Ask most parents to name a Dehradun boarding school and you will hear the same two: The Doon School and Welham Girls’. Both deserve their reputation, and both admit a tiny fraction of applicants. The good news is that the Doon Valley holds more than a dozen other residential schools, several with a century of history and some with facilities the famous names can’t match.
16 Schools compared | 3 Boards: CBSE, ICSE, Cambridge | 1926 Oldest school founded |
- Best for boys with a long tradition: Col Brown Cambridge School (1926)
- Best for girls, ICSE: Unison World School
- Best for a gradual start: The Aryan School — day, weekly and full boarding
- Most affordable listed residential fee: The Doon Girls’ School and Doon International Riverside
- Free residential education: Him Jyoti School, for girls from economically weaker families
How the Sixteen Compare
| School | Board | Who it admits | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Col Brown Cambridge | ICSE/ISC | Boys, IV–XII | 1926 |
| Welham Boys’ | CBSE | Boys | 1937 |
| Carman Residential & Day | ICSE/ISC | Day + boarding | 1961 |
| The Doon Girls’ | ICSE/ISC | Girls | 2000 |
| The Aryan School | ICSE/ISC | Co-ed, all boarding modes | 2001 |
| Unison World | ICSE/ISC | Girls, VI–XII | 2007 |
A fuller comparison of all sixteen follows in the school profiles below.
Boys’ Boarding Schools
Col Brown Cambridge School
A school that has just marked its centenary and still carries the stamp of its founder, Col. William Brown.
Worth knowing: It offers Science and Commerce streams in the senior classes.
Campus and facilities
The campus is one of the larger ones in Dalanwala. Alongside hostels and a dining hall it has a medical centre with a 15-bed ward, a heated swimming pool, a skating rink and the Tamarind Theatre. Our directory also records a library, computer lab, auditorium, playground, fitness centre, yoga, martial arts, music and dance, and smart boards.
Academics and boarding life
Boys follow the ICSE course into the ISC senior years. The school also runs on-campus coaching for NEET, JEE and NDA, which means aspirants do not need a separate coaching town.
Is it right for you?
A good fit for families who want a long-established boys' boarding school on the ICSE/ISC track with entrance-exam coaching built in. Ask how coaching hours sit alongside the regular timetable, and what the current hostel fee is.
📍 5 Kasturba Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun 248001
Welham Boys’ School
A residential school organised into Junior, Middle and Senior schools, so a boy can stay from Grade 4 to Grade 12.
Worth knowing: Grades 11–12 offer Science, Commerce and Humanities. The listed annual fee is ₹10,81,250.
Campus and facilities
Thirty acres hold boarding houses, science labs, classrooms with interactive flat panels and a learning resource centre. Sport and wellbeing facilities include a 25 m swimming pool, glass squash courts, a shooting range and a wellness centre with a resident doctor.
Academics and boarding life
The three-stage structure (Junior, Middle, Senior) lets a boy join at Grade 4 and stay through Grade 12 on the CBSE curriculum, with stream choice from Grade 11.
Is it right for you?
Suits families who want a heritage boys' school with strong facilities and are comfortable at the top of the price range on this page. Ask what the annual fee covers (hostel, meals, uniform, trips) and which intake grades have seats. Welham Boys' is a separate school from Welham Girls'.
📍 5 Circular Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun 248001
Doon Imperial Residential School
An all-boys residential school on the Raipur Road side of the city.
Worth knowing: Teaching uses Google for Education tools and Chromebooks.
Campus and facilities
Our directory records a computer lab, robotics lab, e-learning and smart boards, with yoga, martial arts and a hostel study room. The school reports using Google for Education tools, Chromebooks and AI-assisted learning. Sports include football, cricket, basketball, skating, taekwondo and shooting.
Academics and boarding life
Teaching follows the CBSE curriculum. The school offers coaching for NDA, JEE, NEET and Olympiads, and boys live in supervised residential houses.
Is it right for you?
Worth a look for families who want a technology-forward CBSE boys' boarding school with a low reported student–teacher ratio. Ask to see the houses and study hours, and confirm how coaching is scheduled.
📍 Raipur Road, behind IRDE, Sunderwala, Dehradun 248008
Girls’ Boarding Schools
Unison World School
A residential campus about 7 km from central Dehradun, teaching ICSE/ISC alongside Cambridge courses.
Worth knowing: Listed annual fee: ₹11,20,000, the highest on this page.
Campus and facilities
The campus has a heated indoor pool, shooting range, floodlit fields and courts, an auditorium, an infirmary and campus-wide CCTV. Our directory also lists physics, chemistry and biology labs, horse riding, Wi-Fi and security guards.
Academics and boarding life
Students study under CISCE with Cambridge IGCSE/A Level alongside, with Science, Commerce and Humanities in the senior years. The international track is the main difference from other girls' schools on this page.
Is it right for you?
A strong option for girls' families who want a dual Indian and Cambridge pathway and strict female-only boarding supervision. Ask which track a new student follows by default and what Cambridge examination fees add on top of the listed fee.
📍 Mussoorie Diversion Road, Dehradun 248009
The Doon Girls’ School
Opened in April 2000 on the former Welham Girls’ Junior School site and expanded stage by stage to Grade XII.
Worth knowing: One of the more affordable residential options, at a listed ₹5.04–6.39 lakh.
Campus and facilities
The 8-acre campus has an infirmary and dining hall. Our directory also lists a swimming pool, yoga and martial arts. Sports include swimming, shooting, basketball and karate.
Academics and boarding life
The school has psychologists and special educators on staff, a useful detail for girls who may need learning or emotional support. It began as a preparatory school and added senior classes in stages.
Is it right for you?
Suits families looking for an affordable girls' residential option in Dalanwala, including for younger girls. Because Class XII was reached only in 2020, ask for board-result history and the range of senior subjects.
📍 4 Circular Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun 248001
The Indian Cambridge School
An all-girls school from Playgroup to Class XII in the heart of Dalanwala.
Campus and facilities
The girls' hostel offers lockers, meals planned by a nutritionist, laundry, solar hot water, supervised study time and 24-hour guards with CCTV. Classrooms are Wi-Fi-enabled smart rooms, and there are labs and a library.
Academics and boarding life
The school says it has operated for about 34 years. Because it runs from Playgroup to Class XII, girls can start as day scholars and move to the hostel later.
Is it right for you?
A fit for families who want flexibility between day and boarding under one roof. Ask the minimum boarding class, current hostel fees, and how many places open each year.
📍 12 Chander Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun 248001
Him Jyoti School
Founded by the late Sudarshan Agarwal, former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim, as a free residential school for girls from economically weaker families.
Worth knowing: It stands on about 10 acres off Sahastradhara Road.
Campus and facilities
The Wi-Fi-enabled academic block has Smart TVs in every classroom and a STEAM lab. Activities include athletics, team games, yoga, zumba and NCC.
Academics and boarding life
Senior students choose between Humanities and Science. Founded by a former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim, the school is aimed at girls who could not otherwise afford residential education.
Is it right for you?
This is a scholarship-style school rather than a fee-paying option, so eligibility depends on family circumstances. Contact the school directly for criteria and the admission process before planning around it.
📍 7 Km Milestone, Sahastradhara Road, Gujrara, Dehradun 248013
Co-Educational Boarding Schools
Doon International School, Riverside
The residential campus of the Doon International group, spread across roughly 35 acres at Pondha.
Worth knowing: CBSE affiliation number 3530474.
Campus and facilities
The Riverside campus has a 25-metre pool, riding arena, skating rink, turf tennis and basketball courts and a large auditorium. Our directory also lists a library, fitness centre, yoga, music and dance, Wi-Fi and transport.
Academics and boarding life
Students follow CBSE with Cambridge affiliation. Boys and girls live in separate boarding houses on the same campus.
Is it right for you?
Suits families who want co-ed boarding on a large campus at a mid-range fee. Pondha is outside the city, so check travel time from your home or the railway station, and ask how the CBSE and Cambridge tracks differ.
📍 Pondha, Dehradun 248007
Carman Residential & Day School
Began as The Valley School under A.G. Carbery; the name joins the Carbery and Mann families.
Worth knowing: Streams: Science, Commerce, Humanities.
Campus and facilities
The campus has two school wings with playgrounds, biology and chemistry labs, a computer lab, smart classes and a library. A sister campus opened later at Prem Nagar.
Academics and boarding life
Senior students can take Science, Commerce or Humanities from Class XI. The school takes both boarders and day scholars.
Is it right for you?
Fits families who want a long-running Dalanwala school with the option to start as a day scholar. Ask which campus houses which classes, and confirm hostel availability for your child's age.
📍 24 Nehru Road, Dalanwala, Dehradun 248001
The Aryan School
Nursery to XII with four ways to attend: day, day-boarding, weekly boarding or fully residential.
Worth knowing: The flexibility suits families who want to test boarding before committing.
Campus and facilities
The school website mentions science and computer labs, libraries, sports fields, a swimming pool and robotics facilities. Students play cricket, basketball, football and athletics.
Academics and boarding life
The standout feature is the choice of four attendance models, including weekly boarding.
Is it right for you?
Weekly boarding lets a family try residential life before committing to full boarding. Ask how weekend and holiday supervision works and what each option costs.
📍 Malsi Greens, Mussoorie Road, Dehradun 248001
Gyan Einstein International School
Play group to Class XII with day, day-boarding and full boarding.
Worth knowing: Full and day boarding begin from Class IV.
Campus and facilities
Boarders have a mess with a varied menu, periodic medical check-ups and a tie-up with a local hospital. School buses cover different parts of Dehradun.
Academics and boarding life
Alongside regular CBSE schooling the school runs coaching for NDA/SSB, IIT-JEE, NEET and Olympiads.
Is it right for you?
A newer school, so ask for results from its first senior batches and the current fee structure. Its coaching range is attractive for families with competitive-exam goals.
📍 Shishambada Parwal Road, Shimla Bypass Road, Dehradun 248197
Shri Ram Centennial School
A Shri Ram group school at Knowledge Village, around 20 km from the railway station.
Campus and facilities
The campus has science and computer labs and a library. The sports programme includes swimming, horse riding, squash, shooting and skating. Hostels are supervised round the clock.
Academics and boarding life
Run by the Shri Ram group, the school follows ICSE and offers both day boarding and full boarding.
Is it right for you?
A reasonable pick for families who want group-run, ICSE co-ed boarding. The campus is on the outskirts, so plan for the 20 km journey to the station and ask how parent visits are handled.
📍 Knowledge Village, Sherpur, Shimla Road, Dehradun 248197
Saigrace Academy International
An English-medium CBSE school from nursery to XII; boarders live in furnished dormitories.
Campus and facilities
The school lists science and computer labs, a library, a canteen and transport. Coaching is offered in a range of sports, including shooting and rock climbing.
Academics and boarding life
Boarders follow a set diet plan. Both day scholars and boarders are admitted.
Is it right for you?
The on-campus MBBS doctor is a real plus for parents of younger boarders. Ask about dormitory size and supervision ratios, and request current fees.
📍 Raipur Road, near Shiv Mandir, Dehradun
Apollo International School
A 22-bigha campus admitting day scholars and boarders from Play Group to Class 12.
Worth knowing: CBSE affiliation number 3530141.
Campus and facilities
The site lists physics, chemistry, biology, maths and computer labs, a library, digital classrooms and a multi-purpose hall used as an auditorium. The school runs its own bus fleet.
Academics and boarding life
Sports include football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis. House parents manage residences.
Is it right for you?
The lowest listed fee on this page makes it a budget-conscious option. Confirm whether the listed amount covers tuition only and what hostel and meals add.
📍 Sahastradhara Road, Dehradun 248001
Saraswati Vidya Mandir Keshav Vidyapeeth
A large rural campus of about 48,000 sq m at Manduwala on Dehradun’s western edge.
Campus and facilities
Labs cover physics, chemistry, biology, maths and computers. Our directory also lists Wi-Fi and fire safety.
Academics and boarding life
Students are organised into a house system. Physical education, yoga and educational trips are part of the programme, and boarders follow a supervised daily routine.
Is it right for you?
Suits families who want a large, quiet campus with a value-oriented fee. The location is rural, so ask about travel, parent-visit days and current fees.
📍 Manduwala, via Prem Nagar, Dehradun 248007
The Pestle Weed School
Set on Oak Hill Estate, with classes from pre-primary to senior secondary.
Worth knowing: Hostel facilities are available.
Campus and facilities
The campus has its own farm, dairy, bakery and poultry unit that supply meals. More than 40 co-curricular activities are listed.
Academics and boarding life
Senior students choose from Science, Computer Science, Commerce and Humanities. The school also runs an NDA foundation course.
Is it right for you?
A good fit for families who like a farm-to-table, mainly residential environment and want an NDA foundation option. Ask for the current fee structure and sample meal menus.
📍 Oak Hill Estate, Mussoorie Diversion Road, Dehradun 248009
How to Choose
- Start with the board. CBSE suits families who may relocate; ICSE/ISC rewards strong English and project work.
- Decide how much boarding. Aryan, Gyan Einstein, Apollo and Carman let you begin as a day scholar.
- Check the distance. Dalanwala schools are central; Pondha, Sherpur and Shimla Bypass campuses are a proper drive out.
- Visit on a school day. Hostel food, dormitory size and matron attention tell you more than any brochure.
Questions Parents Ask
Yes: Unison World, The Doon Girls’, Hopetown Girls’, Ecole Globale, Him Jyoti and The Indian Cambridge School.
Him Jyoti School is a free, fully residential CBSE school for girls from economically weaker families.
The Aryan School, Gyan Einstein, Apollo International and Carman all offer day and boarding routes.
Continue your research on the PickMySchool directory, compare Dehradun’s day schools, or see top boarding schools across India.