Notes / Mumbai
Top 5 International Schools in Mumbai
The five Mumbai international schools that hold up on results, accreditation and parent signal. Ranked, with fees and area in plain view.
The brief
- DAIS in BKC is the anchor. The 2025 IB DP cohort placed 9th worldwide. Admissions, not fees, are the constraint.
- Oberoi International School runs the strongest value-to-results ratio in the city. DP average 35.5 in 2025 against a global mean of 30.58, at a fraction of ASB fees.
- American School of Bombay is the landing pad for US and global-corporate families. Highest senior fees in the city. IB plus American track. BKC.
- Cathedral and John Connon averaged 38.4 on the IB Diploma in 2025, with fees a quarter of ASB. Admissions are the constraint: heavy alumni bias, multi-year backlog.
- JBCN Parel closes the five. No. 2 in India by EducationWorld 2025, full IB continuum, central-south Mumbai.
Mumbai's international tier is compact. Around fifteen IB World Schools sit in the city; five of them concentrate most of the parent attention and most of the published results. A wider read of the field sits in the Best international schools in Mumbai pillar.
The ranking
1. Dhirubhai Ambani International School
Dhirubhai Ambani International School at Bandra Kurla Complex is the headline school in India. The 2025 IB DP cohort placed 9th worldwide, the only Indian school in the global top ten. ICSE and IGCSE run in middle school; sixth form consolidates on IB DP.
Around 2,800 students, ages 4 to 18, with a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio. CIS and NEASC accredited. Fees stretch from INR 1.7 lakh in the lower years to INR 10.2 lakh at senior level. Full-package senior fees reportedly reach INR 97 lakh for some corporate-relocation contracts.
Admissions are the most selective in Mumbai, with a donation-and-network track discussed alongside the public process. Academic pressure is the caveat: families describe it as intense, with limited room for non-academic interests in the senior years. Best for academically strong children whose families can carry the fees and want the strongest Diploma launchpad in India.
2. Oberoi International School
Oberoi International School in Goregaon East runs the full IB continuum across two campuses. The 2025 DP average was 35.5 against a global average of 30.58. The Class of 2025 reported USD 8.1 million in university scholarships.
Around 2,906 students from 29 nationalities, ages 3 to 18. CIS and NEASC accredited on the OGC campus. Senior-year fees of INR 5.6 to 8.9 lakh (roughly USD 7,000 to 11,000) sit at roughly a quarter of ASB's senior band, with results that rival anything outside DAIS.
Goregaon East is practical for Juhu, Andheri West, and Malad; from South Mumbai it is a stretch. Some recent senior cohorts have flagged a slip in teaching quality versus earlier years. Best for families who want the strongest non-DAIS IB exit in Mumbai, with the western-suburbs commute working for them.
3. American School of Bombay
American School of Bombay in BKC is the natural landing point for US corporate and diplomatic families. Founded 1981. Full IB continuum plus American-track elements, CIS accredited, around 1,300 students from over 50 nationalities.
The 2024 IB DP average was 34, top score 41. Fees run INR 17.7 to 31 lakh (roughly USD 21,000 to 37,000), the highest senior-year band in the city. Calendar, sports, and pastoral culture follow the American international-school model; families moving from American schools elsewhere in Asia transition smoothly.
Two campuses: Elementary at Kohinoor City in Kurla West, Secondary at G Block in BKC. The Kurla elementary commute is the recurring grumble. Teacher pay is among the highest in Mumbai, which shows in retention. The academic pace runs ahead of what some Western families are used to. Best for diplomatic and US-corporate families wanting a recognisable American structure with an IB Diploma exit.
4. Cathedral and John Connon School
Cathedral and John Connon School in Fort is the school South Mumbai parents most often name by reputation alone. Founded 1860. ICSE primary, IGCSE plus IB DP at senior, with AP electives.
The 2025 IB DP average was 38.4, a pattern that has held across multiple cohorts. CIS accredited. Around 1,200 students, ages 3 to 18. Fees INR 2 to 6.7 lakh (roughly USD 2,500 to 8,000), unusually low for the results.
Admissions are the constraint: heavy alumni and sibling bias, multi-year backlog at the John Connon entry years, and informal pathways alongside the public process. Discipline is more traditional than at the BKC schools, with house duties and grooming rules that some families value and others find dated. The alumni network is the strongest in the city. Best for families with a Cathedral connection, or willing to wait, who want strong IB DP results inside a traditional culture.
5. JBCN International School (Parel)
JBCN International School (Parel) was placed No. 2 in India and No. 1-2 in Mumbai by EducationWorld 2025. The Class of 2025 reported over USD 13 million in university scholarships. 100% IGCSE pass rate in 2025, with a DP average around 37 across Parel and the sister Oshiwara campus.
Around 700 students, ages 3 to 18. IB PYP, Cambridge IGCSE, IB DP. CIS accredited. Fees run INR 80,000 to 7.8 lakh, well below DAIS and ASB for comparable curriculum scope. Parel sits in central-south Mumbai; the Bandra-Worli Sea Link makes it accessible from the western suburbs.
The campus carries proper science labs, performance studios, and sports on a single site, which not every Mumbai IB school manages. Families wanting a softer environment sometimes find the academic culture intense, and learning support is thinner than at the larger schools. Best for families wanting a credible IB pathway at fees below the top band, in a central-Mumbai location.
At a glance
| School | Curriculum | Ages | Fees range (INR) | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhirubhai Ambani International School | IB, IGCSE, ICSE | 4-18 | 1.7-10.2 lakh | BKC |
| Oberoi International School | IB | 3-18 | 5.6-8.9 lakh | Goregaon East |
| American School of Bombay | IB, American | 3-18 | 17.7-31.0 lakh | BKC |
| Cathedral and John Connon School | ICSE, IGCSE, IB, AP | 3-18 | 2.0-6.7 lakh | Fort |
| JBCN International School (Parel) | IB, IGCSE | 3-18 | 0.8-7.8 lakh | Parel |
Fees are most recent published bands in INR. 1 lakh = INR 100,000, roughly USD 1,200 at indicative 2026 rates. Verify current figures with each school.
How this list was built
Five schools clear four filters.
Published results. An IB DP average above the global mean (30.58 in 2025) or a strong IGCSE A*/A profile, or both. DAIS publishes a global ranking rather than a raw average; the other four publish numbers in the 34 to 38.4 band.
Accreditation. All five hold CIS; DAIS, Oberoi, and ASB also hold NEASC. CIS certifies external review of governance, safeguarding, and learning, not teaching quality.
Longevity. Cathedral has run since 1860, ASB since 1981, JBCN Parel since 2011. Single strong years do not yet count as patterns.
Recurring family signal. DAIS, Oberoi, ASB, and Cathedral surface in almost every Mumbai shortlist; JBCN Parel is the most consistent fifth.
Schools just below the cut
Two schools narrowly missed the five and belong on any wider shortlist.
Aditya Birla World Academy in Tardeo is the strongest A-Level option in Mumbai's international sector. Cambridge Primary, IGCSE, and both A-Levels and IB DP at sixth form. CIS accredited, around 800 students, ages 2 to 18. Fees INR 8.4 to 18.4 lakh. Top of the Times School Survey for Mumbai international-curriculum schools. Teacher turnover is the recurring parent concern.
BD Somani International School in Cuffe Parade runs IGCSE plus IB DP. Most recent DP average 36.3, *IGCSE A/A rate 63.2%. Around 600 students, ages 5 to 18. Fees INR 5.6 to 12.6 lakh. CIS accredited. The no-donations admissions policy** is a recurring positive in parent discussion. Critics frame it as a tier-two pick behind Cathedral and DAIS; defenders cite the DP results and the sea-facing sports field.
Related reading
- Best international schools in Mumbai (pillar)
- Top 10 international schools in Mumbai
- Best IB schools in Mumbai
- Best British schools in Mumbai
- IB vs A-Levels
FAQs
Which is the single best international school in Mumbai?
Dhirubhai Ambani International School at BKC, on IB DP results. The 2025 cohort placed 9th worldwide. On a per-rupee basis, Oberoi International School is the strongest value play: DP average 35.5 at roughly a quarter of ASB's senior-year fees.
Are these all IB schools?
Yes at senior level. All five run IB DP. Cathedral offers AP electives alongside IB. ASB carries American-curriculum infrastructure alongside its IB programme. A real A-Level finish in Mumbai sits at Aditya Birla rather than on this list.
How much do the top schools in Mumbai cost?
Senior-year fees range from about INR 7 lakh to INR 31 lakh (roughly USD 8,000 to 37,000). ASB sits at the top. Oberoi, JBCN Parel, and Cathedral all publish senior-year fees below INR 9 lakh with strong DP results.
How early should families apply?
For DAIS and Oberoi, early contact is sensible. Cathedral's John Connon entry years carry a multi-year backlog. For the rest, three to six months before a target start date is generally workable.
What is missing from this list?
Newer schools with strong early signal but only one or two senior cohorts on the board, including Ascend International, Ecole Mondiale, and Singapore International. Specialist schools for SEN, Francophone, Japanese, German, and other national-curriculum families. The pillar and the top 10 cover the wider field.
Sources: school websites and admissions pages; International Baccalaureate Organization (2025 global IB DP average 30.58 as reported by Oberoi); Cambridge International Education; CIS (Council of International Schools); NEASC; EducationWorld India School Rankings 2025-26; Times School Survey; ISG profile records (Mumbai schools, fees, curricula, accreditations); aggregated parent and student discussion across Indian school forums.