Photo: Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0Guelph’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets
Upper Grand DSB runs the most, 35 of them; Wellington CDSB, CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde run the rest. Results lean high: 27 of 49 in the top two fifths in Ontario. The 3 km around Guelph counts 42 elementary schools, 9 secondary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools, 24,520 students between them.
What stands out about Guelph’s schools
Results on the rise
At 32 tested schools out of 49, the three-year changes lean upward; Aberfoyle Public School, Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute and Sir Isaac Brock Public School gained most often. Results ↓
One big school
With 2,115 students, John F Ross Collegiate and Vocational Institute is the area’s biggest. Every school ↓
The strongest results
Aberfoyle Public School (elementary) posts the area’s strongest results: the top fifth in Ontario. Results ↓
Each finding compares the town’s schools with every school in its province.
The 4 boards that run schools here
Every board or service centre with a school in the area, and its schools.
The four systems cover the same streets, so the nearest school may not be the one a family’s system offers: English or French, public or Catholic, each has its own board.
| Board | System | Schools | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Grand DSBJohn F Ross, Guelph, Centennial, Westminster Woods, Rickson Ridge, Waverley Drive, Ken Danby, Sir Isaac Brock … | English public | 35 | 17,240 |
| Wellington CDSBSt James, Bishop Macdonell Catholic, Our Lady of Lourdes, St Peter, St Francis of Assisi, Holy Trinity, St Ignatius of Loyola, St Joseph … | English Catholic | 17 | 6,940 |
| CS catholique MonAvenirÉÉC Saint-René-Goupil | French Catholic | 1 | 190 |
| CS ViamondeL'Odyssée | French public | 1 | 150 |
Boards as Ontario’s list names them (its short forms: DSB, CDSB, CS).
How Guelph’s schools do on Ontario’s tests
EQAO’s Grade 3, 6 and 9 assessments and the literacy test, 2024-25: each school against every school in Ontario.
Its School Grade is A−: it compares these results with the other towns of the province.
The area’s schools by fifth of the province
Each school’s band is the average of its measures’ fifths. The mark shows an even fifth of the area’s schools.
| Measure | Schools | Middle here | Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 reading | 42 | 82% | 76% |
| Grade 3 writing | 42 | 71% | 65% |
| Grade 3 math | 42 | 72% | 65% |
| Grade 6 reading | 42 | 94% | 88% |
| Grade 6 writing | 42 | 91% | 86% |
| Grade 6 math | 42 | 64% | 51% |
| Grade 9 math | 6 | 72% | 55% |
| Literacy test (OSSLT), first try | 7 | 90% | 85% |
On Grade 9 math the area runs ahead, 72% against 55% in Ontario. Above the middle on 8, below on 0: that is the 8 measures.
Every school’s results (49)
| School | Measure | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Aberfoyle Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 94% · G3 math 97% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 79% | Top fifth |
| Bishop Macdonell Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 72% · OSSLT 92% | Top fifth |
| Centennial Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 75% · OSSLT 93% | Top fifth |
| Sir Isaac Brock Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 81% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 88% | Top fifth |
| St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 97% · G3 writing 88% · G3 math 85% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 81% | Top fifth |
| Ecole Arbour Vista Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 92% · G3 writing 92% · G3 math 88% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 82% | Top fifth |
| Rickson Ridge Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 89% · G3 writing 82% · G3 math 79% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 68% | Top fifth |
| Victory Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 87% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 94% · G6 math 94% | Top fifth |
| Westminster Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 87% · G3 writing 76% · G3 math 84% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 72% | Top fifth |
| Edward Johnson Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 83% · G3 math 75% · G6 reading 94% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 89% | Top fifth |
| Jean Little Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 90% · G3 writing 80% · G3 math 77% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 83% | Top fifth |
| John McCrae Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 80% · G3 writing 80% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 97% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 84% | Top fifth |
| St Michael Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 90% · G3 writing 86% · G3 math 86% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 97% · G6 math 51% | Top fifth |
| Guelph Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 71% · OSSLT 91% | Second fifth |
| John F Ross Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 76% · OSSLT 90% | Second fifth |
| Ken Danby Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 73% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 98% · G6 writing 90% · G6 math 97% | Second fifth |
| St Paul Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 74% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 98% · G6 math 82% | Second fifth |
| Central Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 79% · G3 math 69% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 77% | Second fifth |
| Ecole King George Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 64% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 89% | Second fifth |
| Kortright Hills Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 75% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 90% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 72% | Second fifth |
| École élémentaire L'OdysséeElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 78% · G3 math 83% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 87% | Second fifth |
| Fred A Hamilton Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 52% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 65% | Second fifth |
| Holy Trinity Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 88% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 93% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 55% | Second fifth |
| Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 74% · G3 math 74% · G6 reading 92% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 68% | Second fifth |
| June Avenue Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 94% · G3 writing 88% · G3 math 94% · G6 reading 86% · G6 writing 86% · G6 math 43% | Second fifth |
| Westwood Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 65% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 100% · G6 math 76% | Second fifth |
| William C. Winegard Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 69% · G3 math 71% · G6 reading 92% · G6 writing 87% · G6 math 56% | Second fifth |
| Ecole Guelph Lake Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 58% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 95% · G6 math 60% | Middle fifth |
| Mary Phelan Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 67% · G3 writing 67% · G3 math 92% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 89% · G6 math 56% | Middle fifth |
| Waverley Drive Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 62% · G3 writing 52% · G3 math 53% · G6 reading 96% · G6 writing 96% · G6 math 75% | Middle fifth |
| St Francis of Assisi Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 76% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 64% · G6 reading 87% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 63% | Middle fifth |
| St Patrick Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 68% · G3 writing 59% · G3 math 59% · G6 reading 100% · G6 writing 92% · G6 math 84% | Middle fifth |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 63% · OSSLT 77% | Middle fifth |
| St Joseph Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 75% · G3 writing 70% · G3 math 76% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 36% | Middle fifth |
| St Peter Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 68% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 45% | Middle fifth |
| Taylor Evans Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 86% · G3 writing 66% · G3 math 63% · G6 reading 91% · G6 writing 79% · G6 math 44% | Middle fifth |
| Mitchell Woods Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 74% · G3 writing 55% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 83% · G6 writing 85% · G6 math 56% | Middle fifth |
| Priory Park Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 56% · G3 writing 50% · G3 math 62% · G6 reading 95% · G6 writing 84% · G6 math 53% | Middle fifth |
| St John Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 83% · G3 writing 68% · G3 math 60% · G6 reading 85% · G6 writing 88% · G6 math 25% | Middle fifth |
| Brant Avenue Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 62% · G3 writing 71% · G3 math 72% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 72% · G6 math 44% | Fourth fifth |
| St James Catholic SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math 44% · OSSLT 85% | Fourth fifth |
| ÉÉC Saint-René-GoupilElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 72% · G3 writing 72% · G3 math 67% · G6 reading 78% · G6 writing 52% · G6 math 42% | Fourth fifth |
| Gateway Drive Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 82% · G3 writing 45% · G3 math 91% · G6 reading 69% · G6 writing 56% · G6 math 27% | Fourth fifth |
| Willow Road Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 46% · G3 writing 54% · G3 math 50% · G6 reading 89% · G6 writing 83% · G6 math 39% | Fourth fifth |
| Holy Rosary Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 71% · G3 writing 64% · G3 math 64% · G6 reading 76% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 28% | Fourth fifth |
| Paisley Road Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 78% · G3 writing 60% · G3 math 65% · G6 reading 70% · G6 writing 70% · G6 math 42% | Fourth fifth |
| John Galt Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | G3 reading 70% · G3 writing 52% · G3 math 48% · G6 reading 88% · G6 writing 74% · G6 math 38% | Fourth fifth |
| Ottawa Crescent Public SchoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | G3 reading 48% · G3 writing 42% · G3 math 39% · G6 reading 84% · G6 writing 76% · G6 math 32% | Bottom fifth |
| College Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | G9 math no data · OSSLT 26% | Bottom fifth |
Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 (EQAO results; N/R where groups are too small). Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Where the 54 schools in and around Guelph are
A pin for every school, its colour the system it belongs to.
Points from the provincial lists.
Schooling in English and French around Guelph
The language each school teaches in, against every school in Ontario.
The mark on each bar is the share of schools in Ontario.
In French: ÉÉC Saint-René-Goupil and École élémentaire L'Odyssée. The public ones of the 2 come under CS catholique MonAvenir and CS Viamonde.
Section 23 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives French-speaking parents the right to French-language schooling for their children, through the French-language boards.
Who runs Guelph’s schools
Each level’s schools by system: English public, English Catholic, French-language, and independent or other.
Split by system, that is English public 35, English Catholic 17 and French-language 2.
The provincial school lists: each school’s board, language and Catholic or public status.
How children get a place in Guelph
The neighbourhood school
No application round, no lottery: the address fixes the school, and the board handles the paperwork.
French-language schools
Eligibility comes from the parents: French as a first language, or French schooling in Canada; otherwise, the board’s admissions committee decides.
Catholic schools
Ontario’s Catholic boards are publicly funded. Their elementary schools generally ask that a parent or the child be Catholic; their high schools are open to all students.
The provinces’ education acts and the boards’ own admission policies; check with the board for a given address.
The 54 schools in and around Guelph
Show all 42 elementary schools
High schools within reach of Guelph
Every secondary school within 15 km of the town, nearest first.
Counting out to 15 km, there are 10: 7 English public and 3 English Catholic. Guelph Collegiate and Vocational Institute is closest, at 1.5 km.
| School | Board | System | Band | Students | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guelph Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | Second fifth | 1,735 | 1.5 km |
| Centennial Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | Top fifth | 1,655 | 1.7 km |
| Day School -Wellington Centre - ContEdSecondary · Grades 11–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | – | 120 | 1.8 km |
| College Heights Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | Bottom fifth | 265 | 1.9 km |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Wellington CDSB | English Catholic | Middle fifth | 620 | 2.5 km |
| St James Catholic SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Wellington CDSB | English Catholic | Fourth fifth | 1,080 | 2.7 km |
| John F Ross Collegiate and Vocational InstituteSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | Second fifth | 2,115 | 2.9 km |
| Two Rivers Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Upper Grand DSB | English public | – | – | 4.5 km |
| Bishop Macdonell Catholic Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Wellington CDSB | English Catholic | Top fifth | 735 | 5.9 km |
| Jacob Hespeler Secondary SchoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Waterloo Region DSB | English public | Middle fifth | 1,070 | 15 km |
Distances in a straight line from the town’s centre point.
Alternative, adult and other schools around Guelph
Besides the elementary and high schools: alternative programs at St John Bosco Catholic School; online learning through UGDSB Online Learning Program and Wellington Catholic Online School. Their cards ↑
The kinds as the provincial lists give them (alternative, adult and continuing education, online, provincial schools).
Towns its size in Ontario
Towns of a similar population, with their schools in or within 3 km; described, not ranked.
| Town | Population | Schools | Students | French | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | 243,107 | 107 | 56,580 | 10 | 1.2 km |
| … | |||||
| Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 188,504 | 86 | 24,770 | 30 | 0.8 km |
| Barrie | 174,469 | 54 | 29,165 | 6 | 1.4 km |
| Cambridge | 165,354 | 64 | 29,625 | 5 | 1.5 km |
| Whitby | 162,413 | 82 | 47,640 | 5 | 0.7 km |
| Guelph | 160,760 | 54 | 24,520 | 2 | 1.1 km |
| Milton | 157,345 | 96 | 55,790 | 6 | 0.2 km |
| St. Catharines | 153,865 | 62 | 21,825 | 3 | 0.7 km |
| Kingston | 149,527 | 61 | 21,145 | 6 | 0.6 km |
| Waterloo | 142,450 | 58 | 33,340 | 2 | 0.7 km |
| … | |||||
| Peterborough | 97,834 | 34 | 14,960 | 2 | 1.1 km |
Among 20 towns its size, 14 have more schools nearby. A school in French is nearby in 21 towns of 21.
Populations from Statistics Canada; schools from the provincial lists, in or within 3 km of each town.
Schools in the towns around Guelph
For each nearby town, its schools in or within 3 km of its outline, with straight-line distances.
| Town | Schools | French | Catholic or independent | Nearest secondary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guelph | 54 | 2 | 18 | 1.1 km |
| Rockwood 5.3 km | 50 | 2 | 16 | 2.8 km |
| Puslinch 9.9 km | 37 | 1 | 13 | 4.1 km |
| Grand River South 17 km | 24 | 4 | 9 | 1 km |
| Grand River North 18 km | 24 | 2 | 7 | 0.8 km |
| Cambridge 18 km | 64 | 5 | 25 | 1.5 km |
| Idlewood 18 km | 26 | 2 | 8 | 1.4 km |
Cambridge leads the neighbours with 64 schools.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- What isn’t here. Inspection reports with ratings don’t exist here, and the lists give enrolment for one year at most.
- Bands, not ranks. EQAO publishes shares at the provincial standard; the band places each among Ontario’s schools by fifths.
- Boards and systems. A school’s system is its board’s: the language it teaches in, and whether the board is public or Catholic.
- The year. The 2024-25 list.
- The kinds of school. Each school is elementary, secondary or all-grade by the grades it teaches; alternative, adult and online programs sit in a group of their own.
- Which schools count. A school counts when it sits inside Guelph or less than 3 km beyond its edge.
Questions about schools in Guelph
How many schools are there in Guelph?
Inside the town there are 53; another 1 sit within 3 km.
Is there a French-language school in Guelph?
Yes, schooling in French is at ÉÉC Saint-René-Goupil and École élémentaire L'Odyssée.
Which boards run the schools in Guelph?
Upper Grand DSB (35), Wellington CDSB (17), CS catholique MonAvenir (1) and CS Viamonde (1), with each one’s schools in brackets.
How do I get a place at a school in Guelph?
Choose a system, then register with its board; the address decides the school.
Sources: Ontario Ministry of Education, School Information Finder 2024–25 and school contact list (Open Government Licence – Ontario) · map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).