Jordanhill Holds No. 1 in 2026 Scottish League Table
Jordanhill School kept top spot in the scottish league table for 2026, extending a run that has put Glasgow’s state school at the front of Scotland’s rankings. Last year, 91% of its pupils achieved five or more Highers or equivalent SCQF level 6 awards, eight percentage points ahead of the school in second.
St Ninian's High in East Renfrewshire finished second, while the top 10 was dominated by schools from Glasgow suburbs. Three schools from East Renfrewshire and three from East Dunbartonshire made the top 10, underlining how heavily the leading end of the table is concentrated around Glasgow.
Jordanhill and St Ninian's High
Jordanhill is the only state school in Scotland funded directly by the Scottish Government, a status that sets it apart from the rest of the table. That makes its continued place at No. 1 the clearest marker in the rankings, even with St Ninian's close enough to keep the gap under double digits.
The school's intake also differs sharply from other high performers. Only 2.4% of Jordanhill pupils came from the lowest fifth of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, compared with the much wider spread of circumstances seen elsewhere in the top 10.
St Roch's and wider measures
St Roch's in Royston shows why the rankings can look different depending on the measure. It had 34% of pupils achieve five or more Highers, yet all of its pupils went on to higher or further education, found a job, or landed a place on a training scheme or work experience project.
That contrast has helped fuel the argument over what should count most when schools are judged. Christina Cannon, Glasgow's SNP convenor of education, said: "Ranking schools is not my favourite thing. But if you do it in different ways, different schools will come top. People should look at a wide range of factors when they're deciding for their own kids."
Gilruth and council control
Jenny Gilruth has said more head teachers cannot opt out of council control because of "budget constraints". That keeps the structural debate alive around how Scotland's schools are run while the league table continues to place Jordanhill at the top and leave other strong performers fighting for space just behind it.
For families comparing schools, the 2026 table points to two different readings of success: exam attainment at the top, and wider destinations lower down the list. Jordanhill leads on the first measure again, but St Roch's gives weight to the second.
