These are the best performing state high schools in North Lanarkshire, according to the latest data available just released by the Scottish Government.
Each school 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.
The top performing school in North Lanarkshire this year in terms of academic attainment was Dalziel High School in Motherwell - which was ranked as the 28th best performing high school in Scotland. Our Lady's High School in Cumbernauld and St Maurice's High School in Cumbernauld were the other two high schools in North Lanarkshire that ranked within the top 50 best performing schools in the country.
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 North Lanarkshire Council, or whether or not the school is serving an underprivileged and disadvantaged area within the local authority.
Throughout our coverage, we use ‘Highers’ as a term to mean both Highers and equivalent qualifications at SCQF level 6 and above, such as Skills for Work Higher awards.
13. Cumbernauld Academy
Cumbernauld Academy saw 35% of pupils gain a minimum of five Highers. It ranks 13th in North Lanarkshire and joint 187th in Scotland. | Contributed
14. Cardinal Newman High School
Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill has a success rate of 33% of pupils achieving five or more Higher qualifications. It ranked 14th in North Lanarkshire and 203rd in Scotland. | Cardinal Newman High School
15. St Andrew’s High School
St Andrew’s High School in Coatbridge saw 32% of their pupils achieve at least five or more Highers. It ranked 15th in North Lanarkshire and 217th in Scotland. | Google Maps
16. Caldervale High School, Airdrie
Caldervale High School in Airdrie has a success rate of 29% of pupils gaining five Highers or more before leaving school. It's the sixteenth highest ranked school in North Lanarkshire and 243rd in Scotland. | Caldervale High School