Best IB Schools in New Delhi

The IB Diploma in Delhi sits on top of a competitive academic culture. AES anchored the programme from the 1970s. Pathways arrived in 2003 in Gurgaon and pushed scale. The Shri Ram School carried the Indian-founded IB tradition. The Delhi NCR now holds more IB-authorised schools than any other Indian metro, across Delhi itself, Gurugram (Haryana) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh).

Half the IB seats are outside Delhi proper. AES, The British School and Apeejay International are inside Delhi. Pathways World, GD Goenka, Shri Ram Aravali, Lancers and Scottish High are in Gurugram. Pathways Noida, Genesis Global and Step by Step are in Noida. Families ranking by curriculum alone end up shortlisting schools 30 to 90 minutes apart.

The global IB DP average was 30.32 in 2024. Top Delhi NCR schools publish 32 to 40. Several large schools publish no results at all, and the absence is itself a signal.

The top tier

American Embassy School (AES)

Chanakyapuri. Founded 1952. ~1,113 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP 2024 average: 38 points. CIS and Middle States accredited. American programme to Grade 10, IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12.

AES is the only school inside Delhi proper operating as a major-capital embassy school: international peer group, large campus, heavily expatriate staff. Diplomatic and corporate families have shaped admissions for seven decades. The college counselling office is the most experienced in the city for US and UK routes. Top-band fees reach INR 31.9 lakh (USD 37,500), the highest in Delhi NCR.

Pathways School Noida

Sector 100, Noida. Founded 2010. ~1,500 students, ages 1 to 18. IB DP 2025 average: 40 points, 100% pass rate. CIS and NEASC.

Pathways Noida posted the highest IB DP average in the NCR in 2025. Forty points against a world line of 30 puts the median student in the top 5% globally. Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP). Fees top out at INR 15.2 lakh (USD 17,800).

The British School New Delhi

Chanakyapuri. Founded 1963. ~1,270 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP average: 37 points. CIS and COBIS Patrons.

TBS runs the English National Curriculum to IGCSE at Year 11, then the IB Diploma in Sixth Form, the pattern many British international schools settle on. Vanita Uppal OBE has led the school since 2008, an unusually long tenure for an international head. Top fees reach INR 13.8 lakh (USD 16,300).

Pathways World School (Aravali, Gurugram)

Sohna Road, Gurugram. Founded 2003. ~900 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP 2025 average: 33.3 points. CIS and NEASC. PYP, MYP, DP plus AP.

The original Pathways campus and the longest IB track record outside AES. Boarding-and-day at the Delhi-Gurugram edge. Averages 33.5 in 2024, 33.3 in 2025. Top fees INR 14.8 lakh (USD 17,500).

Strong mid-tier

Lancers International School

Gurugram. Founded 1972. ~1,200 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP 2025 average: 39 points, 100% pass rate. Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP, CP) plus Cambridge.

Lancers' 2025 result is the second-strongest published in the region after Pathways Noida. The longest-running private international school in Gurugram and the only NCR campus offering all four IB programmes including the Career-related Programme (CP). Top fees INR 14.5 lakh (USD 17,000).

Apeejay School International

South Delhi. Founded 1967. ~600 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP 2025 average: 36 points, 100% pass rate. CIS.

The small, results-led IB school inside Delhi. A 36-point average with a 100% pass rate is a strong line for a single-stream IB Diploma school. Top-year fees ~INR 13.0 lakh (USD 15,300).

Step by Step School Noida

Noida. Founded 1992. ~1,500 students, ages 3 to 18. IBDP 2025 average: 38.21 points. Indian-founded; CBSE alongside IGCSE and IB Diploma.

Indian-system at heart (CBSE Class 10 and 12 averages of 88%) with IB DP as an exit qualification. The IB cohort sits above the global average. Top fees ~INR 4.9 lakh (USD 5,700), a fraction of AES or TBS. Peer group predominantly Indian.

The Shri Ram School (Aravali / Moulsari)

Gurugram. Founded 1988. ~1,500 students, ages 5 to 18. IB DP averages: 37.12 (2024), 38.08 (2023).

The prestige Indian-founded school of the NCR. ICSE through Class 10, then ISC or IB DP at 16. High-30s averages year on year. Day fees ~INR 4.2 lakh (USD 4,900). Admissions weighted toward continuity from primary.

Scottish High International School

Sushant Lok, Gurugram. Founded 2004. ~2,000 students, ages 3 to 18. IB DP 2024 average: 32 points (highest 42). CIS. IB, Cambridge, ICSE.

The largest IB footprint in Gurugram by student numbers. The 32-point average sits just above the global line; the school publishes the top score (42) for context. Top fees ~INR 10.2 lakh (USD 12,000).

Best for full IB continuum (PYP + MYP + DP)

The continuum does not guarantee stronger DP results, world data shows continuum and non-continuum schools producing similar averages. What it delivers is inquiry-led primary, criterion-based middle years, then the Diploma without a curriculum break.

Schools running PYP, MYP and DP in Delhi NCR: Pathways World Gurgaon (plus AP), Pathways Noida, GD Goenka World, Lancers International (plus CP), Scottish High, Genesis Global, and K.R. Mangalam Global. AES, TBS, Apeejay, Step by Step and TSRS layer IB DP onto a non-IB primary.

At a glance

Fees converted to USD at indicative 2026 rates (INR 85 = USD 1). Verify current figures with each school. "Not published" means the school does not list a recent DP average on its public site.

The three kinds of IB school in Delhi

The IB Diploma is a 16 to 19 qualification: six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level) plus Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay, and CAS. Graded out of 45. Global average 30.32 in 2024.

In Delhi NCR, "IB school" means three different things:

1. International school, IB at senior. AES, The British School, Apeejay International. Internationally mixed peer group, premium fees, American or English primary.
2. Continuum IB school. Pathways (Noida and Gurgaon), Lancers, GD Goenka, Scottish High. PYP, MYP, DP throughout. Peer group can be largely Indian; the curriculum is the IB framework.
3. Indian-system school with IB DP as an option. Step by Step, Genesis Global, The Shri Ram School. CBSE or ICSE to Class 10, then ISC / CBSE Class 12 or IB DP. Fees are a fraction of the international schools; the school culture is Indian.

A 38-point IB from AES sits on an American programme with mostly expatriate students. A 38-point IB from Step by Step sits on a CBSE programme with a mostly Indian cohort. Same number, different school.

CBSE is the national board: exam-heavy, content-dense, the standard reference for Indian university admissions. ICSE / ISC is the Anglo-Indian board, broader curriculum, traditionally more rigorous in English and humanities. IB DP sits above both for international university applications but is not always the easier route into Indian universities, where CUET scores still drive selection at top public institutions.

How to choose between them

Five questions decide the shortlist.

Inside Delhi or in the NCR? AES, TBS, Apeejay and K.R. Mangalam are inside Delhi. Everything else means Gurugram or Noida. Commutes run 60 to 90 minutes each way in peak traffic.

International peer group or Indian peer group? AES and TBS sit at the international end. Lancers, Pathways and Scottish High sit between. Step by Step, TSRS and Genesis Global are predominantly Indian. There is no correct answer, only the one that fits the family.

Continuum IB or layered IB? A child entering at 4 or 5 has the option of an IB continuum. A child entering at 14 or 16 joins an IB DP class regardless of the school's earlier curriculum. For senior entrants, the underlying programme matters less than the strength of the DP cohort.

What do they publish? Pathways Noida, Lancers, Apeejay and Step by Step publish results year on year. Several large NCR schools do not. Publication is a signal of confidence.

What can the family stretch to? AES at INR 31.9 lakh is roughly eight times Step by Step at INR 4.9 lakh. Both produce IB Diplomas of 38 points. The question is whether the rest of the school experience justifies the difference.

Related reading

• Best international schools in New Delhi, the city pillar
• What is the IB Diploma?
• IB HL vs SL
• IB vs A-Levels
• British vs IB vs American curriculum
• What CIS accreditation means

FAQs

Which is the best IB school in Delhi NCR? On 2025 published results, Pathways School Noida posted the highest IB DP average at 40 points with a 100% pass rate. Lancers International in Gurugram followed at 39. AES in Chanakyapuri is the strongest school inside Delhi proper at 38 points (2024), with the most experienced international peer group.

Is IB recognised by Indian universities? Yes, through the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) equivalence framework. In practice, top public institutions still weight CUET and board scores heavily, and IB students sometimes provide additional documentation. For private and overseas universities, IB is straightforward.

How much does an IB school in Delhi cost? Annual fees range from INR 4 to 5 lakh (USD 4,700 to 5,900) at Indian-founded schools (Step by Step, The Shri Ram School), to INR 13 to 18 lakh (USD 15,000 to 21,000) at most international IB schools, to INR 30+ lakh (USD 35,000+) at AES.

Should I pick a full IB continuum school for my young child? Continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) delivers curriculum continuity. World data does not show continuum schools producing better DP averages than non-continuum schools. The question is whether the family wants inquiry-led primary and middle years, or a more conventional American, British or Indian-system primary with IB only at 16.

What's the difference between IB schools in Delhi and in Gurugram or Noida? Delhi schools (AES, The British School, Apeejay) carry the longest international history and the most expatriate-weighted cohorts. Gurugram (Pathways World, Lancers, Scottish High, TSRS, GD Goenka) holds most of the IB continuum schools. Noida (Pathways Noida, Step by Step, Genesis Global) produced the strongest 2025 DP averages in the region but with more Indian-weighted cohorts.

Sources: school websites and published fee schedules (AES, Pathways Noida, Pathways World Gurgaon, The British School New Delhi, Lancers International, Apeejay International, GD Goenka World, Scottish High, K.R. Mangalam Global, Genesis Global, Step by Step, The Shri Ram School, Excelsior American); IB Organisation 2024 statistical bulletin for the global average of 30.32; CIS and NEASC accreditation directories.