DURHAM REGION / SCHOOL GUIDES

Top 10 public secondary schools (high schools) in Durham Region

Compare the highest Fraser academic scores among 23 rated public secondary schools physically located in Durham Region. Explore each school’s official information and local new-home projects.

The Fraser Institute score measures selected academic indicators. It is one starting point for research, not a complete assessment of teaching, student support, wellbeing or school fit.

Equal scores share a regional position. To display ten profiles, ties are ordered alphabetically by the current common school name, ignoring the French École prefix. A tied school outside the ten-profile selection is named on the relevant list; it is not academically lower-ranked.

List coverage. Includes English- and French-language schools. Schools without a score in this report are not ranked here.

How we compiled this list
  1. Display position 01

    Whitby · English

    Donald A. Wilson Secondary School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    8.4 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  2. Display position 02

    Whitby · English

    Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.9 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  3. Display position 03

    Ajax · English

    Pickering High School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.8 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  4. Display position 04

    Brooklin · Whitby · English

    Brooklin High School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.4 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  5. Display position 05

    Pickering · English

    Dunbarton High School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.3 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  6. Display position 06

    Whitby · English

    Sinclair Secondary School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.3 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  7. Display position 07

    Ajax · English

    J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    7.2 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  8. Display position 08

    Oshawa · English

    Maxwell Heights Secondary School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    6.9 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  9. Display position 09

    Whitby · English

    Henry Street High School

    Durham District School Board

    Grades 9–12

    6.8 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide
  10. Display position 10

    Pickering · French

    École secondaire Ronald-Marion

    Conseil scolaire Viamonde

    Grades 7–12

    6.8 / 10Fraser academic scoreSchool guide

Equal scores at the cutoff.

The following schools have the same 6.8 academic score as the last school displayed above. Alphabetical order is the sole tie-break for the ten places in this list; exclusion does not imply a lower rating.

BEFORE YOUR NEXT MOVE

Your questions,
answered.

How were these public secondary schools selected?

This list follows scores in the 2025 Fraser Institute report for the 2023/2024 school year. We checked 200 rated schools located in Durham Region: 122 public elementary, 23 public secondary, 45 Catholic elementary and 10 Catholic secondary. Coverage includes English- and French-language schools across Durham’s municipalities, including Clarington. Public and Catholic schools are compared separately. Unrated schools are not treated as lower-rated schools. Equal scores share a regional position. To display ten profiles, ties are ordered alphabetically by the current common school name, ignoring the French École prefix. A tied school outside the ten-profile selection is named on the relevant list; it is not academically lower-ranked.

Does a higher score guarantee the best school for my child?

The Fraser Institute score measures selected academic indicators. It is one starting point for research, not a complete assessment of teaching, student support, wellbeing or school fit. Consider programs, learning support, travel arrangements and your child’s needs alongside the academic results.

Are the linked new home developments inside these school boundaries?

The developments on each school guide are grouped by municipality. They are not represented as inside the school’s attendance boundary or as eligible for admission. Confirm the exact home address and registration requirements with the school board.

UNDERSTAND THE COMPARISON

A useful starting point. A broader decision.

These lists order schools by their overall Fraser Institute score in the 2025 Ontario reports, using 2023/2024 results. The elementary report was published in January 2026 and the secondary report in November 2025. They are historical academic results, not 2026 test scores.

The Fraser Institute score measures selected academic indicators. It is one starting point for research, not a complete assessment of teaching, student support, wellbeing or school fit.

Coverage. We checked 200 rated schools located in Durham Region: 122 public elementary, 23 public secondary, 45 Catholic elementary and 10 Catholic secondary. Coverage includes English- and French-language schools across Durham’s municipalities, including Clarington. Public and Catholic schools are compared separately. Unrated schools are not treated as lower-rated schools.

Ties. Equal scores share a regional position. To display ten profiles, ties are ordered alphabetically by the current common school name, ignoring the French École prefix. A tied school outside the ten-profile selection is named on the relevant list; it is not academically lower-ranked.

Read the ranking methodology

Methodology source checked October 3, 2026.

Use the board’s current boundary and registration information, visit the school and discuss your child’s needs before making a school or home decision.