The Bangalore international school landscape
Bangalore has roughly thirty schools that legitimately count as international, defined as offering the IB Diploma, the Cambridge IGCSE and A Level pathway, or both. A larger group of eighty plus private schools offers something they label international, often a CBSE or ICSE backbone with a few enrichment elements borrowed from international curricula. For relocating expat families and for returning Indian families wanting full international portability, the smaller group is what matters.
The international school cohort splits broadly three ways. First, the legacy IB schools that have been running the diploma for fifteen years or more. Second, the newer Cambridge International schools, often built in the last decade, with full EYFS through Year 13 pathways. Third, the hybrid CBSE international schools that offer dual recognition through Cambridge IGCSE alongside the Indian boards.
The single most important structural point about Bangalore schooling is geography. The city is sprawling, traffic is genuinely difficult by Asian capital standards, and a forty minute commute can become a hundred minutes in a monsoon. The neighbourhood you choose to live in is at least as important as the school itself. Our Bangalore city guide covers the broader expat picture.
The IB Diploma schools
The legacy IB Bangalore cohort is the most internationally portable choice and the default for families who expect to move again within three to five years.
Canadian International School (CIS) in Yelahanka is one of the longest established IB World Schools in Bangalore, running PYP, MYP and DP. Strong North American university pipeline, broad expat parent body, and a campus designed around the IB philosophy. Often the first reference point for families relocating from Toronto, Singapore or Dubai.
Indus International School in Sarjapur runs PYP through DP with a substantial boarding population. Strong sport and outdoor education tradition, large campus, broad Indian and international student mix.
Stonehill International School, also in Yelahanka, runs all three IB programmes with a smaller and more intimate cohort than CIS. Strong sister relationship with Indus campuses. Particularly strong for families wanting smaller class sizes inside the IB framework.
Mallya Aditi International School in Yelahanka has a long established academic reputation and IB Diploma at senior level alongside a Cambridge IGCSE pathway. Strong Indian university outcomes alongside international destinations.
Inventure Academy off Sarjapur Road runs IB at senior alongside ICSE through middle school, popular with families wanting a balance between international and Indian academic frames.
Use the compare tool before you visit
The IB schools in Bangalore are not interchangeable. Class sizes, university destinations, fees and parent demographics differ significantly. Use the school compare tool to put two or three schools side by side, and read our best international schools in Bangalore ranking before you book a school tour. The cost calculator turns the school choice plus the housing choice into a year one budget for the assignment package.
IGCSE and A Level schools
The Cambridge International pathway has grown rapidly in Bangalore over the past decade and now offers strong alternatives to the IB.
Greenwood High International School runs both Cambridge IGCSE leading to A Level and the IB Diploma in parallel. Large campus on Sarjapur Road, broad academic and sport offering, strong Indian and Singapore university outcomes. Suited to families wanting curriculum flexibility.
Trio World Academy in Sahakar Nagar offers Cambridge through to A Level alongside an IB Diploma stream at senior. Smaller and more academically focused, with a recognisable British school feel.
Oakridge International School on Sarjapur Road runs the full Cambridge pathway with IB Diploma at senior, and is part of the broader Nord Anglia network. Strong infrastructure and deliberate alignment with international school norms.
The Cambridge route is often preferred by families likely to head to UK universities, by Singapore and Malaysian families on rotation, and by parents who value the more linear Year by Year academic structure compared to the broader IB Diploma. Our British curriculum overview covers the structural differences.
Hybrid Indian-international and CBSE international
A large group of Bangalore schools sit between the strict international cohort and the mainstream Indian schools. They offer CBSE or ICSE through the early years and middle school, then split into IGCSE or IB at senior. Examples include Inventure Academy (mentioned above for its IB), TISB Whitefield in places, and several smaller schools across north Bangalore.
This group works particularly well for returning Indian families who want their children to retain Indian board fluency for university entrance through CBSE, while keeping the international pathway open. It works less well for short term expat families because the early years often skew Indian board in pace and assessment style, and the international transfer logic gets harder mid pathway.
For pure CBSE or ICSE schools, the Bangalore choice is even broader and the fees materially lower. Most relocating expat families do not choose this route, but it is the standard option for the majority of Indian families in the city.
One pattern that quietly matters in Bangalore is the senior school choice for returning Indian Americans. Families relocating from California or New Jersey often arrive expecting their child to slot into AP or IB and find that the strongest IB cohorts in Bangalore are competitive on raw academics with US private schools, while the social transition takes longer than expected. Schools like Stonehill and CIS that have a deeper expat parent body tend to be easier first year landings than schools with a predominantly Indian cohort, even where the academics on paper are similar. The right school here is often the one with the right adjustment ramp, not the one with the highest published average IB score.
Fees and what to expect
Indicative 2026 annual tuition fees in Indian rupees (INR) for the international cohort:
- Top tier IB Diploma at legacy schools (Senior): INR 12 lakh to INR 16 lakh
- Mid tier IB and Cambridge senior years: INR 8 lakh to INR 12 lakh
- Primary at international schools: INR 5 lakh to INR 9 lakh
- Hybrid CBSE-international and Cambridge entry tier: INR 4 lakh to INR 7 lakh
The tuition headline is misleading without the surcharges. Capital fees and admission fees are commonly INR 2 lakh to INR 5 lakh one off, sometimes refundable on exit, sometimes not. Books, uniforms, lunches, technology and transport typically add another fifteen to twenty per cent of tuition annually. Day boarding and full boarding add materially.
For the full breakdown of how fees stack year on year, see our Bangalore school fees piece, and use the cost calculator to test the family budget.
Geography, traffic and the school commute
Bangalore's expat school cluster is broadly two areas: north (Yelahanka, Sahakar Nagar, Hebbal) and south east (Sarjapur Road, Whitefield, HSR Layout). The choice is structural.
North Bangalore is home to Canadian International School, Stonehill, Mallya Aditi and several others. Closer to the airport, more residential greenery, easier weekend logistics. Sprawling campuses with significant land allocation. Suited to families whose work cluster sits in north Bangalore or who want airport proximity.
South east Bangalore has Indus, Greenwood, Oakridge, Inventure and several others on or off Sarjapur Road. Closer to Whitefield and the major tech corridor employers. Larger expat community but heavier traffic on weekday mornings.
The single most important practical decision is to live within twenty five minutes of school in normal traffic. The school bus solves part of the problem but not all of it; weekend sport, friends' birthdays and after school activities still drive parental commute. Our best areas to live in Bangalore piece covers neighbourhood detail.
Admissions and the academic year
The Indian academic year runs April to March, four terms with a long summer break in May and short breaks in October and December. This is a notable scheduling shift for families arriving from a September starting system.
Admissions for April entry typically open in November to January of the previous year. Most international schools assess and offer between January and March. Mid year entry (August or January) is possible at most schools but limits choice in popular years.
The strongest IB and Cambridge schools have meaningful waitlists at popular transition points (Pre Primary, Year 6, Year 11). Apply six to twelve months ahead for these. Hybrid and lower tier international schools generally have rolling availability.
For the wider Asia and Indian admissions calendar, see our admissions timing by city piece.
FAQ
How many international schools are there in Bangalore?
Bangalore has roughly thirty schools that offer the IB Diploma, IGCSE or a combination of both. A wider group of around eighty private schools offers some international or hybrid Indian-international curriculum. The genuinely international cohort sits at the smaller number.
What is the average international school fee in Bangalore?
Annual tuition for international schools in Bangalore ranges from around INR 4 lakh at the entry level to INR 16 lakh at the most established IB Diploma schools. Capital fees, books, transport and meals add another fifteen to twenty per cent on top.
Is the IB or IGCSE better in Bangalore?
Both work. IGCSE leading to A Levels suits families targeting UK or Singapore universities. IB Diploma is the most portable for families likely to move on within three to five years. Several Bangalore schools run both pathways and decide at the start of senior school.
Are there boarding options in Bangalore international schools?
Yes, with Indus and several others offering full and weekly boarding. Useful for families with split postings or for older children whose parents are based outside Bangalore.