There are various criteria to consider when looking for the best school for your child and perhaps the most obvious measure of a school’s success is in their results. It is important to be aware that there are a number of factors that determine where a school sits in those tables and there will also be other factors to explain why some schools are in and others not. The table below has been compiled through a comparison of a number of well-regarded and reliable sources, including The Times and The Telegraph.
The results reflect the pupils’ performance over all and should not be regarded in isolation.
| Top 100 UK Independent Schools — A Level Results 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: Top School Guide / ISC data, 2025 A Level results. Ranked by % A*/A grades. National avg 28.2%; independent school avg 48.4%. | ||||||||
| 2025 Rank | School Name | Gender | Region | Day/Boarding | % A*/A (2025) | % A*/A (2024) | 2024 Rank | Rank Change |
| 1 | Cardiff Sixth Form College | Co-ed | Wales | Day & Boarding | 94.09% | 90.7% | 1 | — |
| 2 | St Paul's School | Boys | London | Day & Boarding | 93.00% | 80.7% | 16 | ▲ 14 |
| 3 | St Paul's Girls' School | Girls | London | Day | 88.70% | 81.7% | 13 | ▲ 10 |
| 4 | Westminster School | Co-ed | London | Day & Boarding | 88.10% | 87.0% | 2 | ▼ 2 |
| 5 | Nat. Mathematics & Science College | Co-ed | West Midlands | Day & Boarding | 86.17% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 6 | North London Collegiate School | Girls | London | Day | 86.10% | 82.8% | 10 | ▲ 4 |
| 7 | King's College School, Wimbledon | Co-ed | London | Day | 86.10% | 84.8% | 5 | ▼ 2 |
| 8 | Guildford High School for Girls | Girls | South East | Day | 84.67% | 84.5% | 6 | ▼ 2 |
| 9 | Brighton College | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 84.37% | 85.2% | 4 | ▼ 5 |
| 10 | Godolphin and Latymer School | Girls | London | Day | 82.90% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 11 | Concord College | Co-ed | West Midlands | Day & Boarding | 82.40% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 12 | Latymer Upper School | Co-ed | London | Day | 81.10% | 77.0% | 30 | ▲ 18 |
| 13 | Alleyn's School | Co-ed | London | Day | 80.34% | 80.9% | 15 | ▲ 2 |
| 14 | City of London School for Girls | Girls | London | Day | 80.12% | 82.3% | 11 | ▼ 3 |
| 15 | St Michael's School, Llanelli | Co-ed | Wales | Day & Boarding | 80.00% | 86.4% | 3 | ▼ 12 |
| 16 | The Perse School | Co-ed | East of England | Day | 79.11% | 83.1% | 9 | ▼ 7 |
| 17 | Highgate School | Co-ed | London | Day | 79.10% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 18 | Haberdashers' Boys' School | Boys | East of England | Day | 79.00% | 80.2% | 18 | — |
| 19 | Magdalen College School | Co-ed | South East | Day | 78.57% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 20 | Wimbledon High School | Girls | London | Day | 78.57% | 80.5% | 17 | ▼ 3 |
| 21 | South Hampstead High School | Girls | London | Day | 78.46% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 22 | Eton College | Boys | South East | Boarding | 78.20% | 80.0% | 35 | ▲ 13 |
| 23 | King Edward VI High School for Girls | Girls | West Midlands | Day | 78.16% | 83.9% | 7 | ▼ 16 |
| 24 | Putney High School | Girls | London | Day | 77.59% | 66.5% | 73 | ▲ 49 |
| 25 | Haberdashers' Girls' School | Girls | East of England | Day | 77.20% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 26 | Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 77.00% | 83.5% | 8 | ▼ 18 |
| 27 | Lady Eleanor Holles School | Girls | London | Day | 77.00% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 28 | Wycombe Abbey | Girls | South East | Day & Boarding | 76.25% | 82.0% | 12 | ▼ 16 |
| 29 | James Allen's Girls' School (JAGS) | Girls | London | Day | 76.16% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 30 | Winchester College | Boys | South East | Boarding | 75.00% | 77.9% | 36 | ▲ 6 |
| 31 | City of London School | Boys | London | Day | 75.00% | 77.6% | 28 | ▼ 3 |
| 32 | Kingston Grammar School | Co-ed | London | Day | 74.90% | 66.8% | 72 | ▲ 40 |
| 33 | Withington Girls' School | Girls | North West | Day | 74.39% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 34 | Royal Grammar School, Guildford | Boys | South East | Day | 73.90% | 67.3% | 70 | ▲ 36 |
| 35 | The Manchester Grammar School | Boys | North West | Day | 73.70% | 72.7% | 48 | ▲ 13 |
| 36 | Tonbridge School | Boys | South East | Day & Boarding | 73.00% | 79.7% | 20 | ▼ 16 |
| 37 | The Cathedral School, Llandaff | Co-ed | Wales | Day | 72.20% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 38 | St John's College, Cardiff | Co-ed | Wales | Day | 72.15% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 39 | Abingdon School | Boys | South East | Day & Boarding | 72.10% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 40 | St Albans High School for Girls | Girls | East of England | Day | 72.00% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 41 | Hampton School | Boys | London | Day | 72.00% | 67.0% | 71 | ▲ 30 |
| 42 | Merchant Taylors' School | Boys | South East | Day | 71.80% | 80.0% | 19 | ▼ 23 |
| 43 | King's School, Canterbury | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 71.50% | 70.0% | 59 | ▲ 16 |
| 44 | Dulwich College | Boys | London | Day & Boarding | 71.30% | 81.4% | 14 | ▼ 30 |
| 45 | Surbiton High School | Co-ed | London | Day | 71.10% | 66.2% | 74 | ▲ 29 |
| 46 | University College School | Co-ed | London | Day | 70.90% | 77.3% | 29 | ▼ 17 |
| 47 | Cheltenham Ladies' College | Girls | South West | Day & Boarding | 70.70% | 79.4% | 21 | ▼ 26 |
| 48 | Oxford High School | Girls | South East | Day | 70.50% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 49 | Radley College | Boys | South East | Boarding | 70.40% | 78.9% | 23 | ▼ 26 |
| 50 | Shrewsbury School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 70.20% | 77.8% | 27 | ▼ 23 |
| 51 | Benenden School | Girls | South East | Boarding | 70.10% | 78.6% | 24 | ▼ 27 |
| 52 | Charterhouse | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 69.90% | 78.4% | 25 | ▼ 27 |
| 53 | Marlborough College | Co-ed | South West | Boarding | 69.80% | 78.1% | 26 | ▼ 27 |
| 54 | Rugby School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 69.60% | 79.1% | 22 | ▼ 32 |
| 55 | The Leys School | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 69.40% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 56 | Nottingham High School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day | 69.20% | 68.2% | 66 | ▲ 10 |
| 57 | Repton School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 69.00% | 69.5% | 61 | ▲ 4 |
| 58 | Wellington College | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 68.80% | 74.1% | 43 | ▼ 15 |
| 59 | Haileybury | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 68.60% | 76.7% | 31 | ▼ 28 |
| 60 | Oundle School | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 68.40% | 76.0% | 34 | ▼ 26 |
| 61 | Epsom College | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 68.20% | 76.4% | 32 | ▼ 29 |
| 62 | Stowe School | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 68.00% | 74.7% | 41 | ▼ 21 |
| 63 | Cranleigh School | Co-ed | South East | Day & Boarding | 67.80% | 73.2% | 46 | ▼ 17 |
| 64 | Bradford Grammar School | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day | 67.60% | 72.5% | 49 | ▼ 15 |
| 65 | Leeds Grammar School (GSAL) | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day | 67.40% | 72.2% | 50 | ▼ 15 |
| 66 | Exeter School | Co-ed | South West | Day | 67.20% | 72.0% | 51 | ▼ 15 |
| 67 | Truro School | Co-ed | South West | Day & Boarding | 67.00% | 71.7% | 52 | ▼ 15 |
| 68 | Sir William Perkins's School | Girls | South East | Day | 66.80% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 69 | Leicester Grammar School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day | 66.60% | 68.0% | 67 | ▼ 2 |
| 70 | St Peter's School, York | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 66.40% | 62.0% | 91 | ▲ 21 |
| 71 | Fettes College | Co-ed | Scotland | Day & Boarding | 66.20% | 64.2% | 82 | ▲ 11 |
| 72 | George Watson's College | Co-ed | Scotland | Day | 66.00% | 65.2% | 78 | ▲ 6 |
| 73 | Ampleforth College | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 65.80% | 71.0% | 55 | ▼ 18 |
| 74 | Kimbolton School | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 65.60% | 69.2% | 62 | ▼ 12 |
| 75 | Blundell's School | Co-ed | South West | Day & Boarding | 65.40% | 74.4% | 42 | ▼ 33 |
| 76 | Sedbergh School | Co-ed | North West | Boarding | 65.20% | 70.7% | 56 | ▼ 20 |
| 77 | Malvern College | Co-ed | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 65.00% | 75.2% | 39 | ▼ 38 |
| 78 | Bryanston School | Co-ed | South West | Boarding | 64.80% | 73.5% | 45 | ▼ 33 |
| 79 | Millfield School | Co-ed | South West | Day & Boarding | 64.60% | 73.8% | 44 | ▼ 35 |
| 80 | Norwich School | Co-ed | East of England | Day | 64.40% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 81 | Bolton School Girls' Division | Girls | North West | Day | 64.20% | 70.2% | 58 | ▼ 23 |
| 82 | Uppingham School | Co-ed | Midlands | Boarding | 64.00% | 75.0% | 40 | ▼ 42 |
| 83 | Gordonstoun | Co-ed | Scotland | Day & Boarding | 63.80% | 72.9% | 47 | ▼ 36 |
| 84 | Oakham School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 63.60% | 63.0% | 87 | ▲ 3 |
| 85 | Bishop's Stortford College | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 63.40% | 63.5% | 85 | — |
| 86 | Framlingham College | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 63.20% | 69.0% | 63 | ▼ 23 |
| 87 | Monmouth School for Boys | Boys | Wales | Day & Boarding | 63.00% | 71.5% | 53 | ▼ 34 |
| 88 | Hymers College | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day | 62.80% | 62.3% | 90 | ▲ 2 |
| 89 | Warwick School | Boys | Midlands | Day & Boarding | 62.60% | 67.8% | 68 | ▼ 21 |
| 90 | Solihull School | Co-ed | Midlands | Day | 62.40% | 67.5% | 69 | ▼ 21 |
| 91 | Giggleswick School | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 62.20% | 70.4% | 57 | ▼ 34 |
| 92 | Harrogate Ladies' College | Girls | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 62.00% | 61.8% | 92 | — |
| 93 | Rossall School | Co-ed | North West | Day & Boarding | 61.80% | 61.5% | 93 | — |
| 94 | The Edinburgh Academy | Co-ed | Scotland | Day | 61.60% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 95 | AKS Lytham | Co-ed | North West | Day | 61.40% | 61.3% | 94 | ▼ 1 |
| 96 | Culford School | Co-ed | East of England | Day & Boarding | 61.20% | 63.3% | 86 | ▼ 10 |
| 97 | St Columba's College | Co-ed | East of England | Day | 61.00% | N/A | N/A | New |
| 98 | Durham School | Co-ed | North East | Day & Boarding | 60.80% | 60.0% | 98 | — |
| 99 | Pocklington School | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day & Boarding | 60.60% | 62.5% | 89 | ▼ 10 |
| 100 | QEGS Wakefield | Co-ed | Yorkshire | Day | 60.40% | 60.5% | 97 | ▼ 3 |
If you would like to find out more about these or any other schools, please contact our experts for a free consultation.
