In this guide
The Vancouver school landscape
Vancouver's international school market sits inside a broader provincial education system that is among the strongest in the OECD. British Columbia consistently scores at the top of Canadian provinces on PISA, and the province's public schools admit foreign-passport children on identical terms to Canadian nationals once residency is established. That is the structural backdrop for the entire private market: it competes against a state system that is genuinely good, and the families who choose private do so for specific reasons rather than because the alternative is poor.
The private inventory in Greater Vancouver is around 50 schools, of which roughly 30 are recognisably international in the sense that they teach IB, an American or British curriculum, or a French national programme. The most important institutions, however, are a smaller group of heritage independent schools that have anchored upper-middle-class Vancouver education for between 80 and 130 years. These schools follow the BC curriculum, not an international one, but their academic outcomes, university destinations and admissions reach make them the natural comparators for expat families weighing private versus public.
For a relocating family, the orientation question is which of three tracks suits you: heritage independent (BC curriculum at high standard, often single-sex), IB World School (international curriculum, more familiar to expat onward planning), or the public system (strong, free, but with a residency hurdle and catchment dynamics). The decision is rarely about academic ceiling, which is high in all three. It is about culture, fit, and what you expect to do next.
The heritage independent schools
Five schools define the upper end of the Vancouver independent market. St George's School is the country's pre-eminent boys' school, founded in 1930, with both a junior and senior campus in Vancouver West. Outcomes are strong across Canadian and US universities, with a steady trickle to Oxbridge. Crofton House is the girls' counterpart, founded in 1898, in Vancouver West. Both schools follow the BC curriculum to graduation. York House is a co-ed early years school transitioning to girls only from Grade 5, sister institution in spirit to Crofton. West Point Grey Academy is co-ed, founded in 1996, the newest of the heritage group, with a more progressive academic culture and strong music and arts programmes. Vancouver College is a Catholic boys' school under the Christian Brothers, with a longer history and a distinctive culture.
Three further schools sit in or near the heritage band depending on how strictly the term is applied. Little Flower Academy is a Catholic girls' school in Vancouver West with a strong academic record. Southridge School in South Surrey is the heritage independent option for families based south of the Fraser River. Collingwood School in West Vancouver is co-ed, founded in 1984, with consistent IB-equivalent academic outcomes and a strong programme in outdoor and adventure education.
The heritage schools are largely full at the popular entry years (Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 6, Grade 8 and Grade 11). Sibling priority is honoured at all of them, which means non-sibling entry at the popular years is competitive. Read our piece on admissions timing by city for the full cycle.
The IB World Schools
For expat families who want international curriculum continuity, Vancouver has two strong IB World Schools and a third worth knowing about. Mulgrave School in West Vancouver runs the full PYP, MYP and DP continuum and consistently delivers IB Diploma averages above 34 points, which puts it in the top decile of IB World Schools globally. Mulgrave is co-ed, mid-sized, and academically the strongest pure IB school in Western Canada. Stratford Hall in East Vancouver runs the same PYP-to-DP continuum at a slightly smaller scale, with a more diverse demographic and a focus on social-justice and inquiry-based learning.
The third option is Meadowridge School in Maple Ridge, an IB continuum school slightly further from central Vancouver but with strong outcomes and a more affordable fee tier than Mulgrave. For families optimising commute from Burnaby or Coquitlam, Meadowridge is worth a tour. Read our best IB schools in Vancouver for the school-by-school view, and our IB Diploma guide for the curriculum mechanics.
IB vs BC curriculum is the real choice
For most relocating families, the choice between the heritage BC-curriculum schools and the IB World Schools is more consequential than the choice between individual schools within either group. Our free school finder filters by curriculum, year group and budget so you can see the live shortlist for your situation.
French immersion and French-curriculum options
French immersion in British Columbia public schools is one of the country's strongest, and for many bilingual families, it is the obvious route. The Vancouver School Board runs both early French immersion (starting in Kindergarten) and late French immersion (starting Grade 6). The catchment system applies, so house position determines the school. For families who want a fully French-curriculum education, the Lycee Francais International Andre Malraux de Vancouver teaches the French national curriculum to French Baccalaureate, and is the natural choice for families on French postings or anticipating a return to France.
For a heritage school path with strong French, Collingwood and West Point Grey both run robust French programmes within the BC curriculum, with significant continuation rates into Advanced Placement or IB Higher Level French in senior years.
When the public system is the right answer
For perhaps half the expat families who relocate to Vancouver, the right answer is the BC public system. The reasons are straightforward. The system is genuinely strong (West Vancouver and Vancouver West School Boards in particular). It is free for permanent residents and Canadian citizens. The schools are demographically diverse and academically rigorous, with PISA results that match the best European systems. The downside is the catchment system, which ties your school to your residential address, and the absence of a true international curriculum.
The schools that come up most often on expat shortlists are Lord Byng Secondary, Point Grey Secondary and University Hill Secondary in Vancouver West, and West Vancouver Secondary and Sentinel Secondary on the North Shore. Several of these public schools also operate AP or IB programmes within the public framework, which closes the curriculum gap for families who want international qualifications.
Fees at a glance
Vancouver fees are denominated in Canadian dollars and are mid-range by global standards. The heritage independent schools and the IB World Schools sit in a tight CAD 28,000 to 38,000 band for senior years, with somewhat lower numbers in the early years. The table below summarises 2026 to 2027 senior school fees.
| School | Type | Senior tuition (CAD) | USD equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| St George's School | BC curriculum, boys | 35,200 | 25,800 |
| Crofton House | BC curriculum, girls | 34,800 | 25,500 |
| West Point Grey Academy | BC curriculum, co-ed | 36,500 | 26,700 |
| Mulgrave School | IB continuum, co-ed | 38,400 | 28,100 |
| Stratford Hall | IB continuum, co-ed | 32,600 | 23,900 |
| Lycee Francais Andre Malraux | French national | 23,900 | 17,500 |
| Boarding (St George's, Brentwood, SMUS Victoria) | add for boarding | +30,000 to 45,000 | +22,000 to 33,000 |
Allow 4 to 6 per cent on top for fees-on-top items (uniforms, technology, trips). Compare against other Canadian cities and the global picture using our fee comparison tool.
Admissions reality
Heritage independent schools in Vancouver run a January-to-March deadline cycle for September entry. Applications include school reports, teacher recommendations, parent essays and (for older years) the SSAT or an in-house assessment. The popular schools are oversubscribed three or four to one at Kindergarten and Grade 8, the two main entry points. For mid-cycle entry, availability varies by year group and gender. Single-sex schools have less flexibility in senior years because the cohort is set early.
The IB World Schools run rolling admissions outside the September main entry. Mulgrave is the most competitive on a population basis but has clearer transparency on availability. Stratford Hall has more flexibility on mid-year entries. Both schools value evidence of IB-friendly academic profile (curiosity, breadth, second language).
Neighbourhoods that match these schools
Vancouver's school catchments shape where expat families live more than most North American cities. The mapping below is the rough working summary.
- Vancouver West (Point Grey, Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy): heritage independent core. St George's, Crofton House, York House. Strong public catchment for Lord Byng, Point Grey.
- West Vancouver (Caulfeild, British Properties, Ambleside): Mulgrave, Collingwood. Strong public catchment for West Vancouver Secondary, Sentinel.
- North Vancouver (Lonsdale, Edgemont): Collingwood reach by car. Strong public catchment.
- East Vancouver (Hastings, Mount Pleasant): Stratford Hall. Diverse, urban, public schools generally less oversubscribed.
- South of Fraser (South Surrey, White Rock): Southridge, Meadowridge reach by car. Larger family homes at lower cost than the city.
Five things to know before you commit
First, the BC public system is so strong that the structural reason for going private in Vancouver is usually curriculum continuity (IB) or culture (heritage single-sex), not academic ceiling. Many expat families end up in the public system and are content with it. Second, the heritage schools graduate to the BC Dogwood Diploma, not the IB or A Levels, which is a different currency for onward university planning. Most students do well from this base, but parents new to Canada sometimes find the transcript format unfamiliar. Third, sibling priority shapes the heritage admissions cycle. If you have multiple children, get the first one in first. Fourth, the public catchment system is enforced. Renting an address in a catchment you do not actually live in is increasingly policed. Fifth, the boarding belt for British Columbia is mostly outside Vancouver itself, in places like Victoria (SMUS), Mill Bay (Brentwood) and Duncan (Shawnigan Lake). These schools are excellent options if boarding suits your family, but they are not Vancouver itself.