Top 7 Historic Schools Which Are Still Functioning in India: Check Complete List, History & Year Established

India is home to many prestigious schools with deep historical roots. These schools were established long ago and have played a major role in shaping the country's academic and social history. Today, they remain respected centers of learning, successfully blending their rich heritage with modern teaching. Here is the list of top seven of the oldest and well-known schools in India that are still functioning and continuing their legacy of excellence.

Top 7 Historic Schools Which Are Still Functioning in India

Check out the list of top seven Historic Schools Which Are Still Functioning in India: 

1. St. George's Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai (1715)

• Established: 1715
• State: Tamil Nadu
• Legacy: This school originally founded as the Military Male Orphan Asylum to provide care for the orphaned children of British soldiers. St. George's is well recognised as the oldest functioning modern school in India. Spread across a larger green campus, it continues to provide quality education while preserving its rich colonial architectural heritage.

2. St. Thomas Residential School / St. Thomas School, Kolkata (1789)

• Established: 1789
• State: West Bengal
• Legacy: St. Thomas Residential School founded as the Calcutta Free School to educate disadvantaged children, St. Thomas School has one of the largest campus areas in Kolkata. The institution played an important role in early European and Anglo-Indian education in eastern India and continues to run as a top ICSE/ISC affiliated school today.

3. Hooghly Collegiate School, Hooghly (1812)

• Established: 1812
• State: West Bengal
• Legacy: This school established during the Bengal Renaissance, Hooghly Collegiate School was built under the support of the famed philanthropist Haji Muhammad Mohsin. The school produced many well-known thinkers, writers, and freedom fighters, serving for modern Indian education in the 19th century.

4. St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Kolkata (1860)

• Established: 1860
• State: West Bengal
• Legacy: St. Xavier's Collegiate School was founded by the Jesuit Fathers of the Society of Jesus. St. Xavier's Collegiate School stands as a benchmark of academic and moral excellence. Among its most very famous alumni is Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who studied here during his childhood.

5. The Scindia School, Gwalior (1897)

• Established: 1897
• State: Madhya Pradesh
• Legacy: Located on top of the Gwalior Fort, The Scindia School was started by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia for children of royal families. Today, it is a famous boarding school for all students and is known as one of the best in India.

6. The Doon School, Dehradun (1935)

• Established: 1935
• State: Uttarakhand
• Legacy: The Doon School was started by Satish Ranjan Das, a lawyer from Bengal. It is a residential school that mixes British teaching styles with Indian values. Often called the "Eton of India," it has educated many famous people, including prime ministers, diplomats, artists, and business leaders.

7. Bishop Cotton School, Shimla (1859)

• Established: 1859
• State: Himachal Pradesh
• Legacy: Bishop Cotton School in Shimla was started in 1859 by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton. It is one of the oldest boarding schools for boys in Asia. Located in the hills, it was the first school in Northern India to start things like student houses, student leaders (prefects), and organized school sports.