Online schools
What do online schools in India cost by grade?
Between ₹44,900 and ₹2,59,600 a year, depending on grade and school. Fees rise with grade: Cyboard charges ₹44,900 at Nursery and ₹1,05,300 for Class XII Science. At 21K School the Cambridge pathway runs about 58% above the Indian one.
What does each grade actually cost?
Most online schools publish one headline range and leave you to guess where your child falls in it. These are the per-grade figures the schools themselves publish, checked in August 2026. Treat them as the tuition line only — see the exclusions below.
| Grade band | Cyboard (CBSE-aligned) | Birla Brainiacs |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery–UKG | ₹44,900 | ₹65,000 |
| Classes I–II | ₹49,200 | ₹70,000 |
| Class III | ₹53,400 | ₹70,000 |
| Classes IV–V | ₹57,500 | ₹70,000 |
| Classes VI–VIII | ₹64,100 | ₹75,000 |
| Class IX | ₹76,700 | ₹75,000 |
| Class X | ₹81,800 | ₹75,000 |
| Class XI (Science) | ₹98,500 | ₹75,000 |
| Class XII (Science) | ₹1,05,300 | ₹75,000 |
Why the same grade costs twice as much elsewhere
The curriculum pathway, not the teaching, drives most of the gap. At 21K School a Grade VI seat is ₹93,800 on the Indian pathway and ₹1,48,430 on the Cambridge one — a 58% premium for the same year group. StayQrious charges ₹2,59,600 including GST for Grades III–VIII, and pairs it with live pods capped at eight learners rather than a class of 25.
What the published fee leaves out
- Board registration and exam fees. NIOS is paid directly by the candidate; Cambridge entries go through an approved exam centre, which sets its own centre charges — and your school may or may not be that centre.
- One-time registration or seat-reservation charges — 21K lists ₹999, Cyboard ₹1,000.
- GST, which some schools quote inclusive and others add at 18%.
- Books, devices and any in-person exam-centre travel.
The teachers are kind, and take good care of my child.
That is Raghav Bhardwaj, reviewing Cyboard on Ezyschooling in December 2024 — a reminder that fee tables say nothing about teaching quality. Cyboard’s headline Google rating is 4.4/5, with no review count exposed in our 20 August 2026 check; Ezyschooling separately shows 4.9/5 from nine verified reviews. 21K sits at 2.56/5 from 474 MouthShut votes.
Is the NIOS route cheaper than an online school?
Substantially. NIOS charges ₹2,340 for Secondary admission with five subjects (₹1,890 for female candidates, ₹1,560 for SC/ST, ex-servicemen and differently-abled learners) and ₹2,600 at Senior Secondary. Additional subjects are ₹940 each. But NIOS supplies certification, not teaching — you are buying an exam route, and tuition, if you want it, costs extra.
- Do online schools in India charge more for Science streams?
- Usually yes, where the school prices by stream. Cyboard charges ₹98,500 for Class XI Science against ₹86,500 for Humanities or Commerce. Birla Brainiacs prices Classes VI–XII flat at ₹75,000 regardless of stream.
- Are these fees negotiable or discounted?
- Several schools publish a full-payment discount, and 21K quotes its grade fees before that discount is applied. Ask for the post-discount figure and the refund terms in writing before paying.
- Why do published fees and marketplace listings disagree?
- Schools update their own pages more often than third-party listings. Where the two conflict, treat the school page as current for the fee and check the date on any marketplace figure.