For decades, Wakiso district’s elite secondary schools—such as King’s College Budo, Gayaza High School, and St. Mary’s College Kisubi—have led the country in A-Level academic performance.
However, in the past five years, a shift has emerged, with schools from Mukono district rising to challenge their dominance.
A recent analysis by New Vision, based on Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) data from 2017 to 2024, reveals that nine of the top 20 performing secondary schools at the Senior Six level are now from Mukono.
In comparison, Wakiso has five schools in the top 20. The rankings also feature schools from Kampala, Hoima, Bukedea, and Mbarara.
Top 10 Best-Performing Schools (2017–2024)
- Seeta High School (Mukono)
- Gayaza High School (Wakiso)
- Mt. St. Mary’s Namagunga (Mukono)
- Namilyango College (Mukono)
- St. Joseph’s Secondary School Naggalama (Mukono)
- Mengo Secondary School (Kampala)
- Uganda Martyrs Namugongo (Wakiso)
- St. Julian High School Annex Gayaza (Wakiso)
- St. Andrea Kahwa’s College (Hoima)
- Light Academy Secondary School (Wakiso)
How the Rankings Were Determined
Jonan Agaba, Research and Data Manager at Vision Group, explained that the rankings were based on the average number of points scored by students in each school between 2017 and 2024.
Schools with fewer than 30 students were excluded. The study also omitted data from the COVID-19 period (2020–2022).
General Performance in 2024 UACE Results
On Friday, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, released the 2024 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results at State House, Nakasero.
UNEB data shows that 141,996 candidates registered for the exams across 2,255 examination centers. Of these, 140,888 sat for the exams, while 1,108 were absent.
Encouragingly, 92,273 candidates attained at least two principal passes, making them eligible for university admission—a notable improvement from 80,816 in 2023.
With Mukono schools gaining momentum, the country’s academic landscape is witnessing a new era of competition, challenging the long-established dominance of Wakiso’s elite institutions.
Below is the list of Top 200 A Level schools in the past 5 years
