Best ICSE Schools in Kolkata (2026 Guide)

Kolkata has one of India’s deepest traditions of ICSE and ISC schooling, from Jesuit and Loreto institutions to the La Martiniere schools and mission schools with roots in the nineteenth century. This guide brings together eight schools selected from the CISCE school locator (the council’s own list of affiliated schools) and then cross-checked against each school’s official website. It is a selection, not a ranking: the order is not an order of merit, and we have not copied ratings or fee tables from other sites.

Last checked: 13 Oct 2026. The order below is not an order of merit. This is a selection, not a ranking.

ICSE/ISC schools in Kolkata at a glance

Selected ICSE schools in Kolkata: what each official source says

Calcutta Boys’ School

The CISCE locator lists Calcutta Boys’ School as a day school for boys offering ICSE and ISC. The school’s history page links its origin to the Methodist Episcopal Church’s work in Calcutta, mentioning January 1873, and the home page advertises sesquicentenary celebrations. The site lists several campuses (Main, Beliaghata, Sonarpur and Asansol), so check which campus you are applying to.

Admission note: When we checked, the home page announced admissions for Playgroup and Nursery for 2027-28, with separate campus-wise forms.

La Martiniere for Boys

La Martiniere for Boys is one of the two La Martiniere schools in Kolkata. The group’s website says the schools opened in Kolkata on 1 March 1836 following the will of Major General Claude Martin, and that together they have nearly 6,000 students from Lower Nursery to Class XII, affiliated to CISCE. The CISCE locator lists this school as a boys’ day/residential school.

Admission note: The site publishes a Foundationer Admission Notice for 2027-28: under Claude Martin’s will, poor Christian students are offered free education with residential hostel facilities. Read the eligibility terms there.

La Martiniere for Girls

The sister school to La Martiniere for Boys shares the same official website and 1836 opening date. The CISCE locator lists it as a girls’ day/residential school offering ICSE and ISC. Because both schools sit under one governing site, parents can read the shared history, organisational chart and admission notices in one place.

Admission note: Online application for admission to Lower Nursery is linked from the shared site. Check class-wise instructions there.

Loreto Day School, Dharamtala

Loreto Day School Dharamtala is on Lenin Sarani in central Kolkata. Its site title describes it as an ICSE school, and the CISCE locator lists it as a girls’ day school. The home page also shows lists of selected candidates for Lower Nursery and Nursery for the 2027 session, so it publishes admission outcomes openly. A founding year was not stated on the pages we read, so we have not given one.

Admission note: Selected-candidate lists for Nursery and Lower Nursery were visible when we checked (updated 29 Aug 2026 on the site). Read the current admission page for the next session.

Loreto House

Loreto House describes itself in its site title as an ICSE/ISC school in Kolkata, and the CISCE locator lists it as a girls’ day school. Its home page carries a Class XI admission section and news about the merger of the Congregatio Jesu and the IBVM (Loreto) congregations in November 2025. The school is part of the Loreto network of schools.

Admission note: A Class XI admission notice for 2027-28 was listed on the site when we checked. Read the notice for eligibility.

Pratt Memorial School

Pratt Memorial School’s home page says it has been empowering young women since 1876, rooted in Christian values. It adds that the school is today an all-girls school. The CISCE locator lists it as a girls’ day school offering ICSE and ISC. For families seeking an old, single-gender girls’ school, it is an option that is less often discussed than the biggest names.

Admission note: The site has Notices and Contact pages. Use them to confirm which classes are open.

St. Xavier’s Collegiate School

The school’s own history says English Jesuits landed in Bengal in 1834 and started St. Xavier’s School in 1836, and that in November 1859 Belgian Jesuits took over St. John’s School and renamed it St. Xavier’s Collegiate School on Park Street. The site says it has nearly 3,000 students, and the CISCE locator lists it as a boys’ day school.

Admission note: The site publishes notices and online payment instructions; check the official notices for admission information for the current session.

Welland Gouldsmith School

The school’s own About page says Welland Memorial School was combined with Gouldsmith Free School in 1936 to form Welland Gouldsmith School. It describes itself as an Anglo-Indian, English-medium, co-educational school affiliated to CISCE, sending candidates for ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII). It runs two branches, Ganguly Street and Patuli. (The CISCE locator’s gender label for this entry differs from the school’s own description; follow the school’s own site.)

Admission note: Branch-wise pages are on the site. Check which branch and class you are interested in.

How to choose an ICSE school in Kolkata

Board fit. ICSE and ISC place weight on English and a broad syllabus, which many families like. Compare it with CBSE in our CBSE schools guide.

Single-gender or co-ed. Several schools here are boys-only or girls-only; others are co-educational. Decide early because it narrows the list quickly.

Distance and campus. Some schools have multiple campuses or branches, so confirm which campus your child would attend and test the commute at school hours.

Admission timing. Several schools were already showing 2027-28 notices on 13 Oct 2026, and timelines differ by class and school.

Admission process basics

Most schools run an online application or registration, followed by an interaction, assessment or lists of selected candidates. Documents usually include age proof and earlier school records. Because dates, age cut-offs and seats change every session, the schools’ own admission pages are the final word.

Frequently asked questions

How did you select these ICSE schools?

We began with the CISCE school locator, which lists schools affiliated to the council, then checked each school’s official website. A school is included only if both sources agree.

Is this a ranking of the best ICSE schools in Kolkata?

No. The order is not an order of merit, and we do not use other sites’ ratings.

Are these schools ICSE only or ISC too?

The CISCE locator lists these schools under ICSE and ISC. Check each school’s site for the classes it offers.

Are fees listed here?

No. Fee numbers appear only when they are on a school’s official site with a clear date, so please read the school’s own fee notice.

Where can I check CISCE affiliation myself?

Use the CISCE school locator (locate.cisce.org) and compare it with the school’s own disclosure.

Disclaimer

This page is an informational selection compiled from the board’s public affiliation records and each school’s own website. It is not a ranking, an endorsement or a guarantee of admission. Schools change their classes, seats, dates and policies, so always confirm details on the official site or by contacting the school. Fees are deliberately not listed here; please check the school’s own fee notice.

See also: Best CBSE Schools in Kolkata, Best English-Medium Schools in Kolkata (which includes La Martiniere, St. Xavier’s Collegiate, Loreto House, Calcutta Boys’, St. Thomas’ Boys’, Julien Day, South Point and DPS Ruby Park) and Best Schools in Kolkata (Hindi-medium guide).

Last checked: 13 Oct 2026