Alongside the emotions that came with every family's individual result, the 2026 National Assessment (Evaluarea Națională) also produced a broader picture of how Bucharest's schools performed as a group. According to calculations by the BacPlus platform, based on data published by the Ministry of Education, "Gheorghe Lazăr" National College in Bucharest recorded the highest average in the country on this exam, tied only with "Andrei Șaguna" National College in Brașov — both institutions reaching an overall average of 9.48. This article walks through the full ranking of Bucharest schools, the context behind these figures, and how families can use this information as they head into the school-choice stage of the admissions process.

Bucharest leads the national results

The county-level results show a strong position for the capital in this year's overall outcomes. Bucharest ranks first nationally for the lowest share of averages below 5, with just 7.8% of students falling under that threshold, followed by Cluj County at 9.8% and Prahova at 16.5%. This performance stands out even more given that this year's exam was widely considered tougher than 2025's: nationally, only 79% of students reached an average of at least 5, down from 83.2% the previous year, and the number of perfect 10 averages dropped sharply, from 85 in 2025 to just 7 in 2026. Of those seven top students nationwide, three attend Bucharest schools, while the remaining four come from Gorj, Iași, Mureș, and Prahova counties.

Where Bucharest schools rank nationally

Among the 20 schools with the highest overall averages at the 2026 National Assessment, 11 belong to the city of Bucharest, according to the analysis published by Edupedu.ro based on official data. Below are the Bucharest schools that made this national list, along with their averages:

"Gheorghe Lazăr" National College tops the Bucharest ranking and holds 2nd place nationally, with an overall average of 9.48, made up of 9.46 in Romanian and 9.51 in Math, across a group of 29 students tested. "Tudor Vianu" National Computer Science College sits in 3rd place nationally, with an average of 9.46, achieved across a much larger group of 50 students — a fact that makes the result even more notable given the sample size. "Grigore Moisil" National College follows closely in 4th place nationally, with an average of 9.45, across a group of 55 students.

"Spiru Haret" National College lands in 7th place nationally, with an average of 9.38, while "Cantemir Vodă" National College takes 12th place, with an average of 9.32. Among private and international institutions, Ioanid International High School appears in 16th place, with an average of 9.28, "Școala Europeană" Theoretical High School in Bucharest takes 18th place, with an average of 9.26, and "Școala Mea" Theoretical High School comes in 19th, with an average of 9.25. Closing out the Bucharest presence in this national ranking is "I.L. Caragiale" National College, in 20th place nationally, with an average of 9.24.

Worth noting is the steady presence of long-established colleges — Lazăr, Vianu, Moisil, Spiru Haret, and Caragiale — alongside relatively newer names on Bucharest's educational landscape, such as international schools and privately run high schools, which are increasingly competing on equal footing with the traditional national colleges.

Important context for reading these averages correctly

The averages listed above reflect initial results, published before the appeals process, and may shift slightly once final results are released on July 8th. It's also worth keeping in mind that these figures capture the performance of a single cohort, tested in a year when the exam questions — both in Romanian and Math — were widely regarded as among the toughest in the past decade and a half, which accounts for the overall drop in averages compared to previous sessions, even at the top-performing colleges.

Recent analyses have also pointed to a side effect of this drop: Bucharest's high-school admission hierarchy is set to shift compared to previous years, largely because of the sharp decline in the number of averages falling between 9 and 10. In practical terms, a student with a 9.50 average this year could be competing for spots that, in previous years, required an average closer to 9.70 or 9.80. That means families should treat last year's admission averages — often used as a reference point — with some caution, viewing them as a general guide rather than a fixed cutoff.

The difference between exam performance and student preference

The ranking based on National Assessment averages reflects the actual academic performance of each school's students, which is a different measure from the ranking of student preferences for their desired high school, published separately by CMBRAE based on choices submitted before admissions. The two rankings overlap in part — Lazăr, Vianu, Moisil, Spiru Haret, and Caragiale appear in both — but some highly sought-after schools, such as "Sfântul Sava" National College or "Gheorghe Șincai" National College, don't necessarily show up among the top 20 by exam average, which shows that a school's reputation and a given cohort's academic performance can move independently of each other from year to year.

For a family currently approaching the school-choice deadline, the practical takeaway is that both types of rankings are worth consulting, alongside last year's admission averages and the official admissions calendar — final results are published on July 8th, the county-wide ranking of graduates on July 9th, choice forms are completed between July 13th and 20th, and the first round of computerized placement takes place on July 22nd.

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