A Bengaluru-based international school has gone viral online after a social media post revealed its steep fee structure, with parents shelling out as much as ₹7.35 lakh a year for a child entering Grade 1.
The fee details were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user named Hardik Pandya, who posted a snapshot of the annual charges for the 2025–26 academic year at an IB-affiliated institution in the city.
According to the document, the Primary Years Programme (Grades 1–5) requires parents to pay a term fee of ₹3,67,500, collected twice a year, bringing the annual total to ₹7,35,000. Additionally, the school charges a non-refundable admission fee of ₹1 lakh, payable at the time of enrollment, along with an application fee of ₹1,000.
The costs climb further in higher grades, with the Grade 11 and 12 programme pegged at ₹11 lakh annually, making it one of the costliest fee structures for a private school in India.
HT.com could not independently verify the fee details.
{{/usCountry}}HT.com could not independently verify the fee details.
{{/usCountry}}Pandya captioned the post, “Annual fee structure of primary school years at one of the better institutions in Bangalore. ₹7,35,000 per annum from Grade 1. Don’t miss the ₹1,00,000 non-refundable admission fees.”
The post quickly triggered a wave of reactions, sparking a broader debate on the affordability of private education in India.
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How did X users react?
One user remarked that the fees were “unaffordable even for an IT couple earning a combined pretax income of ₹50 lakh per annum with two school-going children,” while another pointed out that “education is a basic human right” and such pricing only widens inequality.
Others, however, defended the high fees, saying education is a “free market” and parents are free to choose according to their capacity. “For a premier institution, ₹60,000 a month seems reasonable,” one user argued, while another countered, “Anyone who considers this a reasonable amount needs to touch grass.”
Some even compared the structure with international schools, noting that tuition at American International School, Chennai stands at ₹27 lakh per year.
Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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