The 7 Stirling high schools among Scotland’s top performers
These Stirling Council secondary schools have maintained consistently high levels of student achievement.
Each of these schools in and around Stirling has been measured on the percentage of pupils who received the Scottish Government’s educational “gold standard” of five Highers, or their equivalent, in 2025 – based on data published by the Scottish Government on its own website.
These Higher result tables do not reflect schools or rank them in terms of ‘best to worst’ as that would fail to take into account factors such as the support offered to children with complex needs, the effort and quality of the teaching staff, working conditions for said staff, quality of the student experience, the funding the school receives from Stirling Council, or whether or not the school is serving an underprivileged and disadvantaged area within the local authority.
Here are the seven Stirling Council high schools among Scotland's top performers in 2026 based on the latest available data.
Dunblane High School
Dunblane High School tops the list in Stirling (council) with 72% of pupils achieving at least five or more Highers. They rank as the 15th best performing secondary school in Scotland.
Google MapsBalfron High School
Balfron High School is the second best performing school in Stirling (council) and has a success rate of 62% of pupils gaining five or more Higher qualifications. Balfron High School was the 28th best performing high school in Scotland.
Google MapsMcLaren High School
McLaren High School is the third best performing high school in Stirling (council) with 52% of pupils leaving school with five or more Highers. The school is ranked as Scotland's 63rd best performing high school.
Google MapsStirling High School
Stirling High School is the fourth highest ranked school in Stirling (council) with 46% of pupils achieving at least five Higher qualifications. They rank as the 96th best performing high school in Scotland.
Google MapsWallace High School
Wallace High School saw 46% of their pupils achieve at least five Higher qualifications. It ranks fifth in Stirling (council) and 98th in Scotland.
Google MapsSt Modan's High School
St Modan's High School is the sixth best performing secondary school in Stirling (council) as 42% of pupils gained at leave five Highers or more in 2025. Overall, St Modan's High School ranks as the 124th best performing school in the country.
Google MapsBannockburn High School
Bannockburn High School saw 36% of pupils achieve five or more Highers, placing the school seventh in Stirling (council) and 172nd across Scotland.
Google Maps