The one private school in South Africa ranked among the top 100 in the world in 2024
Spear’s Magazine, in partnership with Thuso, has published a list of the best private schools in 2024, featuring one from South Africa, while another is also listed in the ‘Top Recommended’ category.
The index and ranking are in their fifth year and were developed in collaboration with expert educationalists within the international team at Thuso.
It is underpinned by several key principles.
According to Spear’s Magazine, while examination results and academic attainment are key considerations, they are not the only things that matter.
“Leading schools are not necessarily the most ‘academic’: A wide range of social, cultural, and pastoral factors have been weighed in finalising the index.
“In some cases, schools with strong academics have been omitted where they fall short in relation to these wider considerations,” it said.
Reputation and standing are not insignificant: A school’s reputation and standing shape and influence its character, the parents and pupils it attracts, and its position regionally and internationally.
The magazine added that in 2024, families will be increasingly ‘mobile’, with new ‘global cities’ emerging as key hubs.
This is particularly the case for cities such as Dubai and established regional hubs in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.
This panel aimed to include both ‘international’ and ‘local’ families, covering various geographies, demographics, and preferences (boys’ schools, girls’ schools, different curricula, and schools for all age groups).
It ensured that emerging markets were well-represented and that ‘common sense’ guided the final list.
No top schools were omitted, and no unsuitable schools were included.
The top schools
For 2024, Spear’s Magazine noted that the top 100 schools in the Spear’s Schools Index 2024 have been separated into eight different lists based on geographic region.
These regions include North America, the UK, Europe, Switzerland, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.
Considering this, BusinessTech summarised the top three schools from each region in the table below.
| # | School | Country | Type | Fees (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | ||||
| 1 | British School of Paris | France | Co-ed | $21,000 to $34,200 (R375,300 to R611,000) |
| 2 | Campion School | Greece | Co-ed | $9,000 to $15,300 (R161,800 to R273,000) |
| 3 | King’s College | Spain | Co-ed | $8,500 to $41,200 (R151,900 to R736,200) |
| Switzerland | ||||
| 1 | Aiglon College | Switzerland | Co-ed | $52,700 to $171,900 (R941,800 to R3.07 million) |
| 2 | Brillantmont International School | Switzerland | Co-ed | $37,100 to $122,000 (R663,000 to R2.18 million) |
| 3 | Collège Alpin Beau Soleil | Switzerland | Co-ed | $140,000 (R2.5 million)* |
| North America | ||||
| 1 | Choate Rosemary Hall | USA | Co-ed | $52,880 to $68,380 (R945,000 to R1.22 million) |
| 2 | Collegiate School | USA | All-boys | $63,400 (R1.13 million)** |
| 3 | Horace Mann School | USA | Co-ed | $61,900 (R1.11 million)** |
| the UK | ||||
| 1 | Benenden | England | All-girls | $45,300 to $60,300 (R809,500 to R1.08 million) |
| 2 | Brighton College | England | Co-ed | $27,900 to $67,000 (R498,600 to R1.20 million) |
| 3 | Charterhouse | England | Co-ed | $48,800 to $60,500 (R872,000 to R1.08 million) |
| Asia Pacific | ||||
| 1 | Alice Smith School | Malaysia | Co-ed | $9,400 to $22,100 (R168,000 to R394,900)** |
| 2 | Christ’s College Canterbury | New Zealand | All-boys | $19,800 to $47,100 (R353,800 to R841,700) |
| 3 | English Schools Foundation | Hong Kong | Co-ed | $11,300 to $24,500 (R201,900 to R437,800)** |
| the Middle East | ||||
| 1 | Brighton College Abu Dhabi | UAE | Co-ed | $17,000 to $22,000 (R303,800 to R393,100)** |
| 2 | British School Muscat | Oman | Co-ed | $10,200 to $24,800 (R182,300 to R443,200)** |
| 3 | Doha College | Doha | Co-ed | $10,800 to $20,600 (R193,000 to R368,100)** |
| Rest of the world | ||||
| 1 | Aitchison College | Pakistan | All-boys | $2,000 to $5,300 (R35,700 to R94,700) |
| 2 | Mayo College | India | All-boys | $11,000 (R196,600) |
| 3 | Michaelhouse School | South Africa | All-boys | R368,000* |
**Day schools only
The ‘rest of the world’ index includes boarding and day schools in India, Pakistan, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and Kenya.
South Africa is represented by Michaelhouse, located in the Balgowan Valley in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, ranking third within the ‘rest of the world’ index.
The school boasts a 100% bachelor’s degree pass rate for Independent Examinations Board (IEB) exams, with a 72% average across all subjects, with matric class of 2023 also averaging two distinctions per candidate.
“Its list of alumni is particularly impressive, but it is also a future-facing place – its ultimate goal is to prepare each student to explore the world and find their own form of service,” notes Spear’s Magazine.
Fees for Micahelhouse are R368,000 annually for an all-boarding school.
Spear’s Magazine also includes Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town in its ‘Top Recommended’ category.
“A cornerstone of South African education with a distinguished history, this single-sex bishop Diocesan College offers a unique space for boys to develop at their own pace, catering for their own individual needs’.
“Academics are strong, and performance on the sports pitches is legendary. A commitment to an all-round education is embedded in the annual Eisteddfod, in which every boy takes part,” it said.
Fees for the school start at R199,650 for day scholars and R341,430 for boarding in 2024.
Read: These are the best-performing public schools in South Africa
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