The exclusive 2026-27 league table of Ivy League international day-cum-boarding schools comprises five top-ranked institutions

Ab initio since the inception of the annual EducationWorld India School Rankings, international day-cum-boarding schools have been assessed in a separate category because they differ substantially in terms of infrastructure and institutional culture from other international schools inasmuch as they admit day scholars and boarders.

JPIS’ chairperson Jayshree Periwal: highly valued recognition

Usually sited on massive capital-intensive campuses, they offer international certification, pedagogies and curriculums of globally-reputed exam boards such as Cambridge International (UK), IB (Geneva) and Advanced Placement (USA); well-qualified faculty, often including expatriate teachers; excellent academic, sports and residential facilities for boarders, many of which can also be accessed by day scholars. Therefore, last year, when a new Ivy League category of high-performing cluster-ranked schools was introduced, international day-cum-boarding schools were ranked separately inter se within this super nova category.

Caroline Pascoe: bigger purpose beyond heritage

The exclusive 2026-27 league table of Ivy League international day-cum-boarding schools comprises only five high-ranked institutions: Jayshree Periwal International School, Jaipur; Harrow International School, Bengaluru; Pathways World School, Gurgaon; Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad — all of whom have retained their 2025-26 Ivy League status. The new entrant is Lancers International, Gurgaon. Although all these institutions are ranked #1, among them Jayshree Periwal International School (JPIS, estb.2011) and Harrow International School, Bengaluru are first among equals, awarded 5 stars. (For ranking methodology details see p.44).

Jayshree Periwal, Founder-Chairperson of JPIS, is exuberant this Cambridge and IB-affiliated school has been awarded highest scores under the parameters of academic reputation, sports education, parental involvement, quality of alumni and value for money.

“The entire JPIS community is overjoyed with this highly valued recognition and our 5-star status is icing on the cake as we believe in continuous improvement and setting higher standards year by year. Recently, JPIS received the highest commendation of the IB board’s evaluation team, and our IB Diploma results are the second best in India, with six of our children attaining the maximum score of 45 this year. Consequently, our school-leavers are welcomed into the world’s best universities with scholarships valued at $12 million last year. Not just in academics, our students excel in sports as well. JPIS won the maximum number of prizes at the recent International Schools Sports Organisation championship. Therefore, I am not surprised that we have been awarded the highest scores under the parameter of sports education. Yet I am most pleased with our highest score under the value for money parameter, which indicates that we have been able to provide high-quality IB-certified education at affordable price,” says Periwal. Currently, JPIS has 2,500 students including 500 boarders mentored by 450 teachers on its muster rolls.

In November last year, US-based private equity giant Blackstone announced that it intends to acquire a stake in JPIS with an initial reported investment of $150-200 million (Rs.1,417-1,889 crore). “This investment will help us expand JPIS’ footprint across India. To start with, we are set to establish two new international schools in Gurgaon during the next three years,” adds Periwal.

Dr. Caroline Pascoe, Principal of Harrow International School (HIS), Bengaluru, is pleased that HIS has retained its Ivy League status with 5-star rating. HIS is an affiliate of the globally famous Harrow School, UK (estb.1572), boasting illustrious alumni (Jawaharlal Nehru, Winston Churchill, litterateur Lord Byron, and innumerable Nobel Laureates), and promoted in India by the Delhi-based Amity Education Group (comprising 11 Amity universities, 26 K-12 schools and 30 other education institutions in India and abroad). The British parentage of HIS has given it a flying start. Sited on a 60-acre campus in Devanahalli, close to the Bengaluru International Airport, HIS offers its 426 students, including 177 boarders, tutored by 71 teachers the Cambridge and IB curriculums.

“We are absolutely delighted that we’ve been included in EW’s Ivy League category. This prestigious recognition is validation of the hard work that our teachers and students have put in for the past three years. From inception, Harrow Bengaluru was designed to be more than bringing Harrow School, UK’s heritage to India. We have consciously built the school around a bigger purpose — to develop global leaders for a future we cannot yet predict. To attain this purpose, we have selected a diverse, internationally experienced faculty from different countries who bring different perspectives and approaches to learning. Concurrently, our strong focus on leadership development, choice of multiple curriculum pathways and, particularly, our co-curricular and sports programmes reflect a commitment to redefining holistic education. We intend to develop young people who are not only academically capable, but confident, curious, resilient and equipped to lead in a constantly changing world. The very same philosophy applies to our infrastructure. Our campus was designed to bring the heritage and ethos of Harrow to India, but it was never intended to be a replica. In HIS, every space has been carefully designed as a learning environment. Therefore, it’s very gratifying that we have been awarded the highest scores under the inter-related parameters of teacher competence, teacher welfare and development, curriculum and pedagogy, co-curricular education, and infrastructure provision,” says Pascoe

An alumna of Exeter and Bristol universities Pascoe acquired valuable teaching and admin experience in several international schools, including a seven-year tenure as head of The International School Bangalore, before being appointed principal of HIS in March this year.