International Schools in India: IB, Cambridge and CBSE Schools by City, Fees 2026/27
Quick Answer: India has 273 IB World Schools and over 700 schools offering Cambridge programmes, alongside the national CBSE and CISCE boards. The IB Diploma has counted as Class 12 for Indian university entry since 1983 and Cambridge A Levels are equated to 10+2 by the AIU. Most top Mumbai and Bengaluru schools do not publish fees; Delhi NCR and Pune schools mostly do, from under INR 4 lakh to USD 39,490 a year.
India runs four main school systems side by side: the national CBSE and CISCE (ICSE and ISC) boards, Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels, and the International Baccalaureate. The IB country page lists 273 IB World Schools in India, and Cambridge International says over 700 schools in India offer its programmes. All four count for Indian university admission, the international two through Association of Indian Universities (AIU) equivalence. Published 2026/27 fees run from under INR 4 lakh a year at Mercedes-Benz in Pune to USD 39,490 at the American Embassy School; most of the best-known Mumbai and Bengaluru schools publish nothing. Browse listings on our India page.
Which curricula do international schools in India follow?
CBSE is the central government board and CISCE runs the ICSE (Class 10) and ISC (Class 12) exams; both are the direct route into Indian entrance tests. Cambridge schools take IGCSE at 16 and AS and A Levels at 18. The IB has been in India since 1976; of its 273 schools, 197 offer the Diploma Programme, 181 the Primary Years Programme, 87 the Middle Years Programme and 43 the Career-related Programme (IB country page). Many schools mix systems: Dhirubhai Ambani runs IGCSE then the IB Diploma, and Shiv Nadar offers CBSE and IB streams on one campus. For how the exams compare, see our IB Diploma vs A Levels vs AP guide.
Are IB and Cambridge recognised for Indian university admission?
Yes, through the AIU Evaluation Division, which accords equivalence to qualifications from accredited foreign boards. The IB states that the Diploma Programme has been recognised by AIU as an entry qualification to all universities in India since 1983, and that the Career-related Programme gained the same equivalence in September 2021. The IB recognition database adds that AIU and the Council of Boards of School Education treat the DP as equivalent to national Grade 12 at 24 points or more. For Cambridge, Cambridge's recognition FAQ for India says AIU equates five IGCSE or O Level passes including English Language to Standard 10, and Cambridge International A Levels to 10+2 from any Indian board; most universities do not ask for the certificate when the exams were sat in India, but a few private ones do. Equivalence is not eligibility: universities add their own subject and mark rules.
What do international schools in India cost in 2026/27?
Only fees read on a school's own site are listed; "not published" means its admissions pages carried no amounts in September 2026. For what each line means, see international school fees explained.
| City | School | Curriculum | 2026/27 fee (school's own page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | Dhirubhai Ambani International School | IGCSE, IB Diploma | Not published |
| Mumbai | Oberoi International School | IB continuum | Not published |
| Mumbai | American School of Bombay | American, IB Diploma | Not published |
| Mumbai | Ecole Mondiale World School | IB continuum | Not published; application fee INR 12,000 (admissions page) |
| Mumbai | Bombay International School | IB PYP, IGCSE, IB Diploma | On request by email (fees page) |
| Delhi NCR | The British School New Delhi | British, IB Diploma | INR 228,000 to 366,000 per term; one-time development fee INR 625,000 (fee schedule) |
| Delhi NCR | American Embassy School | American | USD 22,820 (Pre-K) to 39,490 (Grades 9 to 12) a year, plus USD 16,500 one-time registration (tuition page) |
| Delhi NCR | Pathways World School, Gurgaon | IB | INR 1,72,750 to 3,71,250 per quarter (day); boarding INR 1,76,750 a quarter extra (fee structure) |
| Delhi NCR | Shiv Nadar School, Noida | CBSE, IB | CBSE INR 78,194 to 1,11,884 per quarter (CBSE fee sheet); IBDP INR 2,47,225 per quarter (IBDP fee sheet); admission fee INR 2,10,000 |
| Delhi NCR | The Shri Ram School | ICSE/ISC, IB Diploma | Not published |
| Bengaluru | The International School Bangalore | IGCSE, IB Diploma | Sent to applicants on enquiry (FAQ) |
| Bengaluru | Canadian International School | IGCSE, IB Diploma | Not published |
| Bengaluru | Stonehill International School | IB continuum | Given at campus visit (admissions page) |
| Bengaluru | Inventure Academy | Cambridge, ICSE/ISC | Not published |
| Bengaluru | Indus International School | Not verified | Not published; school site unreachable in September 2026 |
| Chennai | American International School Chennai | American | Not published; application fee USD 400 (admissions kit) |
| Hyderabad | Oakridge International School | CBSE, Cambridge | Not published |
| Hyderabad | International School of Hyderabad | IGCSE, IB Diploma | Posted as an image; not reproduced |
| Pune | Mercedes-Benz International School | Cambridge | INR 2,52,880 (Grades 1 to 5) to 3,99,290 (Grades 9 to 10) a year; admission fee INR 50,000 (admissions page) |
| Pune | Symbiosis International School | IB, IGCSE | 2025/26 table still posted: INR 4,40,000 (PYP) to 7,70,000 (IBDP) a year; one-time INR 1,40,000 (fee page) |
| Nainital | Birla Vidya Mandir | CBSE, boys' boarding | INR 4,82,000 (Classes 4 to 8) to 5,10,000 (Classes 11 to 12) a year; admission fee INR 40,000 (fee page) |
Which schools publish fees and which do not?
Delhi NCR's British School, American Embassy School, Pathways and Shiv Nadar all post full schedules with one-time fees, deposits and sibling terms, and Pune's Mercedes-Benz and Symbiosis post grade-by-grade tables. In Mumbai none of the five schools checked publishes a tuition figure: Dhirubhai Ambani and Oberoi give only enquiry forms, the American School of Bombay has no tuition page, Ecole Mondiale lists only its application fee, and Bombay International asks families to email. Bengaluru is similar: TISB sends its structure on enquiry and Stonehill discusses it on a visit. Figures on third-party directory sites for these schools are not the schools' own and are not repeated here.
What does an Indian boarding school cost?
The CBSE boarding route is far cheaper than the day international schools above. Birla Vidya Mandir, a boys' residential school in Nainital for Classes 4 to 12, charges INR 4,82,000 a year for Classes 4 to 8, 4,93,000 for Classes 9 and 10 and 5,10,000 for Classes 11 and 12 in 2026/27, plus INR 40,000 admission fee and INR 34,500 advance for uniform and personal expenses at entry; the school says the structure is revised from 1 January 2027 (fee page). That is about a third of Pathways Gurgaon's day fee for the same senior years before its INR 1,76,750 a quarter residence charge.
How should you choose between the boards?
- Start with the exit. Indian entrance exams favour CBSE and CISCE content; overseas universities know IB and A Levels best, and AIU equivalence keeps the Indian door open.
- Count the one-time fees. The British School's INR 625,000 development fee and AES's USD 16,500 registration fee are on top of tuition and are non-refundable.
- Ask for the schedule in writing where nothing is published, and check what it includes.
Frequently asked questions
- How many IB schools are there in India?
- The IB's own country page lists 273 IB World Schools in India as of September 2026: 197 offer the Diploma Programme, 181 the Primary Years Programme, 87 the Middle Years Programme and 43 the Career-related Programme. Many schools run more than one programme, so the four figures overlap. The first IB World School in India was authorised in 1976. Cambridge International separately says over 700 schools in India offer its programmes and qualifications.
- Is IB recognised in India for college admission?
- Yes. The IB states that the Diploma Programme has been recognised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) as an entry qualification to all Indian universities since 1983, and the IB's recognition database records that AIU and the Council of Boards of School Education treat the DP as equivalent to national Grade 12 for students scoring 24 points or more. The Career-related Programme received the same equivalence in September 2021. Universities can still add their own subject and score conditions.
- Is Cambridge IGCSE equivalent to CBSE?
- For school-level equivalence, yes in practice. Cambridge's recognition FAQ for India says AIU recognises passes in five Cambridge IGCSE or O Level subjects including English Language as equivalent to Standard 10 of an Indian board, and that an AIU equivalence certificate confirms Cambridge International A Levels as equivalent to 10+2 from any Indian board. Cambridge also notes most Indian universities do not require the certificate when the exams were taken in India, though a few private universities insist on it.
- Which is better for Indian students, IB or CBSE?
- It depends on the destination. CBSE and CISCE feed directly into Indian entrance exams and are far cheaper; the Shiv Nadar School Noida CBSE fee for Class XI is INR 83,348 a quarter against INR 2,47,225 a quarter for its IBDP stream in 2026/27. IB and Cambridge suit families likely to move abroad or apply to overseas universities, and both are accepted for Indian university entry through AIU equivalence. Fees are the biggest practical difference.
- What is the fee of Dhirubhai Ambani International School?
- Dhirubhai Ambani International School does not publish its fees. Its admissions pages for the 2027/28 intake (Nursery, Class VIII IGCSE and Class XI IB Diploma) give only an enquiry form and contact details, and no fee schedule was found on the school's site in September 2026. Figures quoted on third-party directory sites are not from the school. Ask the admissions office for the current schedule before comparing it with schools that do publish.
- Which is the most expensive school in India?
- Among schools that publish 2026/27 fees, the American Embassy School in New Delhi is the highest found: tuition of USD 39,490 a year for Grades 9 to 12 plus a one-time USD 16,500 registration fee, which is about INR 37.7 lakh at the school's own September 2026 rate of 95.50. Pathways World School Gurgaon charges INR 3,71,250 a quarter for Grades 11 to 12, or INR 14,85,000 a year, before boarding. Schools that keep fees private, including several in Mumbai, may charge more.
