ICSE schools in Lucknow,
compared honestly

Quick Answer: The Best ICSE School in Lucknow

Scholars' Home, Vipul Khand-3, Gomtinagar has been ranked the No. 1 ICSE school in Lucknow for seven consecutive years (India School Merit Awards), and in 2026 it posted a 100% pass rate in both ICSE and ISC, with an ICSE average of 86.51% and an ISC average of 83.65%. It is co-educational, runs Playgroup to Class XII on one campus, and caps every section at 35 students.

If you want a heritage single-gender school in central Lucknow, La Martiniere College (boys, founded 1845), La Martiniere Girls' College (1869) and Loreto Convent (girls, 1872) are the names to know. If you want a very large school with many branches, City Montessori School has 20 campuses across the city.

For everyone who wants to understand how Lucknow's 70-plus ICSE schools actually compare — by area, by gender, by class size and by fee — keep reading.

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What "ICSE School" Actually Means in Lucknow

A quick decoding, because the terms get used loosely:

• CISCE — the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi. It is the board.
• ICSE — the CISCE examination at the end of Class X.
• ISC — the CISCE examination at the end of Class XII.

So an "ICSE school" in Lucknow is a CISCE-affiliated school. Some stop at Class X; most of the well-known ones run to Class XII and prepare students for both ICSE and ISC. When a school says "ICSE/ISC", it means the full run.

Lucknow is unusual among Indian cities: a large share of its oldest and best-known private schools are CISCE schools rather than CBSE. That is a legacy of the city's mission and Anglo-Indian schools — La Martiniere, St. Francis', Loreto, Christ Church — and it is why "ICSE school in Lucknow" is one of the most searched school queries in the city.

If you are still deciding between the boards, read our plain-language ICSE vs CBSE guide first. This article assumes you have chosen ICSE and now need to choose a school.

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How We Compared These Schools

This guide is published by Scholars' Home. We have tried to be fair to every school named here, and we have only included facts we could confirm from the school's own website, CISCE listings or established public sources. Where a number is not published, we say so rather than guess.

We looked at six things:

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The Best-Known ICSE Schools in Lucknow

1. Scholars' Home, Gomtinagar

Board: ICSE / ISC (CISCE)
Grades: Playgroup to Class XII
Location: Vipul Khand-3, Gomtinagar — 226010
Founded: 1999
Gender: Co-educational
Section size: Capped at 35
Annual fee (Class XI–XII, 2026–27): ₹1,21,900, no security deposit (2027–28: ₹1,28,400 for Class XII)

Scholars' Home is the youngest school in this section by a long way, and that is the point. It was built from 1999 around a single structural decision — small sections — and it has spent 27 years proving that the decision pays.

The numbers:

• ICSE 2026: 100% pass, average 86.51%, topper Ayush Yadav 97.40%, 47% of candidates above 90%
• ISC 2026: 100% pass, average 83.65%, topper Niyati Saxena 99%
• Ranked the No. 1 ICSE school in Lucknow for seven consecutive years
• Run by educationists with more than 35 years in the field; the managing committee now includes IIM and Ivy League graduates
• 51 full-time teachers, 46 of them postgraduates, many with the school for years
• A dedicated Robotics & AI Lab, five science labs, a 500-seat auditorium, 22 sports activities — archery, a dedicated cricket pitch, a skating rink, a basketball court, karate, volleyball and table tennis — and 25+ clubs including MUN and debating
• AI-assisted learning applications, free IBM certification courses and enrichment classes, with large, air-conditioned, naturally lit classrooms on grounds with thousands of trees

Why the section cap matters more in ICSE than anywhere else: ICSE English asks for essays, comprehension and composition; History & Civics and Geography are answered in paragraphs; science practicals are written up. A teacher with 55 students cannot read and return all of that with real comments. A teacher with 35 can. That is the quiet mechanism behind the results.

Best for: Families in Gomtinagar, Indira Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extension who want ICSE rigour, a co-ed school, and a teacher who knows their child by name — from Playgroup to Class XII without a school change.

On age: With 27 years behind it, Scholars' Home is one of the older and better-known schools in Gomtinagar, though not a 19th-century institution. That is also why its campus is modern — air-conditioned, naturally lit classrooms, a Robotics & AI Lab and AI-assisted learning, built in rather than retro-fitted. If a long lineage matters most to you, the heritage schools below have it.

See every result and ranking →

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2. La Martiniere College (Boys)

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: La Martiniere Road, near Hazratganj
Founded: 1845, by the will of Major General Claude Martin
Gender: Boys only

La Martiniere is the most storied school in Lucknow and one of the most storied in India — it is the only school in the world to hold royal battle honours, for its role in the defence of the Lucknow Residency in 1857. The Constantia building is one of the city's landmarks.

On reputation and alumni network, it is hard to beat. The practical questions are the ones every heritage school raises: it is boys-only, it is a long drive from east Lucknow in morning traffic, and sections in the older central-Lucknow schools generally run larger than at newer private schools. Ask for the current section size when you visit.

Best for: Families with sons, living in central Lucknow, who value heritage and a large alumni network.

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3. La Martiniere Girls' College

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: Hazratganj
Founded: 1869
Gender: Girls only

The sister school, and every bit as established. Strong in English, literature and the humanities, with generations of alumni in law, medicine, journalism and the civil services. Plan for the fact that entry points differ from a Playgroup-to-XII school, and confirm the current admission classes directly with the school.

Best for: Families with daughters in central Lucknow who want a heritage ICSE school.

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4. Loreto Convent Intermediate College

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: Mahatma Gandhi Marg
Founded: 1872
Gender: Girls only
Management: Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto Sisters)

One of the oldest girls' schools in north India, with a strong academic and values-based tradition. Like the other central heritage schools, it is girls-only and centrally located.

Best for: Families with daughters who want a long-established convent school.

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5. St. Francis' College

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: Shahnajaf Road, Hazratganj
Founded: 1885
Gender: Boys only

Run by the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow, St. Francis' has a long record in character formation, sport and academics, with alumni across the civil services, medicine and the armed forces. Boys-only and central.

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6. City Montessori School (CMS)

Board: ICSE / ISC (some campuses also offer international programmes)
Campuses: 20 across Lucknow — including Gomtinagar Campus I (Vishal Khand-2) and Campus II (Vardan Khand, Gomti Nagar Extension), Aliganj, Rajajipuram and more
Founded: 1959
Gender: Co-educational
Annual fee (Class XI–XII, Gomtinagar, 2026–27): ₹1,51,820

CMS is the largest school system in the city and a UNESCO Prize for Peace Education laureate. The branch network is its great convenience: there is usually a CMS campus near you.

The trade-off is scale. Sections at the larger CMS campuses are widely reported at 50 or more, and the experience varies from campus to campus. Visit the specific branch you would join — not the flagship — and ask for its section size in the class your child will enter.

Best for: Families who want a big, well-known system with a campus close to home, and a child who thrives with independence.

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7. Seth M.R. Jaipuria School, Gomtinagar

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: Vineet Khand, Gomtinagar
Founded: 1992
Gender: Co-educational
Annual fee (Class XI–XII, 2026–27): ₹1,90,400

Note the name carefully: the Gomtinagar Jaipuria is the ICSE school. Other Jaipuria campuses in Lucknow (Kanpur Road, Rajajipuram) and Seth Anandram Jaipuria in Cantonment are CBSE. Parents mix these up constantly.

The Gomtinagar school is well regarded, with strong technology integration in the junior years. It is also the most expensive ICSE option in east Lucknow — about ₹68,500 a year more than Scholars' Home at the senior level.

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8. Colvin Taluqdars' College

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: University Road, Hasanganj
Founded: 1889
Gender: Co-educational
Grades: Pre-Nursery to Class XII

Founded by the taluqdars of Awadh, Colvin has a long tradition in sport — cricket especially — and an alumni list that runs through the civil services. It is one of the few heritage ICSE schools in the city that is co-educational and runs the full span from pre-nursery to Class XII.

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9. Christ Church College

Board: ICSE / ISC
Location: Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Hazratganj
Founded: 1878
Gender: Co-educational

A historic co-educational ICSE school beside the landmark Christ Church in Hazratganj. Central location; confirm current fees and section sizes directly with the school.

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ICSE Schools in Lucknow by Area

Most families shortlist by commute first. Here is where the better-known CISCE schools sit.

Gomtinagar and Gomti Nagar Extension (east Lucknow)

Indira Nagar

For Indira Nagar families, Scholars' Home in Vipul Khand is a short drive across the Gomti Nagar boundary — see our local guide to schools near Gomti Nagar.

Mahanagar and Aliganj (north Lucknow)

Hazratganj and central Lucknow

The pattern is striking: almost every heritage ICSE school in central Lucknow is single-gender, and the co-educational options with a full Playgroup-to-XII run cluster in Gomtinagar. If you live in east Lucknow and want co-ed ICSE, your realistic shortlist is short.

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ICSE School Fees in Lucknow, 2026–27

Senior-class (XI–XII) annual recurring fees for the schools where a figure is published:

Of the well-known ICSE schools with a published senior fee, Scholars' Home is the least expensive — ₹29,920 a year less than CMS and ₹68,500 a year less than Jaipuria — and it charges no security deposit.

What the fee covers: a dedicated Robotics & AI Lab, AI-assisted learning applications, free IBM certification courses for students, enrichment classes, and 22 sports on campus — archery, a dedicated cricket pitch, a skating rink, a basketball court, karate, volleyball and table tennis among them. Classrooms are large, air-conditioned, naturally lit and ventilated, with never more than 35 children, on grounds with thousands of trees. The quoted annual fee already includes the exam and robotics/optional-subject fees, and there is no security deposit.

For the full table across boards, see school fees in Lucknow compared.

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Why Class Size Is the Question That Decides an ICSE School

Parents ask about results, fees and buildings. The question that predicts ICSE results best is the one asked least: how many children are in the section?

ICSE is built on written expression. In Class IX and X, a single week can include an English composition, a literature answer, two History & Civics long answers, a Geography map-and-answer set and a science practical write-up — for every child. Multiply that by the section size:

• 35 students: roughly 175 written pieces a week for the English and humanities teachers. Heavy, but readable with real comments.
• 55 students: roughly 275. At that volume, marking becomes ticking.

This is why Scholars' Home caps every section at 35 from Playgroup to Class XII, and why its ICSE average (86.51%) sits so close to its topper-level results. The whole class is being taught, not just the front rows.

When you visit any ICSE school, ask: "How many students are in Class IX in your largest section?" Not the average. The largest.

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5 Questions to Ask Any ICSE School in Lucknow

1. "What was your ICSE and ISC average last year — not the topper?" Every school has a topper. The average tells you how the middle of the class did.

2. "How many students are in the largest Class IX section?" See above. This is the number that matters most in ICSE.

3. "Is this campus ICSE, or is it a sister school on another board?" Especially with multi-campus names (Jaipuria, CMS), confirm the board for the exact campus.

4. "Will my child have to change schools at any point?" Some schools start at Class I or Class V; some stop at Class X. A Playgroup-to-XII school avoids two admission hunts.

5. "Which subjects can my child take in Class XI?" ISC combinations vary. At Scholars' Home, Science, Commerce and Humanities are all offered — see Class 11 admission for the full subject list.

Visit before you choose. Ask for the detailed syllabus for your child's class and a full tour on a working day, and decide only after you have seen the school. Many well-known school names in Lucknow are franchises: the name is licensed, but each campus is run separately and quality varies. At a young age it matters more that your child fits the culture of a school — and is not lost in the crowd — than how famous the name on the gate is.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the No. 1 ICSE school in Lucknow? Scholars' Home, Gomtinagar has been ranked the No. 1 ICSE school in Lucknow for seven consecutive years by the India School Merit Awards. In 2026 it recorded 100% results in ICSE and ISC, with an ICSE average of 86.51% and an ISC topper at 99%.

How many ICSE schools are there in Lucknow? More than 70 schools in Lucknow are affiliated to CISCE, the board that conducts the ICSE and ISC examinations. The best-known include Scholars' Home, La Martiniere College, La Martiniere Girls' College, Loreto Convent, St. Francis' College, City Montessori School, Seth M.R. Jaipuria (Gomtinagar), Colvin Taluqdars' College and Christ Church College.

Which are the best co-educational ICSE schools in Lucknow? Scholars' Home (Gomtinagar), City Montessori School, Seth M.R. Jaipuria (Gomtinagar), Colvin Taluqdars' College, Christ Church College, St. John Bosco College and St. Dominic Savio College are co-educational ICSE schools. Several of the city's heritage ICSE schools — La Martiniere, Loreto and St. Francis' — are single-gender.

Which are the best ICSE schools in Gomti Nagar? Scholars' Home (Vipul Khand-3), City Montessori School (Vishal Khand-2), Seth M.R. Jaipuria (Vineet Khand), St. John Bosco College (Vivek Khand-2), Spring Dale School (Viraj Khand-2) and Modern Academy (Viram Khand-5).

Is Seth M.R. Jaipuria School ICSE or CBSE? The Seth M.R. Jaipuria School in Gomtinagar is ICSE/ISC. Jaipuria campuses on Kanpur Road and in Rajajipuram, and Seth Anandram Jaipuria in Cantonment, are CBSE.

What is the fee of ICSE schools in Lucknow? For Classes XI–XII in 2026–27, published annual fees for the well-known ICSE schools range from ₹1,21,900 (Scholars' Home, with no security deposit) to ₹1,90,400 (Seth M.R. Jaipuria, Gomtinagar). Scholars' Home's fee also covers a Robotics & AI Lab, AI-assisted learning applications, free IBM certification courses and enrichment classes.

Is ICSE good for JEE and NEET? Yes. ISC Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology cover the core concepts, and CISCE is raising application-style, competency-based questions in its board papers — 25% in 2025, 40% in 2026 and 50% by 2027 — the style JEE, NEET and CUET use. Students add NCERT-based practice in Classes XI–XII, as most entrance aspirants on any board do.

What has changed in ICSE and ISC recently? CISCE has changed ICSE and ISC more in the last three years than in the decade before: it revised the ISC Class XI–XII syllabus from the 2025 exams, with some topics removed; it is raising competency-based, application-style questions in board papers — 25% in 2025, 40% in 2026 and 50% by 2027, the style JEE, NEET and CUET use; it added Robotics and Artificial Intelligence as subjects; and from 2025–26, Class XI students can take Modern English in place of the traditional English course.

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Published by Scholars' Home School, Vipul Khand-3, Gomtinagar, Lucknow — 226010. Phone: +91 94530 22798. Last updated: September 2026. School details are drawn from each school's own website, CISCE listings and public sources; if you spot an error, please tell us and we will correct it.

Next: Best School in Lucknow — the top 10 across all boards · Schools in Gomti Nagar · Admissions 2027–28