abingdon |
62.4 |
28 |
Sherborne Girls |
Sherborne |
62 |
29 |
Benenden School |
Cranbrook |
61.9 |
30 |
Oundle School |
Peterborough |
61.6 |
31 |
Shrewsbury School |
Shrewsbury |
60.6 |
32 |
Kingswood School |
Bath |
60.5 |
33 |
Chigwell School |
Chigwell |
59.8 |
34 |
Woldingham School |
Caterham |
58.9 |
35 |
Radley College |
Abingdon |
58.7 |
36 |
The King’s School, Canterbury |
Canterbury |
58.7 |
37 |
Bishop’s Stortford College |
Bishop’s Stortford |
58.5 |
38 |
St Peter’s School |
York |
57.2 |
39 |
Farlington School |
Horsham |
57.1 |
40 |
Bellerbys College London |
London |
55.7 |
41 |
Cambridge Tutors College |
Croydon |
55.7 |
42 |
Christ College Brecon |
Brecon |
55.7 |
43 |
Queen Margaret’s School, York |
York |
55.4 |
44 |
Bromsgrove School |
Bromsgrove |
55.4 |
45 |
Roedean School |
Brighton |
55.3 |
46 |
d’Overbroeck’s College |
Oxford |
55.3 |
47 |
Talbot Heath School |
Bournemouth |
55.1 |
48 |
Clifton College |
Bristol |
55.1 |
49 |
Haileybury |
Hertford |
54.8 |
50 |
Bellerbys College Brighton |
Brighton |
54.7 |
51 |
St Mary’s Shaftesbury |
Shaftesbury |
54.6 |
52 |
St Francis’ College |
Letchworth Garden City |
54.4 |
53 |
Mayfield School |
Mayfield |
54.1 |
54 |
Ipswich School |
Ipswich |
53.8 |
55 |
Fettes College |
Edinburgh |
53.6 |
56 |
Warwick School |
Warwick |
53.5 |
57 |
King William’s College |
Castletown |
53.4 |
58 |
Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls |
Monmouth |
53.3 |
59 |
Rugby School |
Rugby |
53 |
60 |
Dauntsey’s School |
Devizes |
51.7 |
61 |
Ardingly College |
Haywards Heath |
51.5 |
62 |
The Mount School |
York |
51.5 |
63 |
Epsom College |
Epsom |
51.3 |
64 |
Canford School |
Wimborne |
51.3 |
65 |
Truro School |
Truro |
51.2 |
66 |
Chetham’s School of Music |
Manchester |
50.3 |
67 |
Ashford School |
Ashford |
50.2 |
68 |
Moira House Girls School |
Eastbourne |
50 |
69 |
St Leonards School |
St Andrews |
49.6 |
70 |
New Hall School |
Chelmsford |
49.5 |
71 |
Dean Close School |
Cheltenham |
49 |
72 |
Uppingham School |
Uppingham |
49 |
73 |
Bedford School |
Bedford |
48.4 |
74 |
Mill Hill School |
London |
48.1 |
75 |
Leweston School |
Sherborne |
48 |
76 |
Cranleigh School |
Cranleigh |
47.8 |
77 |
Monmouth School |
Monmouth |
47.6 |
78 |
St Mary’s School, Cambridge |
Cambridge |
47.6 |
79 |
Burgess Hill Girls |
Burgess Hill |
47.5 |
80 |
Berkhamsted School |
Berkhamsted |
47 |
81 |
Downside School |
Bath |
47 |
82 |
The Leys School |
Cambridge |
46.7 |
83 |
Oakham School |
Oakham |
46.6 |
84 |
The Royal School |
Haslemere |
46.5 |
85 |
Kimbolton School |
Huntingdon |
46 |
86 |
St Edward’s School |
Oxford |
45.8 |
87 |
Wells Cathedral School |
Wells |
45.8 |
88 |
Queenswood |
Hatfield |
45.7 |
89 |
Reed’s School |
Cobham |
45.7 |
90 |
Brentwood School |
Brentwood |
45.5 |
91 |
Sherborne School |
Sherborne |
45 |
92 |
Cheltenham College |
Cheltenham |
45 |
93 |
Christ’s Hospital |
Horsham |
43.7 |
94 |
Bedales School |
Petersfield |
43.1 |
95 |
Tudor Hall |
Banbury |
43 |
96 |
St George’s Ascot |
Ascot |
42.3 |
97 |
Bradfield College |
Reading |
41.9 |
98 |
Bootham School |
York |
41.4 |
99 |
St John’s School |
Leatherhead |
40.8 |
100 |
Wellington School |
Wellington |
40.4 |