The following is a partial list of currently operating private schools in Scotland.
Many of the schools are perceived to be heavily influenced by the culture, practices and ethos of English independent, or "public", schools. Author James Robertson described Glenalmond College as "a Scottish boarding school modelled on the English public school system".[1] The perceived English influence in many of these schools was such that in 1887 one author referred to them as "English schools".[2] 43% of Scottish independent secondary schools offer boarding as an option, (especially for pupils from the western isles attending mainland schools) although there is more of a trend to attend as a day pupil compared to in England.[3]
There are 91 independent schools across Scotland[4] of which 71 are members of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). According to the SCIS, its members educate around 29,000 pupils in Scotland representing around 4.2% of the school age population in Scotland.[5] The figure is significantly higher in Edinburgh, with around 1 in 4 pupils educated at an independent school, the highest proportion in the UK.[6] This figure has risen to 30 per cent in recent years.[7]
Scottish students from independent schools are over-represented at the four ancient universities of Scotland. They represented 26% of the student body at the four institutions in 2014/15 with 71% in total receiving an offer of admission at one of the four ancient universities compared to only 29% of state-school entrants.[8]
The schools are ranked here by day school pupil fees for 2023/24 and boarding fees are given where applicable. In cases where the 2023/24 fees are not yet available, this is indicated next to the figures. Membership of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is indicated,[9] as well as the curriculum followed by the school: English (i.e. GCSEs, A-levels), Scottish (i.e. Standard Grades/Intermediates, Highers, Advanced Highers), Mixed English and Scottish, or International Baccalaureate (IB).
| School | Day fees | Boarder fees | Curriculum | HMC[10] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fettes College[11] | £37,050 | £44,100 | English/IB | Yes | |
| Gordonstoun School[12] | £35,601 | £48,990 | English | Yes | |
| Merchiston Castle School[13] | £29,250 | £40,320 | English | Yes | |
| Strathallan School[14] | £27,360 | £41,829 | English/Scottish | Yes | |
| Glenalmond College[15] | £25,275 (22/23) | £41,145 (22/23) | English | Yes | |
| Loretto School[16] | £25,155 (22/23) | £36,945 (22/23) | English | Yes | |
| Lathallan School[17] | £23,304 | £31,950 | Scottish | No | |
| Kilgraston School[18] | £22,785 | £38,910 | Scottish | No | |
| St Leonards School, St Andrews[19] | £18,765 | £44,232 | IB | Yes | |
| St. George's School, Edinburgh[20] | £18,324 | £37,575 | English/Scottish | No | |
| St. Mary's School, Melrose[21] | £17,940 (22/23) | £20,640 (22/23) | Scottish | No | |
| Morrison's Academy, Crieff[22] | £17,575 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Edinburgh Academy[23] | £17,541 | n/a | English/Scottish | Yes | |
| The High School of Glasgow[24] | £16,959 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Dollar Academy[25] | £16,677 | £38,601 | Scottish | Yes | |
| St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen[26] | £16,632 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| International School Aberdeen[27] | £16,535 | n/a | IB | No | |
| George Heriot's[28] | £16,440 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Clifton Hall School, Edinburgh[29] | £16,380 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| Hutchesons' Grammar School[30] | £16,177 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| The High School of Dundee[31] | £16,050 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh[32] | £16,041 | £32,190 | Scottish | No | |
| Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh | Yes | ||||
| Albyn School, Aberdeen[33] | £15,995 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| George Watson's College, Edinburgh[34] | £15,951 | n/a | Scottish/IB | Yes | |
| Kelvinside Academy[35] | £15,951 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen[36] | £15,845 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Wellington School, Ayr[37] | £15,645 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| St. Columba's, Kilmacolm[38] | £15,610 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Belmont House School[39] | £15,492 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| St. Aloysius' College[40] | £14,976 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Lomond School[41] | £14,925 | £36,200 | Scottish | Yes | |
| The Glasgow Academy[42] | £14,850 | n/a | Scottish | Yes | |
| Hamilton College[43] | £13,875 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| Edinburgh Steiner School[44] | £11,208 (22/23) | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| Drumduan School[45] | £10,347 | n/a | Scottish | No | |
| Cedars School of Excellence, Greenock[46] | £7,950 (22/23) | n/a | Scottish | No |
Scottish Exams
The following table ranks the schools by performance in the 2008 round of Scottish Qualifications Authority examinations according to the percentage of A/B grades achieved at Higher level according to The Times newspaper. The percentage of 1 grades at Standard Grade and A grades at Intermediate 2 are also provided.[47] As indicated above, some independent schools in Scotland follow the English curriculum or offer the International Baccalaureate.
Higher and Standard Grade/Intermediate 2 Results
Here, schools following the Scottish exam curriculum are ranked according to the percentage of Highers achieved in 2009 at A/B, as recorded in The Times.
| School | A/B Higher (%) | 1/A Standard Grade/Int 2 (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Heriot's School | 79.7 | 71.3 | |
| 2 | St George's School, Edinburgh | 77.9 | 62.6 | |
| 3 | Dollar Academy | 76.5 | 66.2 | |
| 4 | Hutchesons' Grammar School | 76.1 | 73.7 | |
| 5 | St Columba's School | 76.1 | 72.2 | |
| 6 | The High School of Glasgow | 75.7 | 80.4 | |
| 7 | Albyn School | 73.9 | 58.9 | |
| 8 | The Glasgow Academy | 73.6 | 66.2 | |
| 9 | Stewart's Melville College | 73.3 | 68.9 | |
| 10 | The Mary Erskine School | 73.1 | 75.2 | |
| 11 | High School of Dundee | 72.6 | 73.3 | |
| 12 | St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen | 71.7 | 62.8 | |
| 13 | St. Aloysius' College | 71.2 | 65.5 | |
| 14 | George Watson's College | 70.9 | 68.1 | |
| 15 | Morrison's Academy | 68.6 | 66.5 | |
| 16 | Wellington School | 68.6 | 61.1 | |
| 17 | Robert Gordon's College | 68 | 65.9 | |
| 18 | Kilgraston School | 67.7 | 47.5 | |
| 19 | Lomond School | 65.9 | 51.5 | |
| 20 | Kelvinside Academy | 65 | 55 | |
| 21 | Hamilton College | 64.5 | 54.1 | |
| 22 | Fernhill School | 61.5 | 77.9 | |
| 23 | The Edinburgh Rudolf Steiner School | 60.5 | 40 | |
| 24 | Belmont House School | 46.2 | 23.1 | |
| 25 | Queen Victoria School | 37.1 | 41.4 |
Results of English Qualifications
The below schools follow the English exam curriculum, and are ranked according to the percentage of A-levels achieved at A*/A, as recorded in The Telegraph in 2015.[48] [49]
| School | A/A* A-level (%) | A/A* GCSE (%) | HMC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Watson's College | 55.4 | (No data) | Yes |
| 2 | The Edinburgh Academy[50] | 46.1 | 40.6 | Yes |
| 3 | Fettes College[51] | 45.0 | 68.0 | Yes |
| 4 | St Leonards School[52] | 43.2 | 41.2 | Yes |
| 5 | Merchiston Castle School[53] | 38.6 | 69.3 | Yes |
| 6 | Loretto School[54] | 37.5 | 49.7 | Yes |
| 7 | St George's School, Edinburgh[55] | 34.8 | 48.9 | No |
| 8 | Glenalmond College[56] | 31.5 | 52.8 | Yes |
Results of International Baccalaureate
The below schools offer the International Baccalaureate as a qualification, and are ranked according to the average score achieved out of a maximum 45 points.
| School | Average Score (/45) | >40 points (%) | HMC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fettes College[57] | 36.9 | 34 | Yes |
| 2 | George Watson's College[58] | 34.0 | (No data) | Yes |
| 3 | St Leonards School[59] | 33.0 | 13.0 | Yes |