Scotland’s best state secondary school has been named for 2026, with the annual Sunday Times Parent Power Guide ranking the country’s top performers.
Retaining its top spot as Scotland’s highest ranked state secondary is Jordanhill School in Glasgow, which has also been awarded Scottish state secondary school of the year for academic excellence.
Other highly commended schools include Douglas Academy in Milngavie in fifth place, which has also been named as the overall Scottish state secondary school for 2026, with Aberdeen Grammar School in Aberdeen the runner-up.
Evaluating schools by overall Highers performance in 2025, the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026 found that – once again – the majority of Scotland’s best state secondaries are located in or around Glasgow. However, that is without considering independent schools or those which earned awards outside of the top ten.
Recognised as the definitive ranking of the UK’s top schools, the full guide includes a fully searchable national database of more than 2,000 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode along with an assessment of academic results per school.
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If you’re solely interested in the best of the best, here are Scotland’s top ten state secondary schools according to the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026.
5. Douglas Academy
Having just remained inside the top ten in 2024, Douglas Academy in Milngavie has climbed five places to fifth this year. In addition, the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide also recognised Douglas Academy as the Scottish State Secondary School of the Year for 2026. | Google Maps
6. Bearsden Academy
Though it still remains among the best, Bearsden Academy in East Dunbartonshire has dropped from second place to sixth in the 2026 ranking of Scotland's top state secondary schools. | Google Maps
7. Williamwood High School
Serving the East Renfrewshire community of Clarkston, Williamwood High School has kept its performance consistent, remaining as seventh in the overall rankings. | Google Maps
8. Aberdeen Grammar School
Aberdeen Grammar School makes its first appearance in several years in the 2026 Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, with the annual ranking recognising the secondary school as among Scotland's best. In addition to coming in eighth, Aberdeen Grammar is also the Runner up Scottish State Secondary School of the Year 2026. | Google Maps