The vast majority of children who start secondary school in September will be at the school of their choice.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that 81.4 per cent of applicants were allocated a place at their first choice school. Parents can express three preferences.
A further 12.8 per cent will attend their second choice school and 2.9 per cent will go to their third choice school.
But 63 children – or 2.8 per cent – will not be going to any of their top three schools.
The council advises parents to pick their catchment area school – or both schools in the dual catchment areas. In all 63 cases, parents had not done this.
The council said that everyone who did so got either their catchment school or a higher preference.
The 63 who missed out on their top three choices have been offered places at the nearest school to their home address that had spare spaces.
In September 2,274 children are due to start at a state secondary school in Brighton and Hove in the autumn. The number is up from 2,100 last September.
The council’s cabinet member for children and young people Councillor Sue Shanks said: “We believe in local schools for local children. Our catchment area system means that once again our young people are getting the chance to go to a school that’s near to them.
“The council has set up a Secondary Commission that is raising expectations across the city.
“It has challenged our secondaries to be among the very best places for young people to go to school in the country.
“Our schools are committed to rising to this challenge.”
