Spotlight · 2026/27
The Top State Schools
Some of the strongest schools in our ranking charge no tuition at all. Selective grammars in London's commuter belt, exam-entry magnets in New York and Virginia, centuries-old gymnasiums in Amsterdam, lycées internationaux outside Paris — every school below is fee-free and holds its place in the World's Top Schools ranking on merit alone.
89
tuition-free state schools ranked
10
countries
79
verified tuition-free (school source or statutory basis) · rest evidence pending
Free does not mean open. Most schools on this list are fiercely selective — by entrance exam (UK grammars, US magnets), by catchment or residency, or by prior grades. International families should confirm eligibility, residency requirements and any fees charged to non-domestic students before applying.
Australia12 schools
How to get inFully selective state schools admit by academic entrance test — Perth Modern through WA's GATE selective testing, with equivalents like the Selective High School Placement Test in NSW. Sit the test a year before entry; local residency is usually required.
United States26 schools
How to get inExam schools and magnets admit by competitive test and grades — the SHSAT for New York's specialized high schools, TJ's own admissions process in Fairfax County, Boston's exam-school route. Places are generally reserved for residents of the district; charter schools like BASIS run lotteries instead.
France10 schools
How to get inLycées internationaux admit into their sections internationales by language test and dossier — apply directly to the section, usually in spring. The mainstream French stream follows the carte scolaire (catchment). Tuition is free; international sections may ask a small association fee.
United Kingdom17 schools
How to get inGrammar schools admit by the 11+ exam, sat at the start of Year 6 — each school or county sets its own test and gives priority to local catchments. Apply through the council's Common Application Form by 31 October the year before entry.
Hong Kong3 schools
How to get inGovernment and aided schools allocate places through the SSPA system, with a discretionary round where top schools interview. Free for local students — families generally need Hong Kong residency for eligibility.
Netherlands10 schools
How to get inGymnasiums follow the Dutch track system: entry at 12 needs a VWO-level advies from the primary school. The most popular city gymnasiums allocate oversubscribed places by ballot or priority rules; tuition is free with a modest voluntary parental contribution.
Sri Lanka1 school
New Zealand6 schools
Denmark1 school
Sweden3 schools
What counts as a state school here
Every school on this list is publicly funded and charges no tuition fee to eligible local pupils — that is the sole criterion. Charges for trips, meals, uniform, activities or boarding may still apply and are disclosed on each profile; voluntary donations are never counted as tuition. Any compulsory tuition above zero excludes a school, however small, so Singapore's junior colleges (MOE school fee) sit with the fee-paying state schools, not here. “School-verified” marks schools whose own official pages or registry record we have captured; “verification pending” marks schools whose tuition-free status rests on their public funding and national law while our school-specific check is completed. Residency conditions apply (for example Nevada residents at Davidson Academy). They are ranked by the same eight-category editorial composite as every other school on the site; being free earns no bonus and costs no penalty. Chips mark the funding model: state selective schools admit by competitive exam.
State or independent — which wins where?
Our editorial deep-dive on when a free school beats a £50,000 one.
Prefer to browse with filters? See all state schools in the Directory or view them inside the full ranking.