The escalating cost of private education in India is raising serious concerns, even among affluent families. In major urban centers, particularly Bengaluru, school fees have seen sharp increases, prompting debates about affordability, access, and whether quality education is becoming an exclusive privilege. The issue recently gained widespread attention after a prominent international school’s fee structure for the 2025–26 academic year went viral on social media.
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According to the fee details, parents are expected to pay Rs 7.35 lakh annually for a child in Grade 1, while those with children in Grades 11 or 12 face fees as high as Rs 11 lakh per year. A non-refundable admission fee of Rs 1 lakh adds to the financial burden. A financial expert pointed out that even families with a combined annual income of Rs 50 lakh could struggle to afford such costs for two children, especially when considering additional expenses like transportation, uniforms, and extracurriculars.
Intense discussion on fees online
The viral post sparked intense discussion online, with many expressing concern that education expenses are becoming unsustainable for upper-middle-class households. It also reignited conversations about declining birth rates in urban India, with some linking it to the high cost of raising children. Parents across Bengaluru report annual fee hikes ranging from 10% to 30%, despite ongoing objections. While some argue for regulatory oversight to limit increases, others maintain that private schools should retain the freedom to set their own fees.
Supporters of the current model highlight international curricula, premium facilities, and smaller class sizes as reasons for the higher costs, comparing them to even steeper global standards.