The best rental buildings near top-rated schools Calgary parents can shortlist start in Sunalta, where Sunalta School is tied ninth of 730 schools in the Fraser Institute’s 2024 Alberta elementary ranking. At least one apartment building there, by its owner’s account, sits steps from the CTrain. From there the list moves through Mount Royal, Altadore, Hillhurst, Triwood, and Springbank Hill, pairing each area’s elementary school with its high school where the data allows. Fraser ranks are provincewide and a nearby building is not a guaranteed seat, so every address needs a check with the school board.
What do the Fraser Institute school rankings tell a renter?
Fraser Institute Report Cards score each Alberta school out of 10 using academic indicators drawn from provincewide tests, and the rank compares a school with every other school in Alberta, not only with Calgary schools. This post uses the Report Card on Alberta’s Elementary Schools 2024 (published September 4, 2024, ranking 730 schools) and the Report Card on Alberta’s High Schools 2025 (published September 11, 2025, ranking 292 schools). No newer Alberta elementary edition appears among Fraser’s published report-card PDFs or in news searches as of September 28, 2026, so the elementary ranks are two years old.
A rank measures test results, not teaching quality, and it does not tell you whether your child can enrol. The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) says on its Find a School page that each child in Calgary is assigned a designated school based on home address and chosen program. The Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) must prioritize Catholic students living inside a school’s attendance area and enrols other students when resources allow, according to its registration eligibility page.
Charter and application programs set their own rules. Westmount Charter, ranked eighth of 292 among high schools at 9.4, admits students identified as intellectually gifted through assessment, according to its admissions page, and Hillhurst School runs GATE classes for Division II, so ask the CBE how placement in those classes works. Independent private schools are not catchment-based, so they are left out here even though several top the lists.
Does the Southwest cost more to rent near a top school?
Yes, on average. liv.rent’s September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report puts the Southwest quadrant’s unfurnished one-bedroom average at $1,521, the highest in Calgary, against a citywide average of $1,442. Five of the seven buildings below have Southwest street addresses (Sunalta 11, Sunalta 1624, Mount Royal Apartments, Mainstreet Altadore, and Springbank Hill Estates), while Kensington Apartments and Triwood Gardens have Northwest addresses. The report draws its own quadrant boundaries, so this is a match by address only.
The report counts asking rents across the whole city, so it is a market gauge and not what any single building charges. The building rents below are “from” asking rents read on owner websites on September 28, 2026, and they change often. If price matters more than the rank, our guide to affordable rental buildings in Calgary sorts buildings by cost instead.
Which rental buildings are near Sunalta School and Western Canada High School?
Sunalta School (536 Sonora Avenue SW, kindergarten to Grade 6) is tied ninth of 730 with a 9.6 rating in Fraser’s 2024 elementary ranking. The CBE’s high school designation list for 2023-2024 assigns Sunalta to Western Canada High School (641 17 Avenue SW), which is 10th of 292 at 9.0 in Fraser’s 2025 high school ranking. Two Mainstreet Equity buildings on liv.rent sit in the neighbourhood.
Sunalta 11
According to Mainstreet Equity’s site on September 28, 2026, Sunalta 11 at 1937 11 Avenue SW lists one-bedrooms from $1,175 (423 square feet), with heat, water, garbage collection, and sewage included. The owner describes it as steps from Sunalta LRT Station, quotes a three-minute walk to the Sunalta CTrain Station, and says it is near Sunalta Elementary and Sacred Heart School. Cats and small dogs are welcome at $25 a month per pet.
Sunalta 1624
Sunalta 1624 at 1624 16 Avenue SW is a four-storey elevator building with one-bedrooms (550 square feet) listed between $1,175 and $1,225 across two readings of the owner’s page on September 28, 2026, and heat and water included, so confirm the current price. The owner places it in Sunalta, only a few blocks from the Sunalta CTrain station, and names Connaught School as a short walk away. Fraser’s 2024 elementary ranking puts Connaught School 286th of 730 at 6.6, so this building is here for the Sunalta neighbourhood and its Western Canada High School designation, and its link to Sunalta School rests on the shared neighbourhood alone. The walking distance has not been measured, so check it on a map.
Is there an apartment near Western Canada High School in Mount Royal?
Yes. Western Canada High School is 10th of 292 in Fraser’s 2025 high school ranking at 9.0, and the CBE’s 2023-2024 designation list assigns Lower and Upper Mount Royal, Mission, Elbow Park, Rideau Park, Bankview, and downtown to it. Mount Royal Apartments at 1720 10A Street SW is the building here with owner-stated walk times.
Mainstreet Equity’s site lists one-bedrooms from $1,225 (435 square feet), heat and water included, and up to one month free on select suites. The owner quotes a 10-minute walk to Mount Royal School and a 10-minute walk to Western Canada High School, plus a 15-minute walk to the University of Calgary Downtown Campus, and these are the owner’s figures, not ours. The same designation covers Elbow Park and Rideau Park, where Elbow Park School is tied 57th of 730 at 8.3 and Rideau Park School is tied 31st at 8.8, but no building in either community is featured here.
What can you rent near Altadore School?
Altadore School (4506 16 Street SW, kindergarten to Grade 6) is tied 37th of 730 at 8.7 in Fraser’s 2024 elementary ranking, and the CBE says it serves students primarily from Garrison Woods, Altadore, and River Park. Mainstreet Altadore at 3908 16 Street SW is on the same street by address.
Mainstreet Equity’s listing shows one-bedrooms from $1,399 (542 square feet) and two-bedrooms from $1,550 (788 square feet), with heat and water included and up to two months free on select suites. The owner says “multiple great schools” are a 10-minute walk away and transit stops are out front. The CBE’s 2023-2024 list assigns Altadore and Garrison Woods to Central Memorial High School, which is tied 79th of 292 at 6.9 in Fraser’s 2025 ranking, so this address suits a parent who weighs the elementary rank more heavily.
Which building is near Hillhurst School and its GATE classes?
Hillhurst School (1418 7 Avenue NW, kindergarten to Grade 6) is tied 42nd of 730 at 8.6 in Fraser’s 2024 ranking. The CBE describes it as a small school beside Riley Park that draws students from 41 northwest communities and runs five GATE classes for Division II. Kensington Apartments at 1440 Memorial Drive NW is a Mainstreet Equity building in roughly the same 14 Street NW area by address (approx., confirm on a map).
Mainstreet Equity lists one-bedrooms from $1,250 (440 square feet) with heat and water included as of September 28, 2026, plus a bike room, a shared yard, and a $25 pet fee. The owner cites a Walk Score of 90, a three-minute walk to Kensington Gym, and a 20-minute walk to SAIT, and mentions schools only as “nearby”. Because Hillhurst School takes students from dozens of communities, and the CBE’s page does not say how students are placed in its GATE classes, living close helps with the commute more than with the seat. The 2023-2024 CBE list assigns the Hillhurst community to Queen Elizabeth High School, which is tied 79th of 292 at 6.9 in Fraser’s 2025 ranking.
Is Triwood Gardens near a top-rated high school?
It is on the same road as Brentwood School, and Brentwood’s designated high school is Sir Winston Churchill (5220 Northland Drive NW), tied 20th of 292 at 8.6 in Fraser’s 2025 ranking, according to the CBE’s 2023-2024 list. The Triwood community itself does not appear in that list, so a Triwood address needs its own board check before you count on Churchill. Triwood Gardens sits at 1019 Northmount Drive NW, and Brentwood School (kindergarten to Grade 6, per the CBE) is at 1231 Northmount Drive NW. Fraser’s 2024 elementary ranking lists a Calgary school named Brentwood tied 26th of 730 at 8.9, which matches the CBE school by name and city, but only the board can confirm whether it serves a given address.
Mainstreet Equity’s site lists bachelor suites from $1,100 and two-bedrooms from $1,525 (741 square feet), with no one-bedroom shown, and heat and water included. The owner says “multiple K-12 schools” are within a 10-minute walk, a claim to test against the CBE and CCSD address tools. Ask the board which elementary school serves the address before you rely on Brentwood.
Where can you rent near Ernest Manning High School and St. Joan of Arc?
Ernest Manning High School (20 Springborough Boulevard SW) is tied 11th of 292 at 8.9 in Fraser’s 2025 ranking, and the CBE’s 2023-2024 list assigns Springbank Hill, Aspen Woods, and West Springs to it. St. Joan of Arc School, a CCSD school at 7970 Wentworth Drive SW, is 16th of 730 at 9.3 in the 2024 elementary ranking, with Catholic priority rules applying. Springbank Hill Estates at 8231 19 Avenue SW is the building here.
The owner’s site lists one-bedrooms “from the $1,500s” (one example is $1,549 for 602 square feet with an incentive option) and two-bedrooms “from the $1,800s” as of September 28, 2026. Amenities include a fitness centre, a social lounge, rooftop patios with barbecues, a heated underground parkade, a secure bike room, and storage lockers, with the 69th Street LRT station as the transit link. It is a newer, amenity-heavy building near the Southwest average rather than a budget pick, the owner names no schools, and the distance to either school has not been measured.
How do the seven buildings compare?
The table sets each building’s school pairing beside its owner-stated “from” rent, all read on September 28, 2026. Ranks come from Fraser’s 2024 elementary and 2025 high school editions, and high schools follow the CBE’s 2023-2024 designation list, so confirm both with the board.
| Building | Area (quadrant by address) | Nearby elementary (Fraser 2024) | Designated high school (Fraser 2025) | Owner “from” rent, Sept 28, 2026 | Included |
| Sunalta 11 | Sunalta (SW) | Sunalta School: 9.6, tied ninth | Western Canada: 9.0, 10th | One-bed $1,175 | Heat, water, garbage, sewage |
| Sunalta 1624 | Sunalta (SW) | Sunalta School: 9.6, tied ninth (same neighbourhood; owner names Connaught, 6.6, 286th) | Western Canada: 9.0, 10th | One-bed $1,175 to $1,225 | Heat, water |
| Mount Royal Apartments | Mount Royal (SW) | Mount Royal School (rank not quoted) | Western Canada: 9.0, 10th | One-bed $1,225 | Heat, water |
| Mainstreet Altadore | Altadore (SW) | Altadore School: 8.7, tied 37th | Central Memorial: 6.9, tied 79th | One-bed $1,399 | Heat, water |
| Kensington Apartments | Hillhurst area (NW) | Hillhurst School: 8.6, tied 42nd | Queen Elizabeth: 6.9, tied 79th (Hillhurst designation) | One-bed $1,250 | Heat, water |
| Triwood Gardens | Triwood (NW) | Brentwood School: 8.9, tied 26th (name match) | Sir Winston Churchill: 8.6, tied 20th (Brentwood designation) | Bachelor $1,100; two-bed $1,525 | Heat, water |
| Springbank Hill Estates | Springbank Hill (SW) | St. Joan of Arc (CCSD): 9.3, 16th | Ernest Manning: 8.9, tied 11th | One-bed from the $1,500s | Not stated |
Does living near a top-rated school guarantee a seat?
No. A building near a school does not guarantee admission, because the CBE assigns schools by address and program, and CCSD gives priority to Catholic students inside a school’s attendance area. The CBE’s 2023-2024 designation list itself states that designations are subject to annual review, and the CBE announced high school designation changes effective 2026-2027 for Castleridge, Coral Springs, Falconridge, and Rosemont, so lists do move.
Before signing, enter the exact unit address in the CBE and CCSD school finders, ask each school about space, and check any application deadline for GATE or charter programs. Time the lease around registration too. In Alberta, there is no cap on rent increases, a monthly tenancy needs at least three full tenancy months’ written notice of an increase, and a landlord cannot raise rent within a fixed term or within 365 days of the tenancy start or last increase, per the Alberta government and liv.rent’s September 2026 report. This is general information, not legal advice.
For deposits and responsibilities, see liv.rent’s guide to rent deposits in Alberta, the monthly rent reports, and current Calgary rental listings. Parents weighing Alberta’s other big city can read the companion guide to rental buildings near top-rated schools in Edmonton.
What are the best schools in Calgary to rent near?
Ranked across Alberta, Fraser Institute’s 2024 elementary edition puts Sunalta School and Holy Name tied ninth of 730 at 9.6, and its 2025 high school edition puts Western Canada 10th of 292 at 9.0. Ranks are provincewide test measures, so confirm each address with the school board before choosing.
How do I find which school my apartment is zoned for in Calgary?
Enter the full address in the Calgary Board of Education’s Find a School tool for public schools, and ask the Calgary Catholic School District which Catholic school serves the address. Check the exact unit address before signing a lease, because the CBE reviews designations every year and they can change.
Does renting near a top-rated school guarantee my child a spot?
No. The Calgary Board of Education assigns each child a designated school by home address and program, and application-based options such as Westmount Charter set their own admission rules, and Hillhurst’s GATE classes are a separate question to put to the CBE. Ask the school about space and deadlines before you count on a seat.
Can non-Catholic children attend a Catholic school in Calgary?
Sometimes. The Calgary Catholic School District must prioritize Catholic students living inside a school’s attendance area, and it enrols non-Catholic students when resources and facilities allow. It also says it cannot guarantee non-Catholic students will advance from one grade or school to the next.
Is it more expensive to rent in Southwest Calgary?
On average, yes. liv.rent‘s September 2026 Calgary and Edmonton rent report puts the Southwest’s unfurnished one-bedroom average at $1,521, the highest quadrant, against $1,442 citywide. Owner “from” rents for the buildings in this post ran from $1,175 to the $1,500s on September 28, 2026.
How old are the Fraser school rankings for Alberta?
The newest Alberta elementary edition is the 2024 report, published September 4, 2024. The newest high school edition is 2025, published September 11, 2025. No newer Alberta edition appears among Fraser’s published report-card PDFs as of September 28, 2026, so treat the elementary ranks as two years old.
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