Which is the No. 1 school in India?

In PickMySchool's 2026 ranking, The Doon School, Dehradun is No. 1, followed by Mayo College, Ajmer and The Scindia School, Gwalior. The ranking is editorial, based on academic reputation, heritage, campus and facilities, breadth of programmes and national recognition.

Which are the best CBSE schools in India?

Leading CBSE schools include Mayo College, Ajmer, The Scindia School, Gwalior, The Lawrence School, Sanawar, Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, St. Michael's High School, Patna.

How much do the top schools in India cost?

Annual fees at the top-ranked schools range from about ₹2.04 L to ₹14.54 L, usually including boarding and meals at residential schools. Admission fees and refundable deposits are charged on top.

How are these schools ranked?

The Top 10 is an editorial assessment by PickMySchool of academic reputation and results, heritage and track record, campus and facilities, breadth of programmes (boards, boarding, sport and arts) and national recognition. Featured or paid listings do not affect the ranking.

Which are the best boarding schools in India?

Beyond the Top 10, well-regarded boarding schools include St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, La Martiniere College, Lucknow, The Lawrence School, Lovedale (Ooty), All Saints' College, Nainital, St. Mary's High School, Mount Abu.

Best Schools in India 2026

PickMySchool's ranking of the top 10 schools in India, plus the best CBSE, ICSE, IB and boarding schools and the best schools in every city — from 300+ schools in 90+ cities.

Top 10 schools in India 2026

Ranked by PickMySchool's editors — see how we ranked. Fees are annual, as published by each school.

Rank	School	City	Board	Type	Founded	Annual fees
#1	The Doon School, Dehradun	Dehradun	ICSE	Boys' boarding	1935	₹14.54 L
#2	Mayo College, Ajmer	Ajmer	CBSE	Boys' boarding	1875	₹11.52 L
#3	The Scindia School, Gwalior	Gwalior	CBSE	Boys' boarding	1897	₹10.71 L
#4	Welham Girls' School, Dehradun	Dehradun	ICSE	Girls' boarding	1957	₹11.1 L
#5	The Lawrence School, Sanawar	Sanawar	CBSE	Co-ed boarding	1847	₹10.34 L – ₹10.71 L
#6	Woodstock School, Mussoorie	Mussoorie	IB	Co-ed boarding	1854	On request
#7	Rishi Valley School, Madanapalle	Madanapalle	ICSE	Co-ed boarding	1926	₹9.25 L – ₹9.5 L
#8	The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai	Mumbai	ICSE	Day	1860	On request
#9	Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram	Delhi	CBSE	Co-ed day & boarding	1972	₹2.04 L
#10	Bishop Cotton School, Shimla	Shimla	ICSE	Boys' boarding	1859	₹7.8 L – ₹9.2 L

1
The Doon School, Dehradun
Dehradun, Uttarakhand · ICSE · Boys' boarding · Est. 1935 · ₹14.54 L
India's best-known boys' boarding school, with ICSE/ISC and IB Diploma, a 70-acre campus and an unmatched alumni network.
2
Mayo College, Ajmer
Ajmer, Rajasthan · CBSE · Boys' boarding · Est. 1875 · ₹11.52 L
Founded in 1875 as a school for princely families; a 187-acre heritage campus with strong sport, riding and CBSE results.
3
The Scindia School, Gwalior
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh · CBSE · Boys' boarding · Est. 1897 · ₹10.71 L
A historic boys’ boarding school inside Gwalior Fort, known for all-round education and leadership development.
4
Welham Girls' School, Dehradun
Dehradun, Uttarakhand · ICSE · Girls' boarding · Est. 1957 · ₹11.1 L
One of India's leading girls' boarding schools, consistently among the top for ICSE/ISC academics and alumni.
5
The Lawrence School, Sanawar
Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh · CBSE · Co-ed boarding · Est. 1847 · ₹10.34 L – ₹10.71 L
Among the oldest co-ed boarding schools in the world (1847), with a 139-acre Himalayan campus and a strong CBSE record.
6
Woodstock School, Mussoorie
Mussoorie, Uttarakhand · IB · Co-ed boarding · Est. 1854 · On request
A leading international IB boarding school in the Himalayas, with a globally diverse community and strong university placements.
7
Rishi Valley School, Madanapalle
Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh · ICSE · Co-ed boarding · Est. 1926 · ₹9.25 L – ₹9.5 L
Founded by J. Krishnamurti; a rural co-ed boarding school renowned for its progressive, inquiry-led education.
8
The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai
Mumbai, Maharashtra · ICSE · Day · Est. 1860 · On request
One of Mumbai's oldest and most respected day schools (1860), with consistently outstanding ICSE/ISC results.
9
Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram
Delhi, Delhi · CBSE · Co-ed day & boarding · Est. 1972 · ₹2.04 L
The flagship of the DPS network and one of the most sought-after CBSE day schools in the country.
10
Bishop Cotton School, Shimla
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh · ICSE · Boys' boarding · Est. 1859 · ₹7.8 L – ₹9.2 L
One of Asia’s oldest boarding schools for boys (1859), with a strong ICSE/ISC record and a historic Shimla campus.

How we ranked

The Top 10 is PickMySchool's editorial assessment. We looked at:

Academic reputation and results — board results and university placements
Heritage and track record — history, consistency and alumni
Campus and facilities — academics, sport, arts and boarding
Breadth of programmes — boards offered, co-curricular and residential life
National recognition — standing among parents and educators across India

Featured or paid listings on PickMySchool do not affect this ranking. Fees and details come from each school's PickMySchool profile — confirm the latest figures with the school before applying.

Best schools in India by board

More of India's best boarding schools

St. Paul's School, Darjeeling

Darjeeling · ICSE · Boys' boarding · ₹3.75 L – ₹3.9 L

La Martiniere College, Lucknow

Lucknow · ICSE · Boys' day & boarding · ₹1.1 L – ₹1.2 L

The Lawrence School, Lovedale

Ooty · CBSE · Co-ed boarding · ₹6.3 L – ₹7.1 L

All Saints' College, Nainital

Nainital · ICSE · Girls' day & boarding · ₹4.98 L – ₹5.28 L

St. Mary's High School, Mount Abu

Mount Abu · ICSE · Boys' day & boarding · ₹84,000 – ₹89,350

Mount Hermon School, Darjeeling

Darjeeling · ICSE · Co-ed day & boarding · ₹2.78 L – ₹3.03 L

Kodaikanal International School, Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal · IB · Co-ed boarding · ₹15.85 L – ₹20.25 L

St. Peter's School, Panchgani

Panchgani · ICSE · Co-ed day & boarding · ₹2.57 L – ₹4.39 L

Boarding schools by state

Best schools by city

City	Schools listed	Notable schools	IB
Best schools in Dehradun	37	The Doon School, Dehradun, Welham Girls' School, Dehradun	—
Best schools in Delhi	19	Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, Modern School, Barakhamba Road, Delhi	2 IB
Best schools in Bangalore	18	Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bengaluru, Baldwin Boys' High School, Bengaluru	7 IB
Best schools in Mumbai	15	The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai, Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls' High School, Mumbai	10 IB
Best schools in Gurgaon	12	Pathways World School Aravali, Gurugram, Scottish High International School	7 IB
Best schools in Panchgani	10	St. Peter's School, Panchgani, Billimoria High School, Panchgani	—
Best schools in Ooty	10	The Lawrence School, Lovedale, St. Hilda's School, Ooty	2 IB
Best schools in Ahmedabad	10	Sheth C. N. Vidyalaya, Ahmedabad, Udgam School for Children	1 IB
Best schools in Shimla	9	Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, DAV Sr. Sec. Public School, Lakkar Bazar, Shimla	—
Best schools in Mussoorie	9	Woodstock School, Mussoorie, St. George's College, Mussoorie	1 IB
Best schools in Nainital	9	All Saints' College, Nainital, Sherwood College, Nainital	—
Best schools in Pune	7	Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School, Pune, Orbit School	4 IB
Best schools in Noida	6	Pathways School Noida, Shiv Nadar School, Noida	2 IB
Best schools in Jaipur	5	New Mahalakshmi Public School, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya, Jaipur	1 IB
Best schools in Lucknow	5	La Martiniere College, Lucknow, City Montessori School, Gomti Nagar	—

All cities

Frequently asked questions

Which is the No. 1 school in India?: In PickMySchool's 2026 ranking, The Doon School, Dehradun is No. 1, followed by Mayo College, Ajmer and The Scindia School, Gwalior. The ranking is editorial, based on academic reputation, heritage, campus and facilities, breadth of programmes and national recognition.
Which are the best CBSE schools in India?: Leading CBSE schools include Mayo College, Ajmer, The Scindia School, Gwalior, The Lawrence School, Sanawar, Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, St. Michael's High School, Patna.
How much do the top schools in India cost?: Annual fees at the top-ranked schools range from about ₹2.04 L to ₹14.54 L, usually including boarding and meals at residential schools. Admission fees and refundable deposits are charged on top.
How are these schools ranked?: The Top 10 is an editorial assessment by PickMySchool of academic reputation and results, heritage and track record, campus and facilities, breadth of programmes (boards, boarding, sport and arts) and national recognition. Featured or paid listings do not affect the ranking.
Which are the best boarding schools in India?: Beyond the Top 10, well-regarded boarding schools include St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, La Martiniere College, Lucknow, The Lawrence School, Lovedale (Ooty), All Saints' College, Nainital, St. Mary's High School, Mount Abu.