North dominates the ranking of public schools with the most grades of 20

In the 2024/25 academic year, over 15,000 students achieved at least one top grade of 20, predominantly from public schools in northern Portugal. Girls outperformed boys in receiving maximum grades, with 81.6% of top scores awarded to students without social support. The ranking of public schools with the most top grades is led by Alves Martins Secondary School in Viseu, followed by institutions in northern coastal cities. Schools with higher percentages of disadvantaged students achieving top grades tend to be mid-ranked in national exam results. In contrast, private schools, especially in urban areas, show a concentration of top grades but may not correlate with high national exam averages. A report indicated that many private institutions consistently award high grades, unlike public schools, where only a few reach similar thresholds.