Cradle to AbleParents in Kolkata 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 three 2026 school lists (SchoolMyKids, Extramarks and Ezyschooling) and EducationWorld India School Rankings (2025-26 and 2026-27, seen through search summaries). 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. St. Xavier's Collegiate School
- Area: Park Street
- Board: ICSE/ISC (one list also mentions the State Board)
- Classes: LKG or Nursery to Class 12 (sources vary on the entry class)
Founded by the Jesuits in 1860. The present building dates from 1934 to 1940.
2. The Heritage School
- Area: Anandapur, Madurdaha
- Board: ICSE/ISC, IGCSE and IB Diploma (per the school's prospectus)
- Classes: Pre-nursery to Class 12, co-educational
Opened on 25 June 2001 and founded by the Kalyan Bharti Trust. The campus is roughly 10 acres.
3. La Martiniere for Girls
- Area: Rawdon Street
- Board: ICSE/ISC
- Classes: Nursery to Class 12 (girls)
Opened on 1 March 1836 under the will of Major General Claude Martin. It is a sister school to La Martiniere for Boys.
4. La Martiniere for Boys
- Area: Loudon Street
- Board: ICSE/ISC
- Classes: Pre-nursery or Class 1 to Class 12 (boys; sources differ)
Also opened in 1836 under Claude Martin's will. A boys' school, so it suits only some families.
5. Loreto House
- Area: Middleton Row, near Park Street
- Board: ICSE/ISC (CISCE)
- Classes: Nursery to Class 12 (girls)
Opened on 10 January 1842, and described as the first Loreto institution in India.
6. Modern High School for Girls
- Area: Beck Bagan, Ballygunge
- Board: ICSE/ISC, with IGCSE and IB Diploma (per Extramarks)
- Classes: Nursery to Class 12 (girls)
Founded in 1952 by Rukmani Devi Birla, per its handbook. EducationWorld 2025-26 reportedly placed it second among India's girls' day schools.
7. Calcutta International School
- Area: Anandapur, Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
- Board: IB and Cambridge IGCSE
- Classes: Pre-nursery to Class 12, co-educational
Began in 1953 for expatriate British children and moved to its Anandapur campus in 2006, per a directory. EducationWorld 2026-27 reportedly tied it first in Kolkata's international day category.
8. Birla High School
- Area: Moira Street
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Nursery to Class 12 (a boys' school per one list)
Its school history traces the school to the Hindi High School of 1940, renamed Birla High School in 1997. Sources differ on the exact founding year.
9. South Point High School
- Area: Ballygunge Place
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Class 6 to 12 at the Ballygunge high school; the wider South Point school covers nursery to 12
Wikipedia describes South Point as the first English-medium co-educational school in Kolkata, begun on 1 April 1954.
10. Delhi Public School, Ruby Park
- Area: Ruby Park, Kasba
- Board: CBSE
- Classes: Nursery or Class 1 to Class 12 (sources differ)
Run with Delhi Public School Society and the OmDayal Group. It appears on all three 2026 lists we used. It has a second campus at Shanti Pally.
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 Kolkata
- Kolkata admissions generally open between September and December for the following academic year, according to an aggregator updated in October 2026. Nursery admissions can run into early the next year depending on seats. Confirm the dates with each school.
- West Bengal's 2025 admission memo set the age as 5 and above for pre-primary and 6 and above for Class 1, as on 1 January. Check the memo for the year you apply.
Who is not on this list
Several of these schools are single-sex, so the list suits different families differently. A school missing from this list is not a mark against it. There are many good schools in Kolkata 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.