List of independent schools in Scotland
# List of independent schools in Scotland

The following is a partial list of currently operating independent 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". The perceived English influence in many of these schools was such that in 1887 one author referred to them as "English schools". 43% of Scottish independent secondary schools offer boarding as an option, although there is more of a trend to attend as a day pupil compared to in England.

There are 102 independent schools across Scotland of which 72 are members of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). According to the SCIS, its members educate around 29–30,000 pupils in Scotland representing around 4.1% of the school age population in Scotland. The figure is significantly higher in Edinburgh, with around 1 in 4 pupils educated at an independent school, the highest proportion in the UK.

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.

## List of schools

### Central

* Ardvreck School, Crieff
* Balnacraig School, Perth
* Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar
* Cedars School of Excellence, Greenock (Pentecostal Christian school)
* The Compass School, Haddington, East Lothian
* Craigclowan Preparatory School, Perth
* The Craighalbert Centre, Cumbernauld
* Dollar Academy
* Donaldson's College
* Fairview International School, Bridge of Allan
* Falkland House School, Falkland, Fife
* Glenalmond College, Glenalmond
* Good Shepherd Centre, Bishopton, Renfrewshire
* Hamilton College
* The High School of Dundee
* Hillside School, Aberdour
* Kibble Education & Care Centre, Paisley
* Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn
* Lomond School, Helensburgh
* Loretto School, Musselburgh
* Moore House School, Bathgate
* Morrison's Academy, Crieff
* The New School, Dunkeld
* New Struan School, Alloa
* Oakwood School, Laurieston, Falkirk
* Ochil Tower School, Auchterarder
* Osborne House School, Dysart
* Queen Victoria School, Dunblane
* St. Columba's School, Kilmacolm
* St Leonards School, St. Andrews
* Starley Hall School, Burntisland
* Strathallan School, Forgandenny
* Sycamore School, Dunfermline

### Edinburgh

* Cargilfield Preparatory School
* Clifton Hall School
* The Edinburgh Academy
* Erskine Stewart's Melville Schools
   * The Mary Erskine School
   * Erskine Stewart's Melville Junior School
   * Stewart's Melville College
* Fettes College
* George Heriot's School
* George Watson's College
* Mannafields Christian School
* Merchiston Castle School
* The Royal Blind School
* Edinburgh Steiner School
* St. George's School for Girls
* St. Mary's Music School

### Glasgow

* Belmont House School, Newton Mearns
* Fernhill School, Rutherglen
* Hutchesons' Grammar School, Pollokshields
* Craigholme School, Pollokshields
* Kelvinside Academy, Kelvinside
* The Glasgow Academy, Kelvinbridge
* The High School of Glasgow, Anniesland
* St. Aloysius' College Garnethill

### South

* Daldorch House School (Autism), Catrine
* St. Mary's School, Melrose
* Wellington School, Ayr

## Figures

### Fees

The schools are ranked here by day school pupil fees for 2022/23 and boarding fees are given where applicable. In cases where the 2022/23 fees are not yet available, this is indicated next to the figures. For 2022/23, the mean average day fee was £16,530 (median average was £14,968) and the average boarding fee was £33,033. Membership of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is indicated, 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 |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Gordonstoun School | £33,900 | £46,650 | English | Yes |
| Fettes College | £33,600 | £39,990 | English/IB | Yes |
| Merchiston Castle School | £27,090 | £37,320 | English | Yes |
| Strathallan School | £25,452 | £38,199 | English | Yes |
| Glenalmond College | £25,275 | £41,145 | English | Yes |
| Loretto School | £25,155 | £36,945 | English | Yes |
| Kilgraston School | £22,785 | £38,910 | Scottish | No |
| Lathallan School | £20,643 (21/22) | £28,299 (21/22) | Scottish | No |
| St. Mary's School, Melrose | £17,940 | £20,640 | Scottish | No |
| St Leonards School, St Andrews | £17,374 | £40,954 | IB | Yes |
| St. George's School, Edinburgh | £16,359 | £33,546 | English/Scottish | No |
| Edinburgh Academy | £16,242 | n/a | English/Scottish | Yes |
| Morrison's Academy, Crieff | £16,200 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| International School Aberdeen | £15,555 | n/a | IB | No |
| Dollar Academy | £15,516 | £35,910 | Scottish | Yes |
| The High School of Glasgow | £15,210 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| St Margaret's School for Girls, Aberdeen | £15,120 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| Albyn School, Aberdeen | £14,995 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| St. Aloysius' College | £14,976 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen | £14,960 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| George Heriot's | £14,878 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| Belmont House School | £14,754 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| George Watson's College, Edinburgh | £14,634 | n/a | Scottish/IB | Yes |
| Wellington School, Ayr | £14,490 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| St. Columba's, Kilmacolm | £14,385 (21/22) | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| The High School of Dundee | £14,331 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| Lomond School | £13,950 | £32,350 | Scottish | Yes |
| Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh | £13,950 | £27,993 | Scottish | No |
| Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh | £13,950 | £27,993 | Scottish | Yes |
| Kelvinside Academy | £13,860 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| Hutchesons' Grammar School | £13,806 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| The Glasgow Academy | £13,687 | n/a | Scottish | Yes |
| Clifton Hall School, Edinburgh | £13,350 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| Hamilton College | £13,092 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| Edinburgh Steiner School | £11,208 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| Drumduan School | £10,347 | n/a | Scottish | No |
| Cedars School of Excellence, Greenock | £7,950 | n/a | Scottish | No |

### Exam results

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. 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.

| | School | A/A* A-level (%) | A/A* GCSE (%) | HMC |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | George Watson's College | 55.4 | (No data) | Yes |
| 2 | The Edinburgh Academy | 46.1 | 40.6 | Yes |
| 3 | Fettes College | 45.0 | 68.0 | Yes |
| 4 | St Leonards School | 43.2 | 41.2 | Yes |
| 5 | Merchiston Castle School | 38.6 | 69.3 | Yes |
| 6 | Loretto School | 37.5 | 49.7 | Yes |
| 7 | St George's School, Edinburgh | 34.8 | 48.9 | No |
| 8 | Glenalmond College | 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 | 36.9 | 34 | Yes |
| 2 | George Watson's College | 34.0 | (No data) | Yes |
| 3 | St Leonards School | 33.0 | 13.0 | Yes |
