How Many CBSE Schools Are There in India?

Wondering how many CBSE schools there are in India? Do not take us lightly if we say you will be surprised! India has such a rich and robust educational system. There are so many world-class CBSE schools here in almost all major and minor cities throughout the country. No wonder students from all over the world come to study here. This is the place to gain access to enriching education that helps kids advance in their careers.

Truth be told, CBSE schools have a very compact curriculum. Their lightweight syllabus helps students prepare for several career-defining competitive exams such as NEET and JEE. This is what makes CBSE an extremely popular board choice among both parents and students!

The popularity of CBSE schools might make you wonder – exactly how many CBSE schools exist in India? And how many of them are there worldwide? Just keep reading, and we promise we will answer your questions as well as give you a lowdown on the history of CBSE schools in our grand and great country!

A walk through the century-old history of CBSE schools

The year was 1921, and back then, CBSE was known as the U.P. Board of High School and Intermediate Education. It covered only a couple of areas in Central as well as Western India at that time.

In 1929, however, the board underwent a change under the British Raj, consolidating to become the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Rajputana. From then on, the board gradually expanded, bringing more and more states and cities under its wing.

Then came the year 1952, when the board underwent a massive overhaul, now providing its excellent secondary education to almost all parts of the country. That is when it was rechristened as the Central Board of Secondary Education. In 1962, the board started working towards improving its schools as well as catering to children of parents with government or transferable jobs.

How many CBSE schools in India – the answer lies below!

So that, in a nutshell, was the history of the CBSE board. But we know what you really, really want to know is, “How many CBSE schools are there in India?”

Well, if you want the total number, we currently have 28,960 CBSE schools in India as of January 2024.

This data was released by the Online School Affiliation and Monitoring System R-2.0. There’s actually been an increase in the number of CBSE schools in our country compared to April 2022. Back then, there were only 28,573 recorded CBSE institutions in India. That’s a 1.36% increase!

You can say that the number of CBSE schools in India continues to grow, and there are no signs of this expansion slowing down!

Category-Wise Breakdown of CBSE Schools in India

As you already know, CBSE schools come in different categories. You have got your Kendriya Vidyalayas in most metros, private schools everywhere and so and so forth. Let us give you a breakdown:

• Central Tibetan School – 71
• Navodaya Vidyalaya – 661
• Kendriya Vidyalaya – 1,253
• Private CBSE institutions – 16,741
• Govenrment institutions – 29,566

As you can see, CBSE schools’ widespread network spans multiple categories. In fact, CBSE schools are so prominent in India because they formerly governed quite a few important entrance exams in the country. These included examinations such as NET, NEET, AIEEE, and JEE Mains – all of which are now conducted by NTA. However, CBSE still conducts CTET.

State-Wise Breakdown of CBSE Schools in India

CBSE schools exist in almost all states and union territories. However, their distribution varies greatly from state to state, with the total number in each state showing that they might be more popular in certain regions than in others. Let’s have a look!

There you have it! A state/union territory-wise breakdown of how many CBSE schools we have in our country. You can use this table as a reference for your state. (Source: https://candidschools.com/cbse-schools-in-india/) It might just help you narrow down the perfect school for your child.

As for the number of CBSE zones we have in India, these are five and include:

• North-I Zone, which mostly covers CBSE schools in Delhi
• North-II Zone, which mostly covers CBSE schools in Chandigarh
• West Zone, which mostly covers CBSE schools in Ajmer
• South Zone, which mostly covers CBSE schools in Chennai
• East Zone, which mostly covers CBSE schools in Allahabad and Guwahati

Now if anyone asks you, “How many CBSE schools are there in India?” you can tell them the exact number! However, if they ask you, “Which is one of the best CBSE schools in India?” you can point them to EuroSchool! We are one of the leading names in the country, offering top-notch CBSE education to bright and young students all over! Visit us if you want to know how our schools can give your kids the wings they need to succeed.