Cradle to AbleParents in Delhi often ask which school is the "best". There is no single answer, because the right school depends on your child, your budget, your commute and the board you want. This list gives you ten schools that appear again and again in published rankings and school profiles, so you have a sensible place to start.
How we chose these schools
We looked at EducationWorld India School Rankings (2025-26 and 2026-27 editions, as reported in the press), the IIRF School Ranking 2026, and the school directory SchoolDekho. We picked schools that showed up most consistently, and we kept to schools that general families can apply to. These sources use different methods and categories, and some school claims are the school's own, so a school appearing here is a reason to look closer, not a guarantee.
The 10 schools
1. The Shri Ram School, Vasant Vihar
- Area: Vasant Vihar
- Board: ICSE/ISC, IB and Cambridge programmes (varies by campus)
- Classes: Nursery (Pravesh Vatika) to Grade 12
The school's website lists CISCE, Cambridge, IB and IB Career-related accreditations and stresses personalised learning. It also has campuses in Gurugram, so check which campus you are applying to.
2. Vasant Valley School
- Area: Vasant Kunj
- Board: CBSE, with Cambridge AS/A Level in the senior years
- Classes: Check the entry class
Opened in 1990. The school describes a process-focused approach that treats the whole campus as a classroom. It appears in the top ('Ivy League') category of the EducationWorld 2025-26 and 2026-27 lists.
3. Modern School, Barakhamba Road
- Area: Barakhamba Road
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Classes 6 to 12 here; Nursery to Class 5 is reported to be at a junior branch on Humayun Road
Founded in 1920. Its stated principle is that education should teach children how to think, not what to think. EducationWorld 2025-26 named it first among 'vintage legacy' day-cum-boarding schools.
4. Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram
- Area: R.K. Puram
- Board: CBSE, plus an IB Diploma wing
- Classes: Check the entry class
The school's website says it is now an IB World School too. It mentions admissions for Classes 9 and 11, so check whether it takes younger children. Appears in the IIRF 2026 Delhi list.
5. Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan
- Area: Dhaula Kuan
- Board: CBSE (per Careers360; the school's page does not name the board)
- Classes: Pre-nursery to Class 12 per Careers360
Began as a kindergarten in 1955. The school says it was the first in India to offer Russian as a third language, in 1971. EducationWorld 2026-27 listed it first among co-ed day schools.
6. St. Columba's School
- Area: Ashok Place, near Connaught Place
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: KG to Class 12
A boys' school in the Christian Brothers (Edmund Rice) network. EducationWorld 2026-27 placed it third among boys' day schools, and IIRF 2026 ranked it second in its Delhi list.
7. Sanskriti School
- Area: Chanakyapuri
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Check the entry class
Started in 1998 and run by the Civil Services Society, a non-profit. Its CBSE affiliation shows as provisional on the school's page, so ask about its current status. Appears in the SchoolDekho top 10.
8. Bal Bharati Public School
- Area: Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Nursery to Class 12 per directory listings
Run by the Child Education Society. IIRF 2026 placed it fourth in its Delhi list. Sources differ on when it was founded, so we leave that out.
9. St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School
- Area: Raj Niwas Marg, Civil Lines
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Nursery or preparatory to Class 12 per Wikipedia
A Jesuit school founded in 1960 as a residential school for boys and now co-educational. IIRF 2026 ranked it first in its Delhi list.
10. Nirmal Bhartia School
- Area: Dwarka
- Board: CBSE (per third-party listings)
- Classes: LKG to Class 12 per listings
Describes an 'Aham-Sah' holistic approach. EducationWorld 2026-27 placed it joint second among co-ed day schools. Listings disagree on when it opened, so we leave that out.
How to shortlist for your child
- Start with the board and the journey. Decide whether CBSE, ICSE/ISC, IB or Cambridge suits your plans, and check whether the school runs from nursery to Class 12 so your child does not have to change schools.
- Count the commute. A long daily bus ride is tiring for a young child. Distance can also count in admission.
- Visit, and ask about a normal day. Ask about class size, how teachers handle children who are shy or struggling, how much homework young children get, and how the school talks to parents.
- Ask what the admission interaction involves. Under the Right to Education Act, schools cannot screen children or parents at admission for Class 1 onward. For nursery, rules differ by state, so ask.
- Apply to more than one. Seats are limited and admission rules are strict, so keep two or three choices.
- Check the exact campus. Many schools have several campuses with different boards, classes and fees.
Admission notes for Delhi
- Delhi private unaided schools admit nursery children through a points system published on the Directorate of Education portal. In the 2026-27 cycle, news reports said the neighbourhood (distance from home) carried the most weight, followed by factors such as siblings and alumni.
- Age for the 2026-27 cycle was reported as 3 years for nursery, 4 for KG and 5 for Class 1 as on 31 March 2026. The Directorate has also proposed that a child can join Class 1 only after completing 6 years from 2026-27. Check the current circular before you apply.
Who is not on this list
Other schools appear in rankings too, including Army Public School, Delhi Cantt, but its admission is linked to defence service, so we left it out. A school missing from this list is not a mark against it. There are many good schools in Delhi that did not appear in the sources we used.
Is your child close to starting? Read when your child is ready for kindergarten before you apply.