The Doon School

The Doon School is India's most celebrated boys' boarding school, founded in 1935 in Dehradun in the Doon Valley of Uttarakhand, at the foothills of the Himalayas. Modelled explicitly on the traditions of the great English public schools, Doon was established with the express purpose of creating an institution for India that could stand comparison with the finest schools in the world — and it has fulfilled that ambition with extraordinary distinction across nine decades. The school educates approximately 500 boys aged 12 to 18, all of whom are full boarders, living and learning together on a beautifully maintained residential campus in the shadow of the Himalayas. The setting — with its views of the mountains, its lawns, playing fields, and heritage buildings — provides an environment of rare character and natural grandeur. Dehradun is accessible from Delhi by air, and the journey from Indira Gandhi International Airport takes approximately one hour by flight to Jolly Grant Airport. The Doon School's alumni — known as Old Boys — constitute perhaps the most distinguished roll of any school in South Asia. Prime Ministers of India, Nobel laureates, leading industrialists, generals, diplomats, judges, and cultural figures across every field of Indian public life have passed through its gates. This extraordinary alumni legacy reflects the school's long-standing capacity to develop not merely academic excellence but genuine leadership, character, and civic commitment.

Academic Excellence

The Doon School follows the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the sixth form, providing its boys with an internationally recognised pre-university qualification that is accepted by leading universities in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and beyond. The curriculum encompasses the full range of IB subject groups, including the sciences, mathematics, humanities, languages, and the arts, with an extended essay and theory of knowledge components that develop independent research and critical thinking skills. In the lower school, boys follow a broad curriculum across the core academic disciplines with a strong emphasis on English, Hindi, Sanskrit, mathematics, sciences, and the humanities. The school's faculty combines experienced Indian educators with international teachers, ensuring depth of subject knowledge and a variety of pedagogical approaches. Boarding houses accommodate approximately 80 to 90 boys each and are led by resident housemasters with strong pastoral responsibility for every boy in their care. Academic standards are high, and the school's culture of intellectual seriousness, personal integrity, and public service is woven into every aspect of daily life.

Rich Campus Life

The Doon School offers an exceptionally varied co-curricular programme that reflects its English public school heritage whilst being thoroughly grounded in the Indian context. Cricket, football, swimming, athletics, squash, basketball, and hockey feature prominently in the sporting programme. Music, drama, debating, and the visual arts are given serious attention and supported by dedicated facilities. The school's dramatic arts tradition is long-standing, and annual productions attract significant attention. Leadership training, community service, outdoor expeditions, and the school's distinctive social service programme ensure that boys graduate as rounded and responsible individuals committed to making a positive contribution to society.