Best Schools in Karnataka 2026-27 – Top CBSE, ICSE & International Schools
Sri Taralabalu School Davanagere
St. Joseph’s High School, Bengaluru
KHIDWAI ENGLISH SCHOOL Shimogga
Ananda Marga School Shimogga
The Mission School Mangaluru
Sri Chaitanya Techno Shimogga
Kids Colony Pre School Tumakuru
Holy Shepherd Higher Primary School Bidar
Manipal Schooi Mangaluru
Lake Montfort School , Bengaluru
Divine English Medium School Kalaburagi
Samskara International School Bidar
Malnad International School Shimogga
Little Rock Indian School Udupi
Millennium World School Hassan
Baldwin International School Bengaluru
Trinity Central School, Udupi
Hoysala Public School Hassan
EduPlanet International School Davanagere
Times Gurukula CBSE School Hassan
Madhava Kripa School Udupi
Royale Apollo International School Hassan
S K Modi National School Bellary
Podar International School Tumakuru
Vidya Soudha Public School, Bengaluru
Podar International School Hassan
SANMARG CENTRAL SCHOOL Bengaluru
KIDZTECH PUBLIC SCHOOL Bidar
St Cecilys English Hr Pry School Udupi
Narayana e-Techno school Bellary
SDM School Mangaluru
C.K.S English School Hassan
Joy Kids Care & Joy Public School Bidar
Bapuji Higher Primaryl Davanagere
Carmel School Mangaluru
Academic Heights Public School Bellary
Milagres English Medium School Udupi
Unique Public School, Bidar
Delhi World School Shimogga
Sri Vasavi High School Bellary
Gnyana Sudha Vidyalaya, Bidar
St. Philomena’s School Hassan
Edify school, Bidar
Podar International School Shimogga
Lakshya pre school Shimogga
Ganapathy English Medium School Mangaluru
St Mary’s English Medium School, Udupi
Nethaji Public School Hassan
SHLOKA – A Birla School Kalaburagi
PES Public School Shimogga
THE CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Mangaluru
National Public School Kalaburagi
Podar International School Mangaluru
Christian High School & Primary School Udupi
Global Sainik Academy, Bidar
Mount Carmel School Shimogga
St. Paul’s English School Shimogga
Shahbaaz English Medium School Kalaburagi
UNITED INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Davanagere
Delhi Public School Bengaluru
Bangalore International School Bengaluru
Navabharat Night High School Mangaluru
G M Global School, Udupi
National English Medium Public School Bidar
Vidya Soudha Public School Hassan
Ninchana Public School Davanagere
Jain Public School Tumakuru
Wisdom School & P.U College Bidar
MS Dhoni Global School Bengaluru
Sparkles International School Kalaburagi
Lourdes Central School Bejai Mangaluru
Vedaa Public School Kalaburagi
Martin Luther Public School Bengaluru
Prudence International School Tumakuru
Tiny Pearls English Medium School Kalaburagi
ORCHIDS The International School Tumakuru
Best Schools in Karnataka — Where Silicon Valley Meets Academic Excellence
Karnataka is home to Bengaluru — India’s tech capital and one of the world’s fastest-growing knowledge economies — and its school education landscape mirrors that ambition. The state has a highly developed school ecosystem, with Bengaluru leading in concentration of quality CBSE, ICSE, and international schools. Beyond Bengaluru, cities like Mysuru, Hubli-Dharwad, Mangaluru, Belagavi, and Davangere also have strong school networks with a mix of state board and CBSE affiliations.
The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB/KSEAB) governs state board schools. Private schools in Bengaluru are distributed across CBSE, ICSE, IB, and IGCSE boards, with IB and Cambridge schools particularly strong given the city’s large expat and returning NRI population. The state has a tradition of excellent aided schools — private schools that receive partial government funding — that offer near-government fee levels with private school quality. Many of Karnataka’s best schools fall in this aided category.
Annual fees: Government/aided schools — Free to ₹15,000/year. Mid-range CBSE schools: ₹50,000–₹2,00,000/year. Premium Bengaluru schools: ₹2,00,000–₹5,00,000/year. International IB schools: ₹5–12 lakh/year. Explore best colleges in Karnataka and best universities in Karnataka for post-school planning.
Top Schools in Karnataka
Consistently top-rated schools include Bishop Cotton Boys’ School (Bengaluru), Baldwin Boys’ High School (Bengaluru), National Public School (NPS — multiple Bengaluru campuses), Delhi Public School (Bengaluru — Bangalore East, North, South), Inventure Academy (Bengaluru), Canadian International School (Bengaluru), Stonehill International School (Bengaluru), Vidyashilp Academy (Bengaluru), Kendriya Vidyalayas (Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubli), JNVs across Karnataka, St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School (Bengaluru), St. Aloysius High School (Mangaluru), and Mahindra World School (Mysuru). Bishop Cotton and Baldwin are among Karnataka’s most historic and prestigious schools. National Public School (NPS) is among the most sought-after CBSE schools in Bengaluru for academic results. Also see best schools in Tamil Nadu and best schools in Kerala for South Indian comparisons.
Frequently asked questions
Top schools include Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Baldwin Boys’ High School, National Public School (NPS), DPS Bengaluru, Inventure Academy, Canadian International School, Stonehill International, Vidyashilp Academy, St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School, and Kendriya Vidyalayas. These span CBSE, ICSE, IB, and IGCSE boards.
Bishop Cotton Boys’ School (1865) and Baldwin Boys’ High School (1880) are the most historically prestigious schools in Bengaluru. National Public School (NPS) is the most academically competitive CBSE school with the highest demand from professional families today. Canadian International School and Stonehill lead the IB category.
Government/aided schools: Free to ₹15,000/year. Mid-range CBSE: ₹50,000–₹2,00,000/year. NPS and Bishop Cotton: ₹1,50,000–₹3,50,000/year. International schools (IB): ₹5–12 lakh/year. Mysuru and Hubli schools are significantly more affordable than Bengaluru for equivalent quality.
CBSE is dominant in private schools, especially for JEE and NEET preparation. ICSE is prestigious and well-represented in Bengaluru and Mangaluru. IB/IGCSE is growing in Bengaluru’s tech community. The Karnataka State Board (PUC) is widely followed in government and aided schools and aligns well with KCET (Karnataka CET) for local engineering admissions.
Yes — aided schools are one of Karnataka’s unique educational assets. Schools like St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School and St. Aloysius receive partial government funding, charge very low fees (₹5,000–₹15,000/year), but maintain high-quality ICSE or CBSE curricula with strong faculty. They represent some of the best value education in the state.
Yes. Mysuru has Mahindra World School (IB) and strong government and aided schools. Mangaluru has a long tradition of quality Christian missionary schools including St. Aloysius, Canara High School, and Lourdes Central School. Both cities offer quality education at significantly lower cost than Bengaluru.
Private CBSE/ICSE school admissions open January–March. International schools often have rolling admissions. KV: Centralized online. JNV: JNVST. Government/aided school admissions follow DESE Karnataka norms with merit and locality priority. Some schools have complex admission processes with multiple rounds including interaction.
Yes. Bengaluru has one of India’s strongest IB school clusters. Canadian International School, Stonehill International, Inventure Academy, International School of Bangalore (TISB), and others offer IB PYP, MYP, and Diploma programs. These schools are primarily for expat families and returning NRI children, with fees in the ₹8–12 lakh/year range.