10 best senior high schools in Ghana according to NSMQ rankings

• PRESEC-Legon tops the 2026 NSMQ-based ranking with an Elo rating of 1,720.30, after reclaiming the NSMQ title and becoming the first school to win the competition nine times.

• Mfantsipim, St Augustine’s and Prempeh College complete the top four, reflecting their strong and consistent performances in the NSMQ over the years.

• The ranking covers NSMQ performances from 2014, using the Elo rating system. It measures performance in the competition and should not be taken as an overall ranking of Ghana’s best schools.

The National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has become one of Ghana's biggest academic competitions, giving senior high schools a platform to showcase their strength in science, mathematics and problem-solving.

Over the years, some schools have consistently stood out, producing strong teams and making repeated appearances at the competition's grand finale.

The 2026 official NSMQ rankings, based on performances from 2014, use the Elo rating system to rank schools. The system, also used in chess and other competitive rankings, measures performance based on results over time.

READ ALSO: 2026 NSMQ: PRESEC-Legon beat Accra Academy and St Augustine’s to win ninth title

Here are the 10 highest-ranked schools:

Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School (PRESEC), Legon tops the ranking with an Elo rating of 1,720.30 points.

The school is the most successful in NSMQ history and is the latest champion, having won the 2026 grand finale to claim a record ninth title.

PRESEC defeated Accra Academy and St. Augustine's College with 40 points in the 2026 final. The victory came after the school returned to the grand finale following two consecutive quarter-final exits in 2024 and 2025.

By 2022, PRESEC had already made 11 appearances at the grand finale. Its 2023 and 2026 appearances take its total to 13 final appearances.

READ ALSO: Meet the contestants: PRESEC, AUGUSCO and Accra Academy battle for 2026 NSMQ crown

Mfantsipim School ranks second with 1,618.77 points.

The historic Cape Coast school has also established itself as one of the strongest NSMQ competitors. It won the competition in 2014 and returned to the top in 2024 and 2025.

Mfantsipim entered the 2026 competition as the defending champion but was eliminated by PRESEC in the quarter-finals.

The school has made repeated appearances at the grand finale and has built a reputation as one of the country's most consistent NSMQ teams.

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St. Augustine's College (AUGUSCO) takes third place with an Elo rating of 1,595.11 points.

The Cape Coast school has won the NSMQ twice and has been a regular presence at the latter stages of the competition.

AUGUSCO reached the grand finale for the third consecutive year in 2026, after also featuring in the 2024 and 2025 finals.

Although the school finished third in the 2026 final, its consistent appearances continue to underline its status as one of Ghana's leading NSMQ schools.

READ ALSO: NSMQ 2026: Accra Academy beats Bright SHS, Achimota to Join PRESEC and Augusco in grand finale

Prempeh College is fourth with 1,571.24 points.

The Kumasi-based school is one of the most successful institutions in NSMQ history, with five championship titles.

Its victories came in 1994, 1996, 2015, 2017 and 2021.

Prempeh College has also featured regularly in the grand finale and remains one of the schools most closely associated with Ghana's NSMQ tradition.

READ ALSO: NSMQ 2026: PRESEC, Legon crushes St. John’s and Tamale SHS in thrilling battle to book Grand Finale spot

Opoku Ware School (OWASS) ranks fifth with 1,542.17 points.

The Kumasi-based school is a two-time NSMQ champion, having won the competition in 1997 and 2002.

OWASS returned to the grand finale in 2023 and again in 2025. In 2025, it finished third behind champions Mfantsipim School and St. Augustine's College.

Its repeated presence among the country's top NSMQ schools has helped establish it as one of the competition's major contenders.

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Adisadel College occupies sixth place with 1,528.32 points.

The Cape Coast school won its first NSMQ title in 2016 and has been a familiar face in the competition's grand finale.

By 2022, Adisadel had already made six final appearances, including in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022.

Its strong record has helped keep the school among Ghana's most respected NSMQ competitors.

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Keta Senior High Technical School (KETASCO) ranks seventh with 1,483.48 points.

The Volta Region school has become one of the strongest competitors outside the traditional NSMQ powerhouses.

KETASCO made history with its run to the 2021 grand finale, where it finished as second runner-up behind Prempeh College and PRESEC. It also reached the grand finale in 2024, when Mfantsipim won ahead of St. Augustine's and KETASCO.

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Achimota School comes eighth with 1,479.19 points and an Elo rating of 1,479.19.

The historic Accra-based school has a long-standing academic reputation and has also made its mark in the NSMQ.

Achimota reached the grand finale in 2023, finishing second behind PRESEC and ahead of Opoku Ware School.

In 2026, the school reached the semi-final stage before losing its final qualification contest to Accra Academy.

Accra Academy ranks ninth with 1,451.26 points.

The historic Accra-based boys' school made a major breakthrough in 2026 by reaching the NSMQ grand finale for the first time.

It went on to finish as runner-up to PRESEC, scoring 33 points against PRESEC's 40 in the final.

Its historic 2026 run shows how the school's strong Elo rating translated into a breakthrough performance on the national stage.

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St. Peter's Senior High School completes the top 10 with an Elo rating of 1,445.49 points.

The Eastern Region school has also enjoyed strong moments in the NSMQ, including reaching the grand finale in 2019. It finished behind champions St. Augustine's College and runner-up PRESEC that year.

Its place in the 2026 top 10 reflects its sustained competitiveness in the competition.

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The ranking shows the depth of NSMQ talent among Ghana's senior high schools. While traditional powerhouses such as PRESEC, Prempeh College, Mfantsipim School and St. Augustine's College continue to dominate the upper levels, schools including Keta SHTS, Achimota School and Accra Academy have also shown that they can compete with the country's established academic giants.

PRESEC's latest victory adds another chapter to that history. With its ninth NSMQ title in 2026, the Legon-based school remains the competition's most successful champion.