Best Boys' Senior High Schools in Ghana (2026): Leading Schools by Record

Choosing a boys' school

Boys' schools dominate the NSMQ roll of honour, and the grand-final record is the clearest public signal we have for them. A boys' school is a real choice and more than a matter of tradition. For many families it affects the commute, the boarding arrangement, the school's size and the subjects on offer. Under the CSSPS rules each candidate picks eight schools, with five boarding and three day choices, so the first job is to find schools you can realistically attend.

This page is a companion to our main list, Top 20 senior high schools in Ghana. It uses the same method and the same data, filtered to boys' schools.

How this list was built

Schools earn points for NSMQ grand finals since 1994 (5 for a title, 3 for runner-up, 2 for third place) and 4 for being in the Ministry of Education's top ten most chosen schools in the 2025 cycle. Ties are broken by the school's founding year, oldest first, then by name. Most of the NSMQ champions are boys' schools, which is why this list has the widest spread of points. Read the points as a record of quiz success and demand, not as a measure of teaching. The full method is on the methodology page.

The list: 16 leading boys' senior high schools

• Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC)
• Opoku Ware School
• Prempeh College
• St. Peter's Senior High School
• Mfantsipim School
• St. Augustine's College
• Adisadel College
• Ghana Senior High Technical School (Ghana Secondary Technical School)
• St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School
• Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary
• St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary
• Accra Academy
• Bishop Herman College
• St. John's School
• Kumasi High School (Kumasi Boys)
• Nandom Senior High School

What the record shows

10 of these 16 schools have won the NSMQ: Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC) (1995, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2026); Opoku Ware School (1997 and 2002); Prempeh College (1994, 1996, 2015, 2017 and 2021); St. Peter's Senior High School (2000, 2005 and 2018); Mfantsipim School (1999, 2014, 2024 and 2025); St. Augustine's College (2007 and 2019); Adisadel College (2016); Ghana Senior High Technical School (Ghana Secondary Technical School) (2012); St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School (2013); Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary (2001). The Ministry counted the most first-choice selections in 2025 for Opoku Ware School (8,278 for 1,040 places).

The schools one by one

1. Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC). A boys' school in Legon, Greater Accra Region, founded in 1938, with a Presbyterian background. It has won the NSMQ 9 times (1995, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2026). It has been runner-up in 1996, 2013, 2019 and 2021.

2. Opoku Ware School. A boys' school in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, founded in 1952, with a Catholic background. It has won the NSMQ 2 times (1997 and 2002). It has been runner-up in 1995, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2016. It finished third in 2020, 2023 and 2025. The Ministry of Education counted 8,278 first-choice selections for it in the 2025 placement cycle against 1,040 places.

3. Prempeh College. A boys' school in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, founded in 1949. It has won the NSMQ 5 times (1994, 1996, 2015, 2017 and 2021). It has been runner-up in 1997 and 2022.

4. St. Peter's Senior High School. A boys' school in Nkwatia, Eastern Region, founded in 1957, with a Catholic background. It has won the NSMQ 3 times (2000, 2005 and 2018). It has been runner-up in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006. It finished third in 2019.

5. Mfantsipim School. A boys' school in Cape Coast, Central Region, founded in 1876, with a Methodist background. It has won the NSMQ 4 times (1999, 2014, 2024 and 2025). It has been runner-up in 2000. It finished third in 2016.

6. St. Augustine's College. A boys' school in Cape Coast, Central Region, founded in 1930. It has won the NSMQ 2 times (2007 and 2019). It has been runner-up in 2024 and 2025. It finished third in 2026.

7. Adisadel College. A boys' school in Cape Coast, Central Region, founded in 1910, with a Anglican background. It has won the NSMQ once (2016). It has been runner-up in 2015 and 2020. It finished third in 2017, 2018 and 2022.

8. Ghana Senior High Technical School (Ghana Secondary Technical School). A boys' school in Takoradi, Western Region, founded in 1909. It has won the NSMQ once (2012). It has been runner-up in 2001 and 2014.

9. St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School. A boys' school in Cantonments, Greater Accra Region, founded in 1952. It has won the NSMQ once (2013). It has been runner-up in 2017.

10. Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary. A boys' school in Koforidua, Eastern Region, founded in 1958, with a Catholic background. It has won the NSMQ once (2001).

11. St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary. A boys' school in Wa, Upper West Region, with a Catholic background. It has been runner-up in 2012. It finished third in 2014.

12. Accra Academy. A boys' school in Bubuashie, Greater Accra Region, founded in 1931. It has been runner-up in 2026.

13. Bishop Herman College. A boys' school in Kpando, Volta Region, founded in 1952, with a Catholic background.

14. St. John's School. A boys' school in Sekondi, Western Region, founded in 1952.

15. Kumasi High School (Kumasi Boys). A boys' school in Gyinyase, Kumasi, Ashanti Region, founded in 1964.

16. Nandom Senior High School. A boys' school in Nandom, Upper West Region, with a Catholic background.

Where these schools are

Browse every senior high school in a region on the register through the region links above, or see Category A, B and C schools by region.

How to choose among boys' schools

1. Check the programme. A school can only place you in a programme it runs. The CSSPS vacancy directory prints the programmes with open places for each school: CSSPS, school vacancies directory.
2. Check day or boarding. Boarding places are harder to win than day places. The guidelines say a candidate who picks boarding and loses the boarding race is not moved to day at the same school.
3. Check distance. Day choices must be within your catchment area.
4. Use your aggregate honestly. The BECE aggregate calculator helps you see where your grades sit, and the placement guide explains merit placement.
5. Spread your eight choices. Two ambitious, three realistic, three safe is a sensible shape, within the limits of two Category A and three Category B schools.

Boarding, day and distance

Each candidate picks eight schools, five as boarding and three as day. Day schools have to be within reach of home, because you will make the journey every school day for three years. Boarding is the more competitive option: if you choose boarding at a school and miss the boarding places, the system does not offer you the day place at that school. It moves to your next choice, and once you are placed the placement is not changed.

So a single-sex or mixed school is only part of the decision. Look at where it is, whether you can reach it as a day student, and which programmes it runs. A school can place you only in a programme it actually offers.

The limits on categories also shape the form. A candidate may choose at most two Category A schools and three Category B schools, and may fill all eight lines with Category C schools. The form is signed by a parent or guardian and given to the junior high head teacher.

Common mistakes when choosing from a list

• Reading a quiz record as exam results. The NSMQ tests a small team on science and maths. It is not a WASSCE result.
• Reading this list as a category list. It is not. Categories decide how many schools of each group you may pick. They are set by the Ministry, and we found no official public list of which school is in which.
• Ignoring the programme and the distance. A famous school you cannot attend as a day student, or that does not run your programme, is a wasted choice.
• Trusting lists on social media. Many name no source. Ours use the NSMQ grand-final record and the Ministry of Education count of most chosen schools, and we say plainly that we hold no school-level WASSCE results.
• Not keeping a copy of the form. It is your record of what was submitted.

What we could not confirm

We could not find an official public list of Category A, B or C schools, so this page does not label any school with a category. We could not confirm founding years for every school and leave them empty where Wikipedia was unclear. We hold no school-level WASSCE results.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best boys' senior high schools in Ghana?

Our list above names 16 leading boys' schools, led by Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC), Opoku Ware School, Prempeh College. It is ordered by NSMQ record and Ministry of Education demand figures, not by WASSCE results.

Which boys' school is the best in Ghana?

There is no official ranking of schools by exam results that we could find. On our public-record points, Presbyterian Boys' Senior High School (PRESEC) comes first among boys' schools.

Are there Category A boys' schools?

Many well-known boys' schools are widely described as Category A, but we could not find an official public list, so we do not label any school. Your junior high head teacher has the selection form showing each school's category.

How many schools can I choose in the CSSPS selection?

Eight in total, ranked in order of preference, with five boarding and three day choices, and at most two from Category A and three from Category B.

Does a boys' school have better results?

We cannot say. We do not hold school-level WASSCE results, and a single-sex or mixed setting is only one of many things that shape a school.

How do I find a boys' school near me?

Use the schools near me tool, or browse a region's senior high schools.

Can I check a school's programmes before choosing?

Yes. Look at the school's page on our register and the programmes listed on the CSSPS, school vacancies directory.

Is this list updated?

We re-check it each month in placement season and after each NSMQ final.

Update log

Sources

• Ministry of Education, 2026 school selection and placement guidelines (PDF) (checked 2026-10-12)
• CSSPS, school vacancies directory (checked 2026-10-12)
• Wikipedia, Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz (list of past winners) (checked 2026-10-12)
• Ghana News Agency, PRESEC reclaims NSMQ crown, September 2026
• NSMQ, official site