Notes / Bangalore
Affordable International Schools in Bangalore
Eight Bangalore international schools publish top-year tuition under INR 6 lakh. The threshold, the picks, what the saving buys and what it costs.
The brief
- The affordable line sits at INR 6 lakh top-year tuition, about USD 7,200. Eight Bangalore schools publish a senior-year figure below it.
- The floor is genuinely cheap. NPS Indiranagar tops out at INR 1.82 lakh in the Class 11-12 CBSE year, around USD 2,180. Geethanjali, Edify and Deens all publish senior-year tuition under INR 2.1 lakh.
- The IB Diploma fits inside the threshold at one school. Bangalore International School in Hennur charges INR 2.30 lakh at the Diploma year, the cheapest full IB DP fee published in the city.
- Mid-tier dual-curriculum schools price their early years inside the threshold. Candor, Trio and Greenwood run INR 1.8 to 3 lakh at entry, stepping up to INR 6 to 9 lakh by senior level.
- What the saving costs is cohort and exit qualification, not building quality. CBSE or ICSE through the senior years, larger student bodies, smaller per-pupil footprints, and a teacher mix that is overwhelmingly Indian-trained.
The Bangalore market makes the affordability question easier than most international cities. The premium IB ceiling at Stonehill (INR 12.67 lakh) sits roughly seven times the value floor at NPS Indiranagar, and the schools in between fill the gap in tidy steps. A family arriving on a rupee package has more usable options here than in Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore or Bangkok.
Where Bangalore sits
Bangalore prices low for the global international segment. Median top-year day fee runs around USD 10,200, third from the bottom of 49 cities and roughly USD 6,000 below the global median.
The local segmentation: a premium IB tier at INR 10 to 12.7 lakh top-year (Stonehill, Indus, Oakridge, TISB, Neev, Canadian International); a mid tier at INR 5 to 9 lakh (Candor, Greenwood, Trio, Mallya Aditi, Ebenezer); and a value tier under INR 4 lakh (NPS Indiranagar, Geethanjali, Edify, Deens, Vidyashilp, Treamis, Bangalore International School).
Headline figures vary enormously between Nursery and Class 12 at the same school. A 3x escalation is normal; some schools step up 4x. A family choosing on Pre-Primary fees alone is reading the opening page of a fifteen-year contract.
The strongest affordable picks
Eight schools sit below the threshold. Five run domestic boards through the senior years; three run an international pathway alongside.
| School | Curriculum | Ages | Top-year (INR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangalore International School | IB, Cambridge | 3-18 | 3,03,000 | Hennur Gardens; CIS-accredited; founded 1969; cheapest IB Diploma in the city |
| Ebenezer International | IB, Cambridge | 3-18 | 5,20,000 | South Bangalore; ICSE roots, IB and Cambridge in senior years |
| Vidyashilp Academy | ICSE, IGCSE | 5-18 | 3,80,000 | North Bangalore; long-established (1996); A-Level senior year |
| Treamis World School | CBSE, IB, Cambridge | 3-18 | 3,53,000 | South Bangalore; CBSE through to Class 10, IB DP or A-Level on top |
| The Deens Academy | CBSE | 3-18 | 2,10,000 | Whitefield; consistent CBSE board topper school |
| Edify School Bangalore | CBSE, IGCSE | 3-18 | 2,05,000 | South Bangalore; CBSE through to Class 12 |
| NPS Indiranagar | CBSE | 5-18 | 1,81,655 | East Bangalore; one of the strongest CBSE schools in India |
| Geethanjali International | Cambridge, CBSE | 3-18 | 1,75,000 | North Bangalore; dual board; smaller cohort |
Top-year published annual tuition. Verify current figures with each school. USD at INR 1 = 0.012 for cross-city comparison only.
Bangalore International School
The structural exception in the city's fee ladder. CIS-accredited, founded 1969, full IB Diploma in the senior years, and a published Class 11-12 IB Diploma fee of INR 2.30 lakh, with A-Level at INR 3.03 lakh. The next-cheapest full IB Diploma school in Bangalore is Ebenezer at INR 5.20 lakh; Stonehill, the city ceiling, runs INR 12.67 lakh at the Diploma year. The same external accreditation and the same Diploma qualification, at a quarter the senior-year cost.
What buys the lower price is scale and history. Around 500 students on a long-held Hennur campus, no flagship-network capital cost to amortise, and a fee structure that has not chased the premium six up the curve. Parents flag steady communication and teachers who know children individually. Criticisms focus on consistency of pedagogy across departments, and fit with children who want a more drill-led approach.
Ebenezer International
South Bangalore. ICSE roots from 2006, IB and Cambridge added in the senior years. Top-year INR 5.20 lakh, the upper end of the affordable threshold and roughly half the premium IB cluster. CIE 2024: 100% pass, 52% above 75%. CISCE 2025: 91% above 75%. Boarding adds materially to the fee line.
Vidyashilp Academy
North Bangalore. Founded 1996, predates most of the premium six. ICSE through Class 10, Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level on top. Top-year INR 3.80 lakh. IGCSE and ICSE highest scores in the high 90s.
Treamis World School
South Bangalore. Tri-board model: CBSE through Class 10, IB Diploma and Cambridge A-Levels alongside in the senior years. Top-year INR 3.53 lakh (Science). Around 1,500 students. 100% pass rates published across CAIE, IBDP and CBSE.
The Deens Academy
Whitefield. CBSE, founded 2006, around 2,500 students. Grade 10 toppers in 2025-26 scored 97-99%. Top-year INR 2.10 lakh.
Edify School Bangalore
South Bangalore. CBSE through Class 12, IGCSE alongside. Founded 2011. 100% success at Grade 10 and Grade 12 boards in 2023-24. Top-year INR 2.05 lakh; the curve runs INR 1.55 lakh at Nursery to INR 1.82 lakh through Grades 6-10.
NPS Indiranagar
East Bangalore. One of the most academically respected CBSE schools in India. Class 12 2024-25: school average 89.85%, Humanities 93.56%. Around 3,000 students. Top-year (Class 11-12) tuition INR 1.57 lakh, the cheapest senior-year fee in the city.
Parent voice is consistent on what the saving buys and what it costs. Strong academic culture, alumni at IITs, NITs, AIIMS and top US universities. Compact campus, small playground, marks-first culture, sibling and staff priority in admissions, front-office communication parents describe as high-handed. Best fit is an academically self-motivated child and a family comfortable with a school that prioritises outcomes over hand-holding.
Geethanjali International
North Bangalore. Dual-board (Cambridge and CBSE), founded 2004, around 800 students. Top-year INR 1.75 lakh. Smaller cohort than NPS or Deens; less public exam-results signal.
Affordable in the early years only
Three mid-tier schools price their early years inside the affordable threshold and step up sharply later. The pattern is deliberate: keep entry pricing accessible, then pass through IB authorisation and IGCSE assessment costs as children progress.
| School | Early Years | Senior Year | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candor International | 1,80,000 (Nursery) | 6,45,000 (Class 12) | 3.6x |
| Trio World Academy | 3,00,000 (EY) | 8,75,000 (IB Diploma) | 2.9x |
| Greenwood High | 3,00,000 (Grades 1-8) | 5,50,000 (IB Diploma, day) | 1.8x |
Published annual tuition. Verify current figures with each school.
A relocation lasting two to four years can use the mid tier as an affordable bridge into a credible international curriculum at the foundation level. A family settled long-term needs to model Class 11-12 fees from the start.
Where the saving comes from
Curriculum. CBSE or ICSE through the senior years. Authorisation, assessment and examiner costs for these boards are a fraction of the IB and Cambridge equivalents.
Cohort size. NPS Indiranagar runs around 3,000 students; Deens 2,500; Edify 1,800. Stonehill, by contrast, around 600. Larger cohorts amortise fixed costs across more families.
Per-pupil footprint. The premium six occupy 20 to 30 acres on the Yelahanka or Sarjapur outskirts. Several value-tier schools sit on city plots a fifth the size.
Teacher mix. Predominantly Indian-trained teachers on Indian salary scales. The premium IB tier carries a larger share of international hires on global scales plus relocation packages, the single biggest line in the fee gap.
What to watch out for
Senior-year fee escalation. Published Nursery fees are not predictive of Class 12 fees. The full schedule is what matters.
One-off charges. Admission fees of INR 10,000 to INR 1.5 lakh and refundable security deposits of INR 50,000 to nearly INR 3 lakh sit on top of tuition. The premium six charge the highest one-offs; the CBSE value tier the lowest.
Transport. A bus place from a typical expat address to a school on the Sarjapur, Yelahanka or Electronic City outskirts runs INR 60,000 to INR 1.2 lakh annually, on top of the table fees.
Year-on-year increases. Bangalore international schools have stepped fees up in mid- to high single digits annually. A four-year horizon implies cumulative escalation of 25 to 35% on the headline figure.
Curriculum exit. CBSE and ICSE qualifications are well recognised at Indian universities and accepted at most international universities, but US, UK and European applications run smoother from an IB or A-Level cohort. The destinations record of the specific school matters more than the board.
Specialist provision. Learning support, counselling, music specialists and sports coaches are thinner at lower fee levels. A high-throughput CBSE school rarely serves a child with diagnosed SEN well.
Accreditation. CBSE is a recognition framework, not an external quality audit. Independent international accreditation (CIS, NEASC, COBIS) is rarer at the value end. Bangalore International School (CIS) is the structural exception.
Related reading
- Best International Schools in Bangalore, the pillar guide.
- Cheapest International Schools in Bangalore, the bottom of the fee ladder.
- International School Fees in Bangalore, the full ladder, value floor to city ceiling.
- Best Value International Schools in Bangalore, schools that punch above their fee bracket.
FAQs
What is the cheapest international school in Bangalore? NPS Indiranagar publishes the lowest senior-year tuition in the city at INR 1.57 lakh for Class 11-12 CBSE, around USD 1,880. Geethanjali International sits a step above at INR 1.75 lakh top-year. Both are CBSE board schools; the IB Diploma is not available at this fee level.
Is there a full IB Diploma school in Bangalore for under INR 6 lakh? Yes, one. Bangalore International School in Hennur Gardens publishes a Class 11-12 IB Diploma fee of INR 2.30 lakh, with A-Level at INR 3.03 lakh. CIS-accredited, founded 1969. The next-cheapest full IB Diploma school in the city is Ebenezer International at INR 5.20 lakh top-year.
Can a family on a rupee package afford an international school in Bangalore? Yes. The eight schools at the affordable end publish senior-year tuition between INR 1.75 lakh and INR 5.20 lakh, fundable on a senior corporate or professional salary without employer underwriting. The mid tier (INR 5 to 9 lakh) and premium IB tier (INR 10 to 13 lakh) typically need employer school-fee support or dual-income households.
Is CBSE a credible curriculum for an internationally mobile family? Conditional on plans. CBSE is well structured, examined and recognised at Indian and many international universities. UK, US and European applications are smoother from an IB or A-Level base. Most expatriate families with no Indian education history choose Cambridge or IB pathways for portability.
Fees indicative as of 2026. Verify current figures with each school before financial planning. USD conversions at INR 1 = USD 0.012.