Best International Schools in Whitefield: 2026 Guide for Families

Last reviewed: October 2026 by David from ISA. Fees are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Families posted to Bangalore's eastern tech belt usually start with one question: which of the best international schools in Whitefield fits a child who may move again in two or three years? The honest answer depends less on rankings than on three practical things: whether you want the IB or an India-linked board with a Cambridge option, how long the school run will take, and what the fee schedule really includes.

This guide covers the three schools in our directory with campuses in or around Whitefield. It is based on the schools' own websites and on the published rules of the exam boards, not on brochure claims. Where a school's figures are old or unclear, we say so rather than guess.

Whitefield: why families come and how the area works

Whitefield sits on Bangalore's eastern edge and grew around the technology parks built there from the late 1990s. Many expatriate families arrive because an employer sits in one of those parks, and they tend to look for housing within a short drive of school. According to Wikipedia, the Purple Line of Namma Metro was extended to Whitefield (Kadugodi) and inaugurated on 25 March 2023, which may help adults commuting to the centre, but school buses and private cars still do most of the work for children.

The three campuses are not clustered in one spot. One World International School's Whitefield campus is at Goravigere, Kannamangala Post, according to the school. Global Indian International School's Whitefield campus is listed in our directory on Gunjur Road. OWIS Sarjapur is further south-east, at Dommasandra on Sarjapur Road, so for a family living in the central Whitefield apartments it is a noticeably different journey. Test the drive at school-run time before you commit, and ask each school which bus routes actually reach your neighbourhood.

Curricula available in Whitefield

• IB continuum: One World International School lists the Early Years (Nursery to EY2), Primary Years (Grades 1 to 5) and Middle Years (Grades 6 to 10) programmes on its Whitefield campus, and its accreditations page says OWIS Bangalore holds accreditation for the IB programme and the IB Diploma Programme. Check this on the IB World Schools directory.
• IB Diploma: The school lists the Diploma for Grades 11 and 12. OWIS Sarjapur is the campus described as offering the full continuum through the Diploma.
• CBSE: Global Indian International School says its CBSE programme is available from Grade 1. Before admission, check any school's CBSE affiliation status with the board.
• Cambridge: The same school offers Cambridge Lower Secondary (Grades 6 to 8), IGCSE (Grades 9 and 10) and AS and A Levels, and says its Whitefield campus offers Cambridge ICE certification. Cambridge describes IGCSE as a qualification for 14 to 16 year olds.
• Montessori early years: Global Indian International School describes a Global Montessori Plus programme for pre-primary children.

Three international schools in Whitefield, and who each suits

One World International School Bangalore, Whitefield

This campus runs the IB continuum: its website lists Early Years (Nursery to EY2), the Primary Years Programme for Grades 1 to 5 and the Middle Years Programme for Grades 6 to 10. The school year runs from August to late June, and the school says it accepts relocation admissions throughout the year while trying to keep a balance of nationalities, genders and languages in each class. Transport and food are optional and charged separately.

It suits families who want an IB path from the start and expect to move between IB schools. The tip: the school's pages list the Diploma for Grades 11 and 12, but the campus fee table stops at Grade 10, so ask in writing where the Diploma is taught before you plan for Grade 11.

Global Indian International School Bangalore, Whitefield

The school lists CBSE from Grade 1 and, at Whitefield, Cambridge Lower Secondary from Grade 6, then IGCSE and AS and A Levels. Its Cambridge page lists subjects including first and second language English, Hindi, French, Tamil, Global Perspectives, Computer Science and Business Studies. The school says its average intake is 30 students per class. Its fee pages list school bus fees by zone, where applicable. Ask which grades are taught on which board and which language of instruction applies in each.

It suits families who want to keep a door open to the Indian system, for example a child who may sit CBSE boards, or who need a Cambridge qualification. The tip: the school's pages do not give grade ranges by campus, so ask for the current grade-by-grade programme chart in writing.

One World International School Bangalore, Sarjapur

The Sarjapur campus is the sister school to the Whitefield one, at 188/3 and 188, Dommasandra, Sarjapur Road. OWIS's fee table lists Sarjapur from Nursery to Grade 12, so it is where an IB family with a teenager is most likely to stay to the end of school, but confirm the Diploma arrangements with the school. The fee schedule on the OWIS site shows a wide spread here, from the early grades up to Grade 12.

It is the better fit for families who live to the south-east of Whitefield, or who prioritise the Diploma on site. The trade-off is distance: for households in central Whitefield, the daily journey is the main thing to test before applying.

School fees in Whitefield

Fees are quoted in Indian rupees and most schools publish them per term. Current figures are patchy, so treat the ranges below as indicative. The OWIS fee table on its website is labelled 2024-25, so it is not a 2026-27 schedule. For the Whitefield campus from KG1 to Grade 10 it lists tuition of INR 66,400 to 83,200 per term. OWIS's admissions FAQ says tuition is payable for two terms in an academic year. Our own arithmetic, not a figure the school publishes, is therefore roughly INR 1.3 to 1.7 lakh a year in tuition (two terms of INR 66,400 to 83,200). The same table also says the fees are applicable on a per year basis, which conflicts with its per-term label, so confirm with the school how the figure is charged. For Sarjapur the table shows tuition of INR 66,500 to 2,20,000 across Nursery to Grade 12, on the same per-term label. Ask for the 2026-27 schedule.

Global Indian International School's Bangalore fee table does not state a campus or an academic year. It lists total annual recurring fees of INR 2,28,220 in Grade 1 rising to INR 2,75,230 in Grades 9 and 10 (roughly INR 2.3 to 2.8 lakh). It also shows a one-time admission fee of INR 51,550, a security deposit of INR 13,810 (INR 16,300 from Grade 9) and a registration fee of INR 500. Confirm with the school which figures apply to Whitefield and to which year.

Two facts matter if your child may change systems mid-way. Cambridge states that there are more than 10,000 Cambridge schools in over 160 countries, and CBSE's website lists Class X main and second board examinations in 2026.

• Registration and admission fees: one-off charges, listed by Global Indian International School and charged after assessment.
• Refundable deposit: INR 25,000 at OWIS, listed as a refundable deposit in its 2024-25 table; ask when and how it is returned.
• Transport: optional at OWIS, with Whitefield bus fees of INR 13,900 to 18,400 per term in the 2024-25 table.
• Meals: optional at OWIS, INR 16,700 per term at Whitefield in the 2024-25 table.
• Exam and assessment fees: IGCSE, CBSE and IB entries are normally billed separately; ask for the list.
• Uniforms, books and devices: not itemised on the pages we checked, so request a full first-year estimate.

Practical advice for choosing

Match the board to your next move. If you expect to relocate abroad, the IB at OWIS gives the most portable record. If there is a realistic chance of staying in India, the CBSE route at Global Indian International School keeps options open for Indian university entry.

Visit at drop-off time. The three campuses are far enough apart that their traffic is different. Ask about bus pick-up points, the length of the longest route and what happens when a route is cancelled.

Ask for the current numbers in writing. OWIS says admissions for 2026-27 are open and assesses applicants on previous academic records, entrance tests and interviews, asking for records, a birth certificate and a transfer certificate. Global Indian International School likewise asks for an application, documents, an assessment and an interview. Request the 2026-27 fee sheet, the grade chart and the withdrawal terms at the same time.

See the wider shortlist

Want to compare these campuses with other options across the state? See Schools in Karnataka for the full ranking.

More guides to schools in Whitefield (Bangalore)

• Schools in Karnataka

Frequently asked questions

Which curricula can I find at international schools in Whitefield?

Whitefield schools offer the IB continuum at One World International School, with the Diploma listed for Grades 11 and 12, and CBSE plus Cambridge Lower Secondary, IGCSE and AS and A Levels at Global Indian International School. OWIS Sarjapur, further south-east on Sarjapur Road, has a fee table running from Nursery to Grade 12.

How much do international schools in Whitefield cost?

Published figures vary. OWIS's table labelled 2024-25 shows Whitefield tuition of INR 66,400 to 83,200 per term; with two terms a year, our arithmetic gives roughly INR 1.3 to 1.7 lakh annually. Global Indian International School's undated table lists INR 2.3 to 2.8 lakh in annual recurring costs for Grades 1 to 10. Ask for 2026-27 sheets.

Are admissions for 2026-27 still open in Whitefield?

OWIS says admissions for 2026-27 are open, with applicants asked for previous academic records and assessed through entrance tests and interviews, and its academic year runs from August to late June. Global Indian International School also lists 2026-27 admissions as open, with an assessment and interview after the application. Contact each school for current availability by grade.