If you’re relocating to Toronto with school-age children, you should be happy to know that Canada has some of the highest standards of education in the world. But as a foreigner or expat, you may prefer to enroll your kids in an international school. An international school provides a different type of education, often promoting a more global curriculum and including a more diverse student body. International schools frequently use the curriculum of a different country or one based on the International Baccalaureate, Edexcel or Cambridge International Examinations. Students can also receive multilingual education from these schools, as well as special assistance with English as a second language.
As a city of immigrants — nearly half the population was born outside of Canada — it comes as no surprise that Toronto has a great selection of international schools to choose from. Whether you’re looking for instruction in English, French, German or Mandarin, you will find options in Toronto. Foreign students who attend these schools will have an easier time adjusting to life in their new country, and Canadian students can gain a competitive edge with greater language proficiency and a broader worldview.
A Directory of International Schools in Toronto (in alphabetical order)
Blyth Academy is a private school that currently has 14 campuses throughout Ontario: in Yorkville, Lawrence Park, Thornhill, Mississauga, Burlington, Whitby, CIHA, Kitchener, Ottawa, London, Downsview Park, Waterloo, Etobicoke and online. Each school has a population of just 50-150 students with an average class size of eight. Blyth offers a offers a comprehensive full-time program, as well as part-time, integrated private and summer school classes.
Address: 160 Avenue Rd. Toronto, ON, CanadaM5R 2H8
Tuition / Fees: Canadian students starting at $13, 595/year; international students $20,795-$23,395/academic year
Toronto’s only all-girls, all-years International Baccalaureate World School, Branksome Hall offers courses from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, with boarding for Grades 7 through 12. Since 1903, Branksome has been preparing young women to attend some of the finest universities in the world.
Address: 10 Elm Ave, Toronto, ON, M4W 1N4
Tuition / Fees: one-time registration $8,500; JK to grade 10 $33,630/year; grades 11-12 $36,630/year; boarding $30,175/year
Clinton International College is a private high school located at Yonge & Sheppard, in the heart of the North York area. Clinton offers a university preparatory programme and a host of language programmes for international students.
Address: 1 Elmhurst Ave., Toronto ON, Canada M2N 1R3
Tuition / Fees: Full-time, international students $16,800
Columbia International College is Canada’s largest boarding school, and one of Canada’s top private boarding and university preparatory schools. Columbia staff and teachers strive to provide world-class education and living experiences for our students. Located in Hamilton, less than an hour west of Toronto, CIC has easy access to the abundant opportunities available in Canada’s financial and cultural capital.
Address: 1003 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4P3
Tuition / Fees: $21-27,000/year; residence $8,000/year; meal plan $8,000/year
Established in 2012, The Dalton School is an enriched, dual-language, co-ed school in Toronto for children JK-Grade 8 where all core academic subjects are taught in both English and Mandarin by native speaking teachers. Centrally located in the heart of the city, at Yonge and Davenport, Dalton has a well-stocked library, state-of-the-art computer labs, and a live nutrition garden. Students gain vital life skills in addition to crucial linguistic competency and confidence.
Address: 906 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON, M4W 2J2
Tuition / Fees: $22,250/year, includes Real Food for Real Kids Lunch Program and all activities and workshops
The GIST follows a cutting edge school curriculum, which combines the accelerated and competency-based German curriculum and the highly respected Ontario Curriculum to a superior blend. The GIST offers an outstanding multi-lingual education in German, English and French.
Address: 980 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario M6H 4B4
Tuition / Fees: kindergarten $9-13,000/year; grade 1-8 $14-17,000; extended care until 5:30 pm $3,250
A boarding high school founded in 1978, Great Lakes College is based in downtown Toronto and specializes in preparing students for admission to the most competitive universities in Canada and North America. With a significant number of international students, GLCT offers ESL courses and language immersion programmes.
Address: 323 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M6P 2K6
Tuition / Fees: annual tuition $12,800-$17,900; residence $8-9,000/year
Founded in 2012, Keystone serves high school students, grades 9-12, from Canadian and international backgrounds in the heart of Toronto. Students follow the Ontario curriculum, while also having the autonomy to explore their own interests and develop self-management skills. Average classroom size is just 10-12 students and half of Keystone is made up of international students.
Tel: 416-422 4123
Tuition/ Fees: $18,800/year
Founded in 1995, LFT is the only Toronto school, from PK to Grade 12, to combine the intellectually stimulating education of the French curriculum from France, with the inclusive Canadian perspective and values. The school has a co-ed population of about 500 students, with a diverse, international background. The bilingual education prepares students to attend some of the most competitive universities in Canada and around the globe.
Address: 2327 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, M6E 3S5
Tuition / Fees: $17,000-$19,800/year
More than 10,000 students from 40 countries have graduated from MIA since its inception in 1994. McDonald follows the guidelines of the Ontario Ministry of Education, also incorporating outside elements like field trips and extra-curricular activities
Main Campus: 920 Yonge Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada M4W 3C7, 416-322-1502
North York Campus: 5 Park Home Ave., Unit 128, Toronto, ON, Canada M2N 6L4, 416-222-6838
Tuition / Fees: Canadian students $1,200 per credit; international students $20,800/year (8 credits); residence $7,800-$9,600
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy is a private middle school and high school program located in mid-town Toronto that prepares its students for success at university level and beyond. Since 1982, Metro Prep Academy has been committed to fostering the intellectual, physical, social and creative potential of university-oriented students through a supportive yet challenging academic environment. Average class size is 14.
Address: 49 Mobile Drive, Toronto, ON, M4A 1H5
Tuition / Fees: $11,530 per semester
An international private high school, their challenging curriculum helps students identify their strengths and weakness and pushes them to develop the kinds of problem solving skills that will serve them at university and in their professional careers. The school serves students from Canada and around the world, preparing them for any type of post-secondary education. Boarding school facilities are available.
Address: 4620 Finch Ave E, Scarborough, Ontario M1S 4G2
Tuition / Fees: contact the school for details
SBS is an International Baccalaureate school with small class sizes, caring teachers, and strong academics. One of Toronto’s first preschools, founded in 1952, SBS provides an enriching education for grades K-6. Primary language of instruction is English, but a French programme is also available.
Address: 469 Merton Street Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1B4
Tuition / Fees: $27,000/year
Founded in 1998, this international boarding school is situated in central Toronto, surrounded by several prestigious schools and universities. TAIE provides English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and University Preparation Courses (UPC) in accordance with the motto “Learning today for leadership tomorrow”.
School Address: 399 Church Street, Toronto, ON, M5B 2J6
Tuition / Fees: one-time registration $300-450; annual tuition $21,200-$25,500; accommodations $7,600-26,800/year
TFS’s mission is to develop multilingual critical thinkers who celebrate difference, transcend borders and strive for the betterment of humankind. The school has two campuses and teaches according to the French and Ontario curricula and the International Baccalaureate programme. TFS sums up in academic goals with the motto: Individuals who reflect, citizens who act.
Toronto Campus Address: 306 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario M4N 1T7 416‑484‑6533
West Campus Address: 1293 Meredith Avenue, Mississauga, Ontario L5E 2E6 905‑278‑7243
Tuition/Fees: one-time registration $7,500 Toronto, $3,000 West Campus; Toronto $19,760-$33,970/year; West Campus $10,980-$27,340/year
Established in 1829, UCC provides an International Baccalaureate education for more than 1,100 young boys grades K-12. Nearly 10 percent of the boys attend as boarding students, representing 25 different countries. Roughly one-fifth of students receive financial assistance.
Tuition / Fees: one-time registration day school $8,500, boarding school $5,000; day school $33-36,000/year; boarding school $58-65,000/year
With two campuses serving the Toronto area, in Oakville (est. 1985) and Brampton (est. 2016), Walden takes its name from Henry David Thoreau’s classic 19th century book. The school is committed to fostering independent, self-reliant learners in a nature-centric environment.
Tuition / Fees: $18,000/year
Founded in 1965, the York School has two campuses in Toronto, one for junior students (JK-grade 5) and another, further down Yonge Street, with a middle school (grades 6-8) and a senior school (grades 9-12). The 700+ students at the York School follow the International Baccalaureate programme and with the goal of becoming knowledgeable and caring citizens of the world.
Mailing address: 1320 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1X2
Tuition / Fees: one-time registration $8,000; kindergarten $28,000/year; grades 1-12 $32,000/year
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Also check out some of our other in-depth articles on Toronto and international education:
- Moving to Canada as a Student
- Moving to Canada with a Family
- International Schools in Canada
- International Schools in Montreal
- French Schools in British Columbia
- German Schools in Canada