Pickering College
- Why
- Families seeking an early start · Families seeking language support
- Because
- Established history · Quaker values · Global Leadership Program
- Result
- Language and academics together · Gentle transition · Access to Toronto
- Benefit
- Mid-market price · CAD 250 below the median, with boarding with supervised study and ESL support
- Cost
- CAD 89,400 (headline annual fee with boarding) · about CAD 8,940 per school month
Why Pickering College?
Families sending a child to Canada after middle school or in the early high school years want to know how a student who is still developing English will be received at an established school. Pickering College answers by combining language support with boarding life. Its CAIS accreditation shows that it is regularly reviewed against national standards.
- Families seeking an early start: Those looking for a boarding option from Grade 7. Students move from middle school to high school on the same campus.
- Families seeking language support: Students in Grades 9 and 10 who need to bring their English up to academic level. A separate boarding language program exists for them.
- Families seeking values-based education: Those who expect leadership and social responsibility alongside academic achievement. The school's Quaker roots match this expectation.
Reasons: what sets Pickering College apart
- Established history: Founded in 1842, the school has settled traditions and a mature institutional culture, which answers parents' search for trust.
- Quaker values: Its educational approach rests on Quaker values that emphasise diversity and inclusion, so students from many countries join the community more easily.
- Global Leadership Program: The school's signature program ties learning to real-world problems, so students build research, presentation and project skills throughout high school.
- ESL Boarding Academy: Designed for Grades 9 and 10, it places language support inside boarding life, so students practise English outside class.
- Small boarding groups: Boarders are divided into "family" groups of about 10 to 15 students, so adults know each student closely.
- Safety and supervision: The campus has 24-hour electronic security monitoring and residence staff who live on campus, so parents can follow their child's daily routine.
- Blue & Silver Farm: The school's 75-acre farm is used as a learning space, so lessons extend outdoors beyond the classroom.
Cost analysis: what one school year costs
International boarding tuition is CAD 89,400 per year for 2026-27; the ESL boarding program is CAD 90,900.
| Item | CAD | When |
|---|---|---|
| International boarding tuition | 89,400 | listed with the annual fees |
| ESL boarding program | 90,900 | listed with the annual fees |
| Health insurance (paid separately; frequency not stated) | 1,100 | listed with the annual fees |
| Headline annual fee with boarding | 89,400 | 2026-27 |
The headline fee works out to about CAD 8,940 per school month over a 10-month year, accommodation and meals included.
Inclusions are not detailed; laptop and uniform are paid separately with no amounts given; confirm current fees with the school.
Fees were compiled in October 2026 and change every school year; confirm the amount with the school before applying.
How this fee compares
At CAD 89,400, this fee is CAD 250 below the median of CAD 89,650 among 24 CAIS schools with boarding included.
Outcome: what it means for the student and family
- Language and academics together: Students close their English gap without falling behind in high school courses, so they graduate without extending their schooling.
- Gentle transition: Small groups and on-campus staff ease the adjustment of students leaving home for the first time, and homesickness in the early months is easier to overcome.
- Access to Toronto: Weekend programs include sports games in Toronto and trips to sites such as the CN Tower and Niagara Falls, as part of the boarding program.
- University preparation: The leadership program produces concrete projects that can go into an application file, and students can explain them in their own words.
Benefit analysis: what the investment buys
The student works toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), taught and assessed by certified Canadian teachers.
ESL/ELL support builds academic English step by step, so subject marks are not held back by language.
On-campus boarding with supervised study time, meals and weekend activities inside one community.
Leadership and Outdoor Education let the student build a profile beyond grades.
A Canadian transcript, teacher references and extracurricular record that Canadian and international universities review directly.
Cost–benefit at a glance
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Annual investment | CAD 89,400 | Headline annual fee with boarding, from the cost analysis above |
| Per school month | CAD 8,940 | Over a 10-month school year |
| Price position | −CAD 250 | vs. median CAD 89,650 · 24 CAIS schools with boarding included |
| Specialty programs | 2 | Leadership and Outdoor Education |
| Living arrangement | Boarding | Included in the cost analysis where the school publishes it |
| Language support | ESL/ELL | Structured English support listed by the school |
| Value verdict | Mid-market price |
Priced in line with the median across 24 CAIS schools with boarding included. The decision rests on fit: boarding with supervised study and ESL support rather than price.
Who it suits and what to consider
- Cost: For 2026-27 the international boarding fee is CAD 89,400, or CAD 90,900 with the ESL program. Health insurance (CAD 1,100), a laptop and uniforms are paid separately. Confirm current fees with the school before applying.
- Location and climate: Newmarket is a quiet town with cold winters; students expecting a big-city pace should keep this in mind. Students under 17 must also have a custodian appointed in Canada.
Is Pickering College right for your child's language level and goals?