General Information

Students eating in Maclaren Hall.

Ashbury College is one of the leading independent schools in Canada. Located in the capital city of Ottawa, close to national monuments, museums and greenspace, Ashbury has built a reputation of innovation and tradition. Founded in 1891, the school maintains its commitment of character education and rigorous academic preparation for university. The Ashbury experience has always promoted responsible citizenship and service to others. The College became the first Canadian high school to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and the Forum for Young Canadians in 1976.

With a clear vision of academic excellence, Ashbury offers an environment in which students are encouraged to realize their full potential. Cultivating social responsibility and personal ethics, while exploring innovation in science and technology, Ashbury graduates excel in all areas of study. With over 70 opportunities offered, Ashbury students shine not only academically, but in sport, music, drama and debating as well-both at home, across Canada, and around the world.

Students rowing on the Ottawa River.

Two new state-of-the-art boarding residences house 50 girls and 50 boys each, providing a safe and welcoming home away from home.

Our membership in Round Square and our international exchange and service programs further enhance the diverse experience available to students. With all these attributes and more, Ashbury is uniquely positioned to promote the values of international understanding and global leadership.

Tuition fees for the 2013-2014 school year are $20,900 for day students and $50,100 for boarding students. One hundred senior school students from approximately 30 countries board at the school each year.

Notable alumni include The Rt. Honourable John Turner, Canada's seventeenth Prime Minister; The Honourable Stockwell Day, Canadian war artist and heraldry expert Alan Beddoe, actor Matthew Perry; and Adrian Harewood, current host of "CBC News: Late Night" in Ottawa, who graduated as the School Captain in 1989.

Ashbury College overhead view

School History

Ashbury College was founded in 1891 by George Penrose Woollcombe, an ambitious Oxford University graduate and a new Canadian, who served as Ashbury's Headmaster for 42 years.

Ashbury in 1902.

The three-room school for boys was originally located on Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, moving to larger quarters also on Wellington Street and then on to Argyle Street in 1890 near the present Museum of Nature. In 1910, the school-called Ashbury College after Woollcombe's English home-moved to its current 13-acre location in the heart of Rockcliffe Park. With the support of Ottawa benefactors, a new building was constructed for the 115 students, 48 of whom were boarders.

More additions to the school in 1972 accommodated a student population of more than 300. In 1982, girls were enrolled for the first time in the senior school. With the financial support of Ashbury families and friends, a new gymnasium was added in 1985. This was followed by the completion of the new Napier wing in 1994 to house the Junior School. Later that year the Ashbury theatre, computer labs, several special purpose classrooms and the Teron Foyer were completed. The Heather Gillin Residence for girls was opened in 1999 to enhance Ashbury's boarding program.

In fall 2004, a new dining room (named Maclaren Hall), a double gymnasium and four new classrooms were opened. The main floor science lab and front offices were also renovated. Expansion of the Heather Gillin residence for girls began in June 2006 and the new boys residence (Matthews Residence) was completed in September 2010.

Today, Ashbury has 170 boys and girls in the Junior School and 515 young men and women, 100 of whom are boarding in the Senior School.

University Placement

Ashbury College offers the International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma program and has a university placement rate of 100% for the past 13 years. Last year, 85% of Ashbury graduates were admitted to their first-choice university. Graduates often matriculate to colleges and universities in Canada, the USA, and around the globe. Recent graduates have matriculated to University of Toronto, McGill University, Queen's University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Sorbonne University of Paris, University of Cambridge, King's College London, University of Oxford, Johns Hopkins University, University of St. Andrew's, Duke University, Wake Forest University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, New York University, University of Western Ontario, Bishop's University, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Vermont, University of Virginia, and the University of Chicago.

Last year, graduating students at Ashbury received more than $1,900,000 in university merit scholarships.