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SITARA 1,000 · 2026–27 Edition

Elite schools in India 2026–27: the SITARA 1,000 research universe

The SITARA 1,000 are the final research universe of WCRC SITARA India's Most Elite 500 Schools, 2026–27 Edition, selected by WCRC from more than 3,000 schools researched using government, social and other public sources, including education boards and school websites. From them, 500 will be named India's Most Elite 500 on WCRC's SITARA model framework, and the Top 100 will be ranked. Results: January 2027.

1000 schools in 137 cities, listed A to Z within each city. Every school is under final evaluation.

City Stars
Mumbai (124)Delhi (111)Bengaluru (91)Kolkata (49)Hyderabad (46)Chennai (43)Gurugram (37)Pune (36)Dehradun (28)Noida (23)Faridabad (14)Ghaziabad (14)Ahmedabad (12)Chandigarh (12)Kochi (11)Lucknow (11)Coimbatore (10)Guwahati (10)Bhubaneswar (9)Indore (9)Patna (9)Vadodara (9)Bhopal (8)Jaipur (8)Ranchi (8)Greater Noida (7)Mussoorie (7)Nainital (7)Visakhapatnam (7)Goa (6)Jammu (6)Ludhiana (6)Nagpur (6)Srinagar (6)Surat (6)Thiruvananthapuram (6)Udaipur (6)Varanasi (6)Agra (5)Jamshedpur (5)Kanpur (5)Kozhikode (5)Madurai (5)Mangaluru (5)Nashik (5)Prayagraj (5)Aurangabad (4)Belagavi (4)Jalandhar (4)Mohali (4)Amritsar (3)Darjeeling (3)Jodhpur (3)Kottayam (3)Mysuru (3)Ooty (3)Raipur (3)Rajkot (3)Vijayawada (3)Ajmer (2)Bulandshahr (2)Cuttack (2)Hamirpur (2)Meerut (2)Ootacamund (2)Patiala (2)Pilani (2)Shillong (2)Shimla (2)Siliguri (2)Solan (2)Sonipat (2)Thrissur (2)Tiruchirappalli (2)Ahmednagar (1)Alappuzha (1)Alwar (1)Amaravathinagar (1)Anandpur Sahib (1)Balipara (1)Bambolim (1)Boisar (1)Calicut (1)Chail (1)Chittoor (1)Chittorgarh (1)Dalhousie (1)Deogarh (1)Dharampur (1)Dholpur (1)Gangtok (1)Goalpara (1)Gotan (1)Greater Mohali (1)Gwalior (1)Hardoi (1)Hisar (1)Hubballi (1)Itanagar (1)Jamnagar (1)Kalaburagi (1)Kalimpong (1)Kapurthala (1)Karnal (1)Kasauli (1)Kittur (1)Kodaikanal (1)Kolhapur (1)Kota (1)Lakshmangarh (1)Laxmangarh (1)Lovedale (1)Madanapalle (1)Mehrajpur (1)Mettupalayam (1)Mumbai (Mulund West) (1)Mysuru (Mysore) (1)Nabha (1)New Shimla (1)Panchkula (1)Pardi (1)Purulia (1)Rewa (1)Roorkee (1)Sanawar (1)Sandur (1)Sohna (1)Sujanpur Tira (1)Tezpur (1)Thiruvaniyoor (1)Thripunithura (1)Tijara (1)Tilaiya (1)Tiruppur (1)Vijayapura (1)Vizianagaram (1)Warangal (1)

Elite schools in Mumbai

Elite schools in Delhi

Elite schools in Bengaluru

Elite schools in Kolkata

Elite schools in Hyderabad

Elite schools in Chennai

Elite schools in Gurugram

Elite schools in Pune

Elite schools in Dehradun

Elite schools in Noida

Elite schools in Faridabad

Elite schools in Ghaziabad

Elite schools in Ahmedabad

Elite schools in Chandigarh

Elite schools in Kochi

Elite schools in Lucknow

Elite schools in Coimbatore

Elite schools in Guwahati

Elite schools in Bhubaneswar

Elite schools in Indore

Elite schools in Patna

Elite schools in Vadodara

Elite schools in Bhopal

Elite schools in Jaipur

Elite schools in Ranchi

Elite schools in Greater Noida

Elite schools in Mussoorie

Elite schools in Nainital

Elite schools in Visakhapatnam

Elite schools in Goa

Elite schools in Jammu

Elite schools in Ludhiana

Elite schools in Nagpur

Elite schools in Srinagar

Elite schools in Surat

Elite schools in Thiruvananthapuram

Elite schools in Udaipur

Elite schools in Varanasi

Elite schools in Agra

Elite schools in Jamshedpur

Elite schools in Kanpur

Elite schools in Kozhikode

Elite schools in Madurai

Elite schools in Mangaluru

Elite schools in Nashik

Elite schools in Prayagraj

Elite schools in Aurangabad

Elite schools in Belagavi

Elite schools in Jalandhar

Elite schools in Mohali

Elite schools in Amritsar

Elite schools in Darjeeling

Elite schools in Jodhpur

Elite schools in Kottayam

Elite schools in Mysuru

Elite schools in Ooty

Elite schools in Raipur

Elite schools in Rajkot

Elite schools in Vijayawada

Elite schools in Ajmer

Elite schools in Bulandshahr

Elite schools in Cuttack

Elite schools in Hamirpur

Elite schools in Meerut

Elite schools in Ootacamund

Elite schools in Patiala

Elite schools in Pilani

Elite schools in Shillong

Elite schools in Shimla

Elite schools in Siliguri

Elite schools in Solan

Elite schools in Sonipat

Elite schools in Thrissur

Elite schools in Tiruchirappalli

Elite schools in Ahmednagar

Elite schools in Alappuzha

Elite schools in Alwar

Elite schools in Amaravathinagar

Elite schools in Anandpur Sahib

Elite schools in Balipara

Elite schools in Bambolim

Elite schools in Boisar

Elite schools in Calicut

Elite schools in Chail

Elite schools in Chittoor

Elite schools in Chittorgarh

Elite schools in Dalhousie

Elite schools in Deogarh

Elite schools in Dharampur

Elite schools in Dholpur

Elite schools in Gangtok

Elite schools in Goalpara

Elite schools in Gotan

Elite schools in Greater Mohali

Elite schools in Gwalior

Elite schools in Hardoi

Elite schools in Hisar

Elite schools in Hubballi

Elite schools in Itanagar

Elite schools in Jamnagar

Elite schools in Kalaburagi

Elite schools in Kalimpong

Elite schools in Kapurthala

Elite schools in Karnal

Elite schools in Kasauli

Elite schools in Kittur

Elite schools in Kodaikanal

Elite schools in Kolhapur

Elite schools in Kota

Elite schools in Lakshmangarh

Elite schools in Laxmangarh

Elite schools in Lovedale

Elite schools in Madanapalle

Elite schools in Mehrajpur

Elite schools in Mettupalayam

Elite schools in Mumbai (Mulund West)

Elite schools in Mysuru (Mysore)

Elite schools in Nabha

Elite schools in New Shimla

Elite schools in Panchkula

Elite schools in Pardi

Elite schools in Purulia

Elite schools in Rewa

Elite schools in Roorkee

Elite schools in Sanawar

Elite schools in Sandur

Elite schools in Sohna

Elite schools in Sujanpur Tira

Elite schools in Tezpur

Elite schools in Thiruvaniyoor

Elite schools in Thripunithura

Elite schools in Tijara

Elite schools in Tilaiya

Elite schools in Tiruppur

Elite schools in Vijayapura

Elite schools in Vizianagaram

Elite schools in Warangal

Questions

What is an elite school?

In SITARA, an elite school is one whose excellence is evidenced, sustained over time, shared with every child and open to scrutiny, across six dimensions: learning outcomes, institutional integrity, teaching, future readiness, earned reputation, and access and wellbeing.

What does SITARA look at to decide if a school is elite?

Published evidence of what the school achieves for its students, measured on 30 indicators across six dimensions: learning outcomes, institutional integrity, teaching, future readiness, earned reputation, and access and wellbeing.

How does SITARA compare with international standards?

SITARA reflects what the world's best schools are judged on: outcomes for every learner, accountable governance, breadth and inquiry, teacher quality, the whole child and published evidence. Each of these maps to SITARA's 30 indicators.

What is a SITARA Finalist?

One of 1,000 schools in the final research universe of the 2026–27 Edition, selected from more than 3,000 schools researched by WCRC using government, social and other public sources, including education boards and school websites. Every finalist is now under final evaluation on the full SITARA framework.

When is the SITARA 500 released?

The locked SITARA 500, the national ranking, city rankings and Star Grades are released in January 2027.

Which are the most elite schools in India?

WCRC names India's Most Elite 500 Schools in January 2027. The SITARA 1,000 are the final research universe for the 2026–27 Edition: 1,000 schools across 137 cities, selected by WCRC on published evidence of elite standing. From them, 500 will be named India's Most Elite 500, the Top 100 will be ranked, and Top 10 lists will follow for residential, day, sports, all-round activities, academics, city and curriculum.

Are the 1,000 ranked?

Not yet. The 1,000 are listed A to Z. In January 2027, 500 are named India's Most Elite 500 on WCRC's SITARA model framework and the Top 100 are ranked by SITARA Score, after the Confidence Rule and Council review.

What is the WCRC Brand Trust Signal?

It is WCRC's own assessment of a school's brand, on its core brand model: Recall, Value, Promise, Goodwill and Trust. WCRC assesses it separately, and it is an evaluation parameter for the final rankings alongside the SITARA Assessment. It also forms part of each finalist's Signal.

What are Signal, Confidence and Pulse?

Signal shows the strength of the evidence that brought a school into the 1,000, including the WCRC Brand Trust Signal. Confidence shows how far WCRC has verified it. Pulse shows what signed-in parents say. None of them decides a rank.

Does Parent Pulse affect the ranking?

No. Pulse is shown beside a school's result and never enters the SITARA Score.

Why is a well-known school missing?

It may not have met the entry evidence this edition, or an eligibility rule. Any eligible school can be considered for the next edition.

How can schools with different boards be compared?

Exam results are compared only within the same curriculum family and school type. Everything else is measured against the same published standards.

Can a school correct its information?

Yes. Every scored school sees its evidence sheet during a 21-day fact check and can correct facts with evidence. Method and rank are not negotiable.

What is the SITARA Assessment?

A full primary assessment offered only to schools named in the SITARA 500, after release. It gives a school a detailed picture of itself and never changes its rank.