The best private schools in the UK 2026

Unlike state schools, private schools are not funded by the government, but from tuition fees. There are over 1,500 private schools in the UK.

On average private schools (Also known as ‘independent schools’) charge between £15,000-£18,000 per year per student. For private schools which include boarding (known as ‘boarding schools’) fees are around average £30,000-£60,000+ per year per student.

Our top 100 UK private schools are based on GCSE and A-level results (taken from from The Times and Sunday Times), so while it doesn’t provide a full picture of what’s best suited for your child, it’s a good starting point.

The top 100 private schools in the UK in 2026

Rank	School	Location	*A-level (% A/B)**	GCSE (% 9/8/7)	Entry gender
1	St Paul’s School	London	98.2	97.6	Boys
2	Brighton College	Brighton	97.9	98	Mixed
3	North London Collegiate School	London	96.6	99.2	Girls
4	Godolphin and Latymer School	London	97.5	96.9	Girls
5	Guildford High School	Guildford	97.3	96.7	Girls
6	St Paul’s Girls’ School	London	95.6	99.5	Girls
7	King’s College School, Wimbledon	London	96.2	98.2	Boys
8	Westminster School	London	96.3	97.6	Boys
9	City of London School for Girls	London	95.7	95.4	Girls
10	Latymer Upper School	London	95.1	96.5	Mixed
11	King Edward VI High School for Girls	Birmingham	94.9	96.6	Girls
12	Lady Eleanor Holles	London	95.9	93.6	Girls
13	Alleyn’s School	London	94.7	94.8	Mixed
14	Eton College	Windsor	95	94	Boys
15	Sevenoaks School	Sevenoaks	97.4	88.7	Mixed
16	South Hampstead High School GDST	London	95.2	92.2	Girls
17	City of London School	London	93.2	95.5	Boys
18	Wycombe Abbey	High Wycombe	92.4	96.7	Girls
19	Highgate School	London	92.7	95.7	Mixed
20	Magdalen College School	Oxford	93.2	94.1	Boys
21	Queen Ethelburga’s College	York	94.5	90.3	Mixed
22	Royal Grammar School, Guildford	Guildford	95.2	88.6	Boys
23	Hampton School	London	91.5	95.8	Boys
24	Putney High School GDST	London	93.4	91.8	Girls
25	University College School	London	93.6	91.3	Boys
26	The Perse School	Cambridge	93.9	90.4	Mixed
27	Winchester College	Winchester	92.4	93.5	Boys
28	Tonbridge School	Tonbridge	92.5	92.6	Boys
29	Reigate Grammar School	Reigate	93.9	89.7	Mixed
30	Kingston Grammar School	Kingston upon Thames	92.7	91.6	Mixed
31	Concord College	Shrewsbury	95.3	86.2	Girls
32	Trinity School, Croydon	Croydon	95	86.1	Boys
33	James Allen’s Girls’ School	London	92.7	90.7	Girls
34	Notting Hill and Ealing High School GDST	London	91.4	93.1	Girls
35	Withington Girls’ School	Manchester	91.3	92.9	Girls
36	Wimbledon High School GDST	London	94.6	85.9	Girls
37	Bancroft’s	Woodford Green	93.2	88.3	Mixed
38	Caterham School	Caterham	91.4	91.5	Mixed
39	The Manchester Grammar School	Manchester	93	88.2	Boys
40	Cardiff Sixth Form College	Cardiff	99.6	74.8	Mixed
41	King Edward’s School, Birmingham	Birmingham	94.8	83.8	Boys
42	Emanuel School	London	91.3	90.9	Mixed
43	Eltham College	London	91.9	88.5	Mixed
44	Oxford High School GDST	Oxford	89.3	93.6	Girls
45	Channing School	London	95.1	81.7	Girls
46	Dulwich College	London	89.1	93.5	Boys
47	Colfe’s School	London	95.3	80.1	Mixed
48	Wellington College	Crowthorne	91.6	86.7	Mixed
49	Nottingham High School	Nottingham	92.4	84.9	Mixed
50	Surbiton High School	Kingston upon Thames	91.8	85.5	Girls
51	St Albans High School for Girls	St Albans	92	85	Girls
52	Epsom College	Epsom	90.6	87.1	Mixed
53	Whitgift School	South Croydon	90.1	87.2	Boys
54	St Helen and St Katharine	Abingdon	87.5	92.1	Girls
55	Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood	London	89.3	88.3	Boys
56	Westbourne School	Penarth	96.5	73.1	Mixed
57	City of London Freemen’s School	Ashtead	92.2	81.5	Mixed
58	St Michael’s School	Llanelli	93.5	78.7	Mixed
59	Francis Holland School, Sloane Square	London	89	87	Girls
60	Abingdon School	Abingdon	88.9	87.1	Mixed
61	St Mary’s School Ascot	Ascot	84.7	94.1	Girls
62	Cheltenham Ladies’ College	Cheltenham	87.3	87.6	Girls
63	Harrow School	Harrow on the Hill	88.6	84.3	Boys
64	St Catherine’s, Bramley	Guildford	90.8	79.6	Girls
65	St Swithun’s School	Winchester	91.8	77.4	Girls
66	Radley College	Abingdon	86.6	86.5	Boys
67	The Leys	Cambridge	85.7	86.1	Mixed
68	Sir William Perkins’s School	Chertsey	86.1	85	Girls
69	Sheffield Girls’ GDST	Sheffield	87.9	80.2	Girls
70	King Edward’s School, Bath	Bath	89.7	76.6	Mixed
71	St Dunstan’s College	London	89.5	76.7	Mixed
72	Ibstock Place School	London	86	83.4	Mixed
73	Churcher’s College	Petersfield	90.7	73.6	Mixed
74	Hurstpierpoint College	Hassocks	88	79	Mixed
75	St John’s College, Cardiff	Cardiff	87.3	80.2	Mixed
76	Benenden School	Cranbrook	87.9	78.2	Girls
77	Haileybury	Hertford	85.8	82.4	Mixed
78	Harrodian	London	88.4	77.1	Mixed
79	The King’s School, Chester	Chester	84.8	83.6	Mixed
80	Queen’s College, London	London	86.2	80.8	Girls
81	Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park	London	87	79	Girls
82	Royal Grammar School, Newcastle	Newcastle upon Tyne	86.3	80.3	Mixed
83	Oundle School	Peterborough	87.5	77.6	Mixed
84	St Helen’s School, Northwood	London	85.9	80.4	Girls
85	St Augustine’s Priory	London	93.5	64.2	Girls
86	Redmaids’ High School	Bristol	88.6	73.1	Girls
87	St Albans School	St Albans	84.6	80.4	Boys
88	The Cathedral School, Llandaff	Cardiff	89.8	69.9	Mixed
89	Immanuel College	Bushey	88.4	71.9	Mixed
90	Reading Blue Coat	Sonning-on-Thames	83.4	81.9	Boys
91	Manchester High School for Girls	Manchester	85.9	76.9	Girls
92	The Abbey	Reading	83.9	80.8	Girls
93	Solihull School	Solihull	84.4	78.8	Mixed
94	The Maynard School	Exeter	86.1	75.4	Girls
95	Downe House	Thatcham	83	81	Girls
96	Bedford School	Bedford	86.3	74.1	Boys
97	The Grammar School at Leeds	Leeds	87.4	71.1	Mixed
98	Leicester Grammar School	Leicester	85.8	74.2	Mixed
99	Croydon High School GDST	South Croydon	84	77.5	Girls
100	Reed’s School	Cobham	85	75	Boys

Next, check out our guide to the best state and grammar schools in the UK.

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The best private schools in the UK

The top 100 private schools in the UK in 2026