Top 10 Schools in India (2026)

Choosing a school is one of the most consequential decisions an Indian family makes. Today it is a crowded field: century-old boarding schools, newer international campuses and strong city day schools all want the attention of parents. Rankings cannot settle the question for every child, but they do show which institutions keep doing well year after year.

This 2026 edition brings together ten schools that sit at the top of recent national surveys. They differ in board, size and character, so the list covers boys’ boarding schools, co-educational day schools, day-cum-boarding campuses and international schools. The schools are listed in no particular order and are not ranked against each other.

How this list was compiled: it draws on recent published rankings, chiefly the EducationWorld India School Rankings (EWISR) 2025-26 and 2026-27, along with information the schools publish about themselves.

1. The Doon School, Dehradun

Few Indian schools are as widely recognised as The Doon School. Founded in 1935 on the vision of barrister S.R. Das, it was modelled on the British public boarding school and remains a fully residential school for boys, located on Mall Road in Dehradun at the foot of the Himalayas.

The school follows the CISCE syllabus (ICSE and ISC) and also offers the IB Diploma Programme, so senior students choose between ISC and IB after Class X. Its 2025-26 school profile notes a 69-acre campus and roughly 605 students.

• Type: Boys’ boarding
• Curriculum: ICSE/ISC, IB Diploma Programme
• Recent standing: Placed in the Ivy League (Boarding) category of EWISR 2025-26
• Notable alumni: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, novelists Vikram Seth and Amitav Ghosh, historian Ramachandra Guha, and former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

2. Mayo College, Ajmer

Established in 1875 and named after the 6th Earl of Mayo, a former Viceroy of India, Mayo College was set up in the colonial era with India’s princely families in mind. It marked its 150th year in 2025 and is still one of the country’s best-known boarding schools.

Mayo is a residential school for boys and is affiliated with CBSE. Its campus in Ajmer covers about 180 acres.

• Type: Boys’ boarding
• Curriculum: CBSE
• Recent standing: Ivy League (Boarding) in both EWISR 2025-26 and 2026-27
• Notable alumni: Former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, writer Indra Sinha and cricketer Arun Lal

3. The Scindia School, Gwalior

The Scindia School was founded in 1897 by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior State. It began as the Sardar’s School, moved to its present home on Gwalior Fort in 1908 and took its current name in 1933.

It is a residential school for boys affiliated with CBSE. Its hilltop campus extends over about 160 acres.

• Type: Boys’ boarding
• Curriculum: CBSE
• Recent standing: No. 1 in the Vintage Legacy Boys Boarding category of EWISR 2025-26
• Notable alumni: Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Bharti Mittal, actor Salman Khan and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap

4. The Daly College, Indore

The Daly College traces its origins to the Residency School, set up in Indore in 1870 by Sir Henry Daly. It was later renamed in his honour and has carried the Daly College name since 1882. Like Mayo, it was originally created for the children of the region’s ruling families.

The school became co-educational in 1997. It is affiliated with CBSE and Cambridge Assessment International Education, and runs as a day-cum-boarding school, with boarding offered from Class IV to Class XII. Its campus spans close to 119 acres.

• Type: Co-educational, day-cum-boarding
• Curriculum: CBSE and Cambridge
• Recent standing: Ivy League (Day-cum-Boarding) in both EWISR 2025-26 and 2026-27

5. The Emerald Heights International School, Indore

Indore is home to a second school on this list. The Emerald Heights International School was established in 1982 and is located on AB Road in Rau, on the edge of the city. It is a co-educational school that takes both day scholars and boarders.

The school is affiliated with CBSE. The group behind it has since added a newer day school in Indore, The Emerald Heights World School, which opened in 2024.

• Type: Co-educational, day-cum-boarding
• Curriculum: CBSE
• Recent standing: No. 1 in the Day-cum-Boarding category of EWISR 2025-26

6. Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai

Founded in 2003, Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) is a K-12 co-educational international day school in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex. Its founder and chairperson is Nita M. Ambani.

Students can follow the ICSE and Cambridge IGCSE programmes in the middle years and then move to the IB Diploma Programme in Classes XI and XII. EducationWorld has repeatedly placed it at the top of its international day school tables.

• Type: Co-educational day (international)
• Curriculum: ICSE, IGCSE, IB Diploma Programme
• Recent standing: Ivy League (International Day) with a five-star rating in EWISR 2025-26, and again in the same category in 2026-27

7. Greenwood High, Bengaluru

Greenwood High International School was established in 2004 by a group of industry and business leaders. Its main 30-acre campus is located off Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru.

The school offers a choice of curricula: ICSE in the lower and middle classes, Cambridge IGCSE in Classes IX and X, and the IB Diploma Programme in Classes XI and XII. It is co-educational and runs as a day-cum-boarding school, with separate hostels for boys and girls.

• Type: Co-educational, day-cum-boarding
• Curriculum: ICSE, IGCSE, IB Diploma Programme
• Recent standing: In EWISR 2026-27, Greenwood High was placed in the Ivy League (Day-cum-Boarding) category with five stars, and Greenwood High International was ranked No. 1 among international day-cum-boarding schools

8. St. John’s High School, Chandigarh

Run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, St. John’s High School was started in 1959 and opened its doors on 1 February 1960. It grew into one of Chandigarh’s leading boys’ schools within its first decade.

The school was affiliated with CISCE in its early years and switched to CBSE in 1993-94. Today it operates as a day school for boys.

• Type: Boys’ day
• Curriculum: CBSE
• Recent standing: No. 1 in the Boys Day category of EWISR 2026-27

9. Vasant Valley School, New Delhi

Vasant Valley School in Vasant Kunj was established in June 1990 by Aroon Purie and Rekha Purie. Rekha Purie is the school’s chairperson.

A co-educational day school, it follows the CBSE curriculum and also offers Cambridge IGCSE, with AS and A Levels available in Classes XI and XII. This gives senior students a choice between the national and international routes.

• Type: Co-educational day
• Curriculum: CBSE, IGCSE, AS/A Levels
• Recent standing: Ivy League (Day) with five stars in EWISR 2026-27, having also been placed in the category in 2025-26

10. Inventure Academy, Bengaluru

The youngest school on this list, Inventure Academy was founded in 2005 by the India Learning Foundation. It sits off Whitefield-Sarjapur Road in Bengaluru.

Inventure is a co-educational day school. It offers two tracks: ICSE and ISC through CISCE, and Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Levels. Its rise into the top tier of national rankings within two decades is notable for so young an institution.

• Type: Co-educational day
• Curriculum: ICSE/ISC, Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Levels
• Recent standing: Ivy League (Day) in both EWISR 2025-26 and 2026-27

What Parents Should Keep in Mind

Rankings are a useful starting point, but they are not the whole picture. A boys’ boarding school in the hills and a co-educational day school in a metro offer very different experiences. Parents may want to weigh the board and curriculum, distance from home, boarding readiness, class sizes and total cost before making a choice.

Fees at these schools vary widely and are revised regularly, so it is best to confirm the current fee structure directly with each school’s admissions office. Campus visits and conversations with current parents often reveal more than any league table can.

Also read: Top 10 Richest Man in Asia