About 10% fewer pupils in Aberdeen are staying on at school to complete higher exams than in the rest of Scotland.
But the number of pupils achieving more than three highers at schools such as Cults Academy and Bridge of Don Academy are well above the national average.
Official statistics released yesterday show that an average of 68% of school pupils in the city stayed on to attend fifth year last year, which was below the national average of 78%.
The results also revealed that the average number of school leavers going on to higher education last year was 35%, just 1% off the national average.
Cults Academy was the best-performing school in the city with 62% of school leavers going on to study at college or university last year.
Some 77% of S4 pupils got five or more standard grades at credit level, compared to a regional average of 37%, and 96% got more than five standard grades at general level.
In fifth year, 60% achieved three of more highers, compared with the Scottish average of 28%, and 40% got five or more highers, well above the national average of 13%.
The percentage of authorised absences was 4%, lower than the city’s overall rate of 6.4% and Scotland’s 5.5%.
Fewer than five pupils from Northfield’s 2012/2013 leavers went on to higher education, while 25% decided to pursue further education such as a HNC, HND or City and Guilds qualification.
The school’s authorised absences fell to 8.6%, a decrease from previous years, and unauthorised absences was at 5.4%.
The school’s rate for pupils achieving one or more higher in fifth year was 11%, with 4% achieving more than three and no pupils getting five.
Details on how each individual school did in the local authority can be found on the Scottish Schools Online website.