Glenlyon Norfolk School vs Pearson College UWC

	G Glenlyon Norfolk School Victoria, Canada	P Pearson College UWC Victoria, Canada
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year CA$27,500 - 90,200	Fees / year CA$79,250 - 80,500
Age range	Age range 4 - 18 years	Age range 16 - 19 years
Type	Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)	Type Co-educational (boarding)
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)	Curriculum IB (DP)
Pupils	Pupils 799	Pupils 200
Typical class size	Typical class size 17	Typical class size 13
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1913	Opened 1974
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Two campuses: Beach Drive Campus (1701 Beach Drive) for Junior School (JK-Grade 5) and Pemberton Woods Campus (781 Richmond Avenue) for Middle and Senior School (Grades 6-12).	Location 650 Pearson College Drive, Victoria, British Columbia, V9C 4H7, Canada
Stages	Stages Junior Kindergarten (age 4) through Grade 12 (age 18). Junior School (JK-Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6-8), Senior School (Grades 9-12).	Stages Two-year pre-university programme (ages 16 to 19, equivalent to Grade 12 and Gap Year)
School type	School type Independent, co-educational, not-for-profit day and boarding school.	School type Independent co-educational boarding college (United World College)
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix Primarily Canadian day students with a smaller cohort of boarding and homestay students from various countries. Approximately 745 day students, 24 boarding students, and 30 homestay students.	Pupil nationality mix Approximately 200 students from around 90 countries, creating one of the most internationally diverse student bodies of any school in the world
Additional learning support	Additional learning support English Language Acquisition (ELA) program available at an additional cost of $4,500 per year. Individual learning support provided.	Additional learning support Individualised support through small class sizes and access to clinical counsellors
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Canada. Authorized IB World School. Member of Round Square.	Country affiliation Canada (United World Colleges international movement)
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation None.	Religious affiliation Non-denominational. A Spiritual Centre is available on campus for students of all faiths.
School day structure	School day structure Full school day with academic instruction, co-curricular activities in arts, athletics, and service.	School day structure Full boarding programme with a structured daily schedule including academics, experiential learning, community service, and activities
Bus service details	Bus service details School bus service is available.	Bus service details No bus service. All students are full-time boarders on the waterfront campus.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Day tuition for BC residents ranges from $27,500 (JK full day) to $32,850 (Senior School). International day students pay $45,705 to $48,400. Boarding fees range from $52,300 (Family Boarding, BC) to $90,200 (Gryphon Boarding, International). Sibling discounts of 5% (second child) and 10% (third child and beyond) are available.	Fee details The programme fee for 2026 entry is CAD 79,250 per year, plus a CAD 350 security deposit and CAD 900 medical insurance, totalling approximately CAD 80,500 per year. Significant scholarship and financial aid support is available through UWC national committees.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details GNS is one of only 25 schools in North America to offer the complete IB continuum. Junior School (JK-Grade 5) follows the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), a student-centred, inquiry-based curriculum. Middle School (Grades 6-10) follows the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) emphasizing interdisciplinary connections, critical thinking, and research skills, culminating in a Personal Project in Grade 10. Senior School (Grades 11-12) follows the IB Diploma Programme (DP) with six subject groups, Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and CAS.	Curriculum details Two educational pathways are available: the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with subjects across languages, sciences, mathematics, social studies, and the arts; and the Climate Action Leadership Diploma (CALD), an innovative IB Career-related Programme focused on climate leadership and sustainability.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio Average class size of 16-18 students.	Student teacher ratio Average class size of 13 students, providing close interaction between faculty and students
Exam results	Exam results Grade 12 IB exam registration costs approximately $1,200, billed directly to families in November.	Exam results Students sit the IB Diploma examinations. Contact the college for specific results and averages.
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Dedicated university preparation program with guidance counselling to support students in their post-secondary applications.	Higher education progression Graduates go on to attend leading universities worldwide. The UWC network and IB Diploma are widely recognised by universities globally.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented The IB Diploma and CALD programmes provide rigorous academic challenge. Higher Level IB subjects are available for students seeking depth in specific areas.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions Families can visit the school through open houses, scheduled tours, or virtual sessions. Applications are submitted online. The school evaluates fit through its GNS Fit process. Application fee is $250 (or $300 from September 1, 2026). Registration deposit of $3,000-$3,500 for day students and $15,000 for boarding students.	Admissions Students apply through their UWC national committee or the Global Selection Programme. Selection is based on merit and potential, not ability to pay. Admission is highly competitive, with students selected from thousands of applicants worldwide.
Scholarships	Scholarships Community Scholars Program offers merit scholarships of up to $15,000 for exceptional new domestic students entering Grades 6-12. Needs-based financial aid (bursaries) covering up to 40% of tuition is available for Canadian day students.	Scholarships Financial aid and scholarships are a core part of the UWC model. Many students attend on full or partial scholarships provided through UWC national committees and the college. Selection is need-blind.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist Due to the competitive nature of UWC admissions, waitlist information is managed through national committees
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