Best Schools in Pretoria 2026

The top fee-paying public schools in Pretoria

These are the schools that consistently sit near the top of the national matric results and pull strong sport and music programmes at a fraction of private school fees.

• Pretoria Boys High School (PBHS). Founded 1901. One of the country's top all-round boys schools. Strong academic outcomes, deep rugby and cricket programmes, full boarding option. 2026 day fees roughly R55,000 a year, boarding adds R55,000+. Selective intake.
• Pretoria High School for Girls. Founded 1902. Sister school to PBHS academically and culturally. Strong matric results, broad subject choice. 2026 day fees roughly R45,000 a year.
• Hoerskool Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool (Affies). Founded 1920. Premier Afrikaans-medium boys' school. Legendary rugby programme, strong academics, boarding option. 2026 day fees roughly R45,000 a year.
• Hoerskool Afrikaans Hoer Meisieskool. Sister school to Affies on the Afrikaans-medium side. Strong all-round outcomes.
• Menlo Park High School. Dual-medium English and Afrikaans. One of the most academically competitive schools in Pretoria East. Strong sport, music, and cultural programmes. 2026 day fees roughly R42,000 a year.
• Hoerskool Waterkloof. Afrikaans-medium with strong rugby and academic output. 2026 day fees roughly R40,000.
• Hoerskool Garsfontein. Afrikaans-medium in Pretoria East. Strong academic and sporting programmes.

All of these schools operate on a feeder zone system administered through GDE Online. Sibling priority and zone matter a lot. Without one of those, the competition for places is intense.

The top independents

Pretoria has a smaller independent-school sector than Johannesburg or Cape Town. The most established names:

• St Mary's DSG (Diocesan School for Girls). Anglican girls' school in Pretoria. IEB. Strong academics, established old-girls network. 2026 day fees roughly R130,000 a year. Boarding offered.
• St Alban's College. Anglican boys' school in Lynnwood Glen. IEB. Strong academic and sporting outcomes, with a focus on smaller class sizes. 2026 day fees roughly R155,000 a year. Boarding offered.
• Cornwall Hill College. Co-ed IEB independent on the southern edge of Pretoria. Strong all-round programme. 2026 day fees roughly R115,000 a year.
• Crawford International Pretoria. Part of the ADvTECH group. Mid-tier independent with IEB. Day fees roughly R95,000 to R125,000 depending on phase.
• Hatfield Christian School. Co-ed Christian independent. Mid-tier fees, strong community.
• Curro Heuwelkruin and Curro Hazeldean. Curro campuses serving Pretoria East. Mid-tier independent fees.

High schools in Centurion

Centurion sits between Pretoria and Johannesburg and has its own dense school market. Notable high schools:

• Hoerskool Centurion. Afrikaans-medium public. Strong academic and sporting record. Competitive feeder zone.
• Eldoraigne High School. Dual-medium public. Strong academic outcomes and competitive sport across rugby, hockey, and cricket.
• Lyttelton Manor High School. English-medium public, dual-medium options. Strong academic record.
• Centurion Secondary School. Dual-medium public in central Centurion. Steady academic output and growing extra-mural programme.
• Curro Centurion and Curro Heritage House. Two Curro campuses serving the area, both writing IEB matric. 2026 day fees roughly R75,000 to R110,000 depending on grade.
• Southdowns College. Established co-ed independent in Irene. IEB. 2026 day fees roughly R120,000.
• The Hill High School. Independent in Lyttelton, smaller campus, IEB.

Public high schools in Pretoria North

The northern Pretoria suburbs (Pretoria North, Mountain View, Annlin, Sinoville, Theresapark) carry a strong cluster of Afrikaans-medium public schools:

• Hoerskool Pretoria-Noord. Established Afrikaans- medium public. Strong academic and rugby programmes. Competitive feeder zone.
• Hoerskool Wonderboom. Afrikaans-medium public. Long tradition in academic and sporting excellence.
• Hoerskool Gerrit Maritz. Afrikaans-medium with strong cultural and academic outputs.
• Hoerskool Tuine. Smaller Afrikaans-medium public.

English-medium options in Pretoria North are fewer. Parents wanting English-medium schooling in this catchment often travel to Pretoria East or look at independents.

Pretoria East schools

Pretoria East (Lynnwood, Faerie Glen, Garsfontein, Moreleta Park, Equestria, Silver Lakes) is the most school-dense area in greater Pretoria. Highlights beyond those listed above:

• Pretoria East public schools: Hoerskool Garsfontein, Hoerskool Waterkloof, Menlo Park High, all already covered above.
• Mid-tier independents: Crawford International Pretoria, Curro Heuwelkruin, Curro Hazeldean.
• Strong primary feeders: Laerskool Garsfontein, Laerskool Anton van Wouw, Laerskool Wonderboom-Suid, Lynnwood Glen Primary.

How to choose

Three structural questions that will save you a lot of agonising:

1. What language of instruction does your child need? Pretoria is unusually split on this. The Afrikaans-medium schools (Affies, Hoerskool Centurion, Hoerskool Garsfontein, Hoerskool Waterkloof, Hoerskool Pretoria-Noord) have strong cultures and academic outputs but are not for English-first families. The English-medium schools (Pretoria Boys, Pretoria Girls, Menlo Park dual-medium track) are equally strong but fewer in number.
2. Are you in the feeder zone? The top public schools fill from in-zone learners plus siblings. Out-of-zone applications rarely succeed at the most competitive options (PBHS, Pretoria Girls, Affies, Menlo Park, Hoerskool Centurion). Check before falling in love.
3. Does the private option buy something specific? For Pretoria parents, the marginal benefit of a R130,000 a year private school over a R45,000 a year top public is often small at the academic level. The privates buy you smaller classes, broader subject choice, and a particular community culture. Worth it for some children, not for most.

Frequently asked questions

For Gauteng-wide top schools rankings, read Top 20 Schools in Gauteng. For the admissions process, see School Admissions Gauteng 2026. To find specific Pretoria schools and their published fees, browse the Gauteng directory.