This post isn't about what school system is better or the debate about publicly funded Catholic schools. Those are issues that have long been debated and no clear answer seems to be arising from either. Instead, let's take a look at the reality of the situation in Mississauga and determine, based on neighbourhood, which system might be more advantageous for your child to enroll in. Of course, there's one caveat when trying to decide between public and Catholic schools – your children have to qualify to attend Catholic schools in Ontario. 

Ok, so let's take a look at which neighbourhoods we've determined are better for public schools. But, before we do, I'd like to note that these rankings don't mean that EVERY public school is better than every Catholic school in this neighbourhood. It simply means that the overall quality/rankings of schools in this neighbourhood seem to favour public over Catholic schools and vice versa. As always, you can refer to our overall rankings of Catholic schools and public elementary, secondary, and middle schools.

Mississauga Public School Neighbourhoods

Clarkson/Lorne Park - Average Home Value $869,198*

Clarkson, Lorne Park, Tecumseh and White Oaks are all highly ranked public schools while only St. Christopher ranks highly on the Catholic side. 

Central Erin Mills – Average Home Value $754,807*

This is essentially a tie as this neighbourhood has so many strong schools – both elementary and middle. Central Erin Mills also boasts the best Catholic high school in St. Aloysius of Gonzaga and one of the top public high schools in John Fraser. We gave the nod to the public system though as you have more options available to you. On the Catholic side you want to do your best to get your children into Divine Mercy.

Streetsville – Average Home Value $633,421*

This is mainly because the only Catholic school is a high school, but even Streetsville Secondary outperforms its Catholic equivalent in Iona SS. If you want to live in Streetsville, aim for Vista Heights elementary school.

East Credit – Average Home Value $602,909*

There are a ton of public and Catholic schools in this neighbourhood, but be careful – there are only really a couple of strong schools on either side. Aim for Brittania or Sherwood Mills on the public side and Our Lady of Good Voyage and St. Dunstan on the Catholic side.

Meadowvale Village – Average Home Value $521,474*

Another slight edge is given to the public side in this neighbourhood. The Catholic side is fairly strong as well and really you can't go very wrong in this neighbourhood. Aim for Levi Creek in Meadowvale Village.

Mississauga Catholic School Neighbourhoods

Hurontario – Average Home Value $556,056*

The Catholic schools in Hurontario are all fairly strong and seem to outperform their public counterparts. Aim for St. Matthew, the #2 ranked Catholic school in all of Mississauga.

Lisgar - Average Home Value $497,218*

The edge goes to the Catholic schools in Lisgar with St. Therese of the Child Jesus taking home the #1 spot in the latest Fraser Institute rankings.

Applewood - Average Home Value $534,000*

Another tough one as the reality is that Applewood isn't the strongest school district in Mississauga. I'd give the slight nod to the Catholic schools here and aim for St. Alfred. On the public side, Burnampthorpe is your best elementary school option and Tomken Road Middle is one of the top rated middle schools.

*Note – Average Home Value is based on activity for freehold homes in past 30 days.

There are more neighbourhoods that we won't cover here today, but the underlying factor is this:

All neighbourhoods have strong, average, and weak schools. Some more than others, but in each district you can find a good school for your children. However, you have to be very careful when deciding to buy or sell real estate to get your child into the right school. The difference between a good and poor school can literally be one street.

If you are interested in moving into or away from and into any of these or other Mississauga neighbourhoods, contact us to help you find the ideal school for your children or use the form below!