Which is the best boarding school in India?

In PickMySchool's 2026 ranking the top boarding schools are The Doon School, Dehradun, Mayo College, Ajmer, The Scindia School, Gwalior, Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, The Lawrence School, Sanawar. The ranking considers academic reputation, heritage, campus and facilities, and breadth of programmes — featured listings do not affect it.

What are the fees of boarding schools in India?

Annual fees at boarding schools listed on PickMySchool range from about ₹30,000 to ₹20.25 L, usually covering tuition, accommodation and meals. Premium schools charge ₹10 lakh or more a year; admission fees and refundable deposits are extra.

Which are the best girls’ boarding schools in India?

PickMySchool lists 22 girls' boarding schools, including Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, All Saints' College, Nainital, St. Mary's Convent College, Nainital, Baldwin Girls' High School, Bengaluru. See the full list of girls' boarding schools.

What is the right age to join a boarding school?

It varies by school. Many Indian boarding schools admit from around Class 4–5 (age 9–10); common entry points are Class 6, 7, 9 and 11, and some schools take juniors earlier. Most hold entrance tests and interviews several months ahead, so check each school’s admission calendar.

Are boarding schools in India CBSE or ICSE?

Both. Of the boarding schools on PickMySchool, 97 follow CBSE, 53 ICSE and 26 the IB; several offer more than one board.

Top Boarding Schools in India 2026

Compare 190 boarding and residential schools across 17states — ranked, with fees, boards and admission details. Includes girls' and boys' boarding schools and the best hill-station schools.

Top 20 boarding schools in India

PickMySchool's ranking — our editorial Top 10 schools in India first, then by track record and profile. Featured listings do not affect the order.

Top boarding schools in India 2026
#	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	Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram	Delhi	CBSE	Co-ed day & boarding	1972	₹2.04 L
9	Bishop Cotton School, Shimla	Shimla	ICSE	Boys' boarding	1859	₹7.8 L – ₹9.2 L
10	St. Paul's School, Darjeeling	Darjeeling	ICSE	Boys' boarding	1823	₹3.75 L – ₹3.9 L
11	La Martiniere College, Lucknow	Lucknow	ICSE	Boys' day & boarding	1845	₹1.1 L – ₹1.2 L
12	The Lawrence School, Lovedale	Ooty	CBSE	Co-ed boarding	1858	₹6.3 L – ₹7.1 L
13	All Saints' College, Nainital	Nainital	ICSE	Girls' day & boarding	1869	₹4.98 L – ₹5.28 L
14	St. Mary's High School, Mount Abu	Mount Abu	ICSE	Boys' day & boarding	1887	₹84,000 – ₹89,350
15	Mount Hermon School, Darjeeling	Darjeeling	ICSE	Co-ed day & boarding	1895	₹2.78 L – ₹3.03 L
16	Kodaikanal International School, Kodaikanal	Kodaikanal	IB	Co-ed boarding	1901	₹15.85 L – ₹20.25 L
17	St. Peter's School, Panchgani	Panchgani	ICSE	Co-ed day & boarding	1904	₹2.57 L – ₹4.39 L
18	Sherwood College, Nainital	Nainital	ICSE	Co-ed boarding	1869	On request
19	St. George's College, Mussoorie	Mussoorie	ICSE	Boys' day & boarding	1853	On request
20	Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bengaluru	Bengaluru	ICSE	Boys' day & boarding	1865	On request

Boarding school fees in India

Annual fees	Schools
Under ₹3 lakh	25
₹3 – 6 lakh	12
₹6 – 10 lakh	13
₹10 lakh and above	11

Based on 61 of 190 boarding schools that publish their fees.

Girls' and boys' boarding schools

Best girls' boarding schools in India22 schools Best boys' boarding schools in India24 schools

Boarding schools by city & hill station

Boarding schools in Dehradun (29)Boarding schools in Bangalore (13)Boarding schools in Panchgani (10)Boarding schools in Ooty (10)Boarding schools in Mussoorie (9)Boarding schools in Nainital (9)Boarding schools in Shimla (5)Boarding schools in Ahmedabad (4)Boarding schools in Gandhinagar (4)Boarding schools in Visakhapatnam (4)Boarding schools in Delhi (3)Boarding schools in Gurgaon (3)

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Why choose a boarding school?

Holistic development

Boarding schools provide round-the-clock learning, sports, arts, and character-building activities that go beyond regular classroom education.

Independence & discipline

Students develop self-reliance, time management, and strong social skills by living and learning alongside peers from diverse backgrounds.

Focused academics

With structured study hours, dedicated faculty, and fewer distractions, boarding schools often achieve excellent academic outcomes.

Boarding schools in India – frequently asked questions

Which is the best boarding school in India?: In PickMySchool's 2026 ranking the top boarding schools are The Doon School, Dehradun, Mayo College, Ajmer, The Scindia School, Gwalior, Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, The Lawrence School, Sanawar. The ranking considers academic reputation, heritage, campus and facilities, and breadth of programmes — featured listings do not affect it.
What are the fees of boarding schools in India?: Annual fees at boarding schools listed on PickMySchool range from about ₹30,000 to ₹20.25 L, usually covering tuition, accommodation and meals. Premium schools charge ₹10 lakh or more a year; admission fees and refundable deposits are extra.
Which are the best girls’ boarding schools in India?: PickMySchool lists 22 girls' boarding schools, including Welham Girls' School, Dehradun, All Saints' College, Nainital, St. Mary's Convent College, Nainital, Baldwin Girls' High School, Bengaluru. See the full list of girls' boarding schools.
What is the right age to join a boarding school?: It varies by school. Many Indian boarding schools admit from around Class 4–5 (age 9–10); common entry points are Class 6, 7, 9 and 11, and some schools take juniors earlier. Most hold entrance tests and interviews several months ahead, so check each school’s admission calendar.
Are boarding schools in India CBSE or ICSE?: Both. Of the boarding schools on PickMySchool, 97 follow CBSE, 53 ICSE and 26 the IB; several offer more than one board.