Some schools chase rankings; others simply are institutions. St. Mary’s School (ICSE), Mazagaon belongs firmly to the second category. Founded in 1864 and run by the Society of Jesus, St. Mary’s has spent more than 160 years shaping boys into scholars, sportsmen and citizens — and it remains one of the most respected names in Mumbai education. In this guide, we look at the school’s fees, address, unique features, achievements and why generations of families keep it on their shortlist of the top 10 schools in Mumbai.
Introduction to the School
St. Mary’s School (ICSE) is a private boys’ school located on Nesbit Road in Mazagaon, South Mumbai. Established in 1864, it is among the oldest schools in the city and is managed by the Jesuits — the Catholic religious order whose schools and colleges (from St. Xavier’s to Campion) have defined quality education in India for over a century. The school teaches from Junior Preparatory through Class 10 and is affiliated to the CISCE, preparing students for the ICSE examination. Around 1,680 boys study here.
The Jesuit educational philosophy — ‘forming men for others’ — shapes everything at St. Mary’s: academic seriousness, moral formation, service to the less privileged and an abiding house pride that alumni carry for life.
Average Fees
St. Mary’s remains one of the most affordable quality schools in South Mumbai:
- Annual fees: modest by city standards — broadly in the range of ₹45,000 to ₹90,000 per year depending on the grade and applicable charges
- Additional costs: books, uniforms, activities and excursions are billed separately
- Value proposition: among the best education-per-rupee equations anywhere in Mumbai
Fee structures are revised periodically; confirm the current schedule with the school office at the time of admission.
Address & Website
Address: St. Mary’s School (ICSE), Nesbit Road, Mazagaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400010
Website: www.stmarysicse.com
The campus sits in the heart of Mazagaon, well connected to Byculla, Dockyard Road and CSMT, making it accessible for families across South and Central Mumbai.
Why It Is Considered the Best
St. Mary’s earns its reputation the old-fashioned way: through outcomes and character. Its ICSE results are consistently strong, with toppers scoring among the city’s best, and its alumni — spread across law, medicine, business, the armed forces, academia and the arts — speak of the school with unusual devotion. The Jesuit approach produces students who are disciplined, articulate and grounded, and the school’s teachers are known for genuine investment in every boy’s progress.
The school also offers something increasingly rare in Mumbai: a large, green campus in the middle of the city, with real playing fields where sport is played daily — not squeezed into an occasional period.
Unique Features of the School
- 160+ years of Jesuit heritage: one of Mumbai’s oldest schools, with a values-first educational philosophy.
- Affordable excellence: top-tier ICSE outcomes at fees a fraction of the city’s premium schools.
- Sporting tradition: football, cricket, basketball, table tennis, badminton and athletics, with a celebrated football culture and a turf ground on campus.
- Modern facilities within heritage walls: smart classrooms, science and computer laboratories, an e-library and campus-wide CCTV.
- Character formation: structured value education, service programmes and mentoring in the Jesuit tradition.
- Powerful alumni network: ‘Old Marians’ occupy leading positions across professions and remain actively connected to the school.
Awards & Achievements
- Consistently strong ICSE examination results, with school toppers among Mumbai’s best year after year
- A storied record in inter-school football, cricket and athletics, including titles in Mumbai’s premier school tournaments
- Recognised repeatedly among the leading ICSE schools of South Mumbai in parent and industry surveys
- More than a century and a half of alumni achievement across public life, the professions and sport
Academic Culture in Detail
The academic day at St. Mary’s is structured and purposeful. The junior years focus on strong English, mathematics and reading habits; the middle school adds the sciences, history, geography and a second language with regular assessment; and the senior years drive systematic ICSE preparation through prelims, revision cycles and close teacher attention. Class teachers track each boy’s progress personally, and the school’s moderate size by Mumbai standards means no student is anonymous. Moral science and value education remain timetabled subjects — a Jesuit signature — and study is balanced deliberately with sport and activity so that boys leave the school as well-rounded young men.
Admissions Snapshot
Entry is primarily at the Junior Preparatory level, with registrations announced on the school website and notice board ahead of each academic year. As a Catholic minority institution, the school follows its stated admission policy, with demand from all communities far exceeding seats. Documents typically required include the birth certificate, baptism certificate where applicable, address proof and photographs. Seats in higher classes arise only against rare vacancies. Apply promptly when the window opens — it is short.
Campus Life Beyond Academics
Sport is the heartbeat of St. Mary’s — the school’s football teams are feared across Mumbai’s school circuit, and annual sports days on the home ground are community events. The house system drives year-round competition in games, quizzing, elocution and dramatics; hobby clubs and science exhibitions give quieter talents a stage; and social-outreach programmes take boys beyond their comfort zones into service — the essence of the Jesuit motto of forming ‘men for others’.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St. Mary’s only for Catholic students? No. It is a Catholic minority school and follows its admission policy accordingly, but its student body has long included boys of all faiths and communities.
Does the school offer Classes 11 and 12? The ICSE school runs through Class 10; students then move to Mumbai’s leading junior colleges, where Old Marians have an excellent placement record.
How does it compare with fee-heavy private schools? On academics, discipline and sport, St. Mary’s matches or beats schools charging many times its fees — the trade-off is fewer boutique frills, which most families here consider no loss at all.
Final Thoughts
St. Mary’s School (ICSE), Mazagaon is proof that heritage, values and results — not marble lobbies — make a great school. For families seeking a rigorous, affordable, character-building education for their sons in South Mumbai, it remains one of the most dependable choices among the top 10 schools in Mumbai. Watch the official website for admission dates and confirm the current fee structure with the school office.
Practical Tips for Parents
- Track the registration window closely: Junior Preparatory registrations are brief and announced with limited notice — check the school website and notice board regularly in the months before the academic year begins.
- Keep documents ready in advance: birth certificate, photographs, address proof and, where applicable, baptism and community certificates should be organised before forms open, because incomplete applications are the most common reason families miss out.
- Plan the commute sensibly: Mazagaon is well served by the Harbour line (Dockyard Road) and by road from Byculla and CSMT; test the school-hour journey before committing if you live beyond South or Central Mumbai.
- Budget for the extras: tuition is modest, but uniforms, books, sports kits and excursion charges add up across the year.
- Embrace the school’s rhythm: boys thrive at St. Mary’s when families support its expectations of punctuality, homework discipline and daily sport.
Taken together, the heritage, the results, the sport and the values make St. Mary’s far more than a school — it is a formation. That is why, more than 160 years after its founding, admission day still sees queues of hopeful parents outside its Nesbit Road gates.Compare more schools: see how this school stacks up against other leading options in our Best Schools in India by City guide — covering the top 10 schools in Mumbai, plus Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Pune and Chandigarh.