Where do the children of Indian politicians, Bollywood stars and business tycoons go to school? While there are thousands of educational institutions in India, a handful of schools have emerged as favorites among the country’s wealthiest families. Some of these schools are more than a century old. Here, competition for admission is fierce, fees run into lakhs, and in many cases, families return to the same institution for generations. Let’s take a look at seven schools where India’s rich and famous send their children. The Doon School, Dehradun (est. 1935) The Doon School is considered to be India’s most prestigious boys’ boarding school. Founded in 1935 by Satish Ranjan Das, former Advocate General of Bengal, the school was modeled on British institutions such as Eton and Harrow. It is located on a 70-acre campus in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. As of 2022, the annual fees for Indian students was ₹11.20 lakh per year and for NRIs and foreign nationals ₹14 lakh. Admission involves a competitive written examination and interview, which is conducted in major cities of India. Notable alumni include former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, author Vikram Seth, politician Rahul Gandhi and businessmen Sanjiv Goenka. Scindia School, Gwalior (est. 1897) Scindia School is one of the oldest elite schools in India. It was established in 1897 by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of the princely state of Gwalior, originally to educate the sons of the royal family and elite class. In 1933, it opened admission to a wider group of students. This school is situated on the top of the historical Gwalior Fort. Students virtually study and live inside a fort. It is a full boarding school affiliated to CBSE. The total fees for Indian students for the academic year 2024-25 was approximately ₹15.77 lakh, which includes tuition, boarding, caution money and personal expenses. Notable alumni include actor Salman Khan (primary education) and his brother Arbaaz Khan and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai (est. 2003) Simply known as DAIS, the school was established in 2003 by Reliance Industries and named after the late Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai. Dhirubhai Ambani. Mukesh Ambani’s wife Nita Ambani is the chairperson of the school. Ambani’s children, Akash, Isha and Anant, all studied here. Located in Bandra Kurla Complex, it is a co-educational day school offering LKG to Class 12. It is one of the few schools in India to be ranked among the top 20 IB schools globally. According to media reports and the school’s own data, the annual fees for classes KG to Class 7 is around ₹1.70 lakh and for classes ₹5.90 lakh. 8-10, and up to ₹9.65 lakh for classes 11 and 12. Notable alumni include Ananya Panday, Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan, Sara Ali Khan and Arjun Tendulkar. Bollywood parents including Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai currently send their children to this school. Woodstock School, Mussoorie (est. 1854) Woodstock is an international co-educational residential school located in Landour, a hill station in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. It is one of the oldest residential schools in Asia. The 250-acre campus is located within a protected forest, one kilometer outside Mussoorie. It is one of the most expensive schools in India, with annual fees ranging from ₹16 lakh to ₹20 lakh per year depending on the class. Notable alumni include actor Tom Alter, who received the Padma Shri, filmmaker and writer Geeta Mehta and TED Talks curator Chris Anderson. Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun (Est. 1957) If The Doon School is the gold standard for boys, then Welham Girls’ School holds the same status for girls. Founded by Hersilia Susie Oliphant, who named it after her home village of Welham, Nottinghamshire in the UK. It started with just ten students and a borrowed building. Today it is one of the most selective girls’ boarding schools in the country, where about 550 students study from classes 6 to 12. The annual fee, effective from April 2026, is ₹11.10 lakh, which includes a one-time entry fee of ₹1.50 lakh and a refundable security deposit of ₹5.55 lakh. Entry is only offered in classes 6, 7 and 11, making entry particularly competitive. Notable alumni include Kareena Kapoor Khan, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. Mayo College, Ajmer (est. 1875) Mayo College is the oldest school on this list. Established in 1875 by Lord Mayo, the then Viceroy of India, it was originally established to educate the sons of Indian princes and nobles. It was known as the “Eton of the East” for decades. Overlooking the Aravalli Hills, the campus is spread over 180 acres in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Today it is an all-boys CBSE boarding school with over 800 students from classes 6 to 12. Mayo College has also educated two Sultans of Oman. The annual fees is approximately ₹10.53 lakh. Including the one-time admission fee, the total cost for the first year can reach ₹19-21 lakh. Notable alumni include former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, former Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and actor Bobby Deol. The royal families of Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Kutch have educated their members here. École Mondiale World School, Mumbai (est. 2004) Located in Juhu area of Mumbai, École Mondiale World School was established in 2004. Annual fees vary according to grade. It is a co-educational day school providing education to students aged 3 to 18 years from Playschool to Class 12. Annual fees ranges from 7 to 11 lakhs. Notable alumni include Aarav Kumar (son of Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna) and Janhvi Kapoor.