How Many Students Are There in CBSE Board in India?

More than 2.5 crore students are enrolled in schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India as of 2026. That’s over 25 million young learners taking the same syllabus, sitting for the same board exams, and following the same curriculum across every state and union territory. It’s the largest school education board in the country - bigger than all state boards combined. If you’ve ever wondered how massive the CBSE system really is, the numbers tell a clear story.

How CBSE Grew to Dominate Indian Education

CBSE wasn’t always this big. It started in 1929 as the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education, serving only a handful of schools in northern India. Back then, it was meant for children of central government employees who moved frequently. Today, it’s the default choice for over 20,000 schools - from remote towns in Jharkhand to international branches in Dubai and Singapore.

The growth didn’t happen by accident. CBSE made its curriculum flexible, its exams predictable, and its resources widely available. Unlike state boards that change syllabi often, CBSE sticks to a stable structure. That’s why families moving across states - military personnel, IT professionals, diplomats - choose CBSE. It’s the one system that doesn’t disrupt a child’s learning when they relocate.

By 2020, CBSE had already passed 18 million students. Five years later, that number climbed past 25 million. The biggest jumps came from private schools in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, where parents increasingly see CBSE as the gateway to competitive exams and higher education abroad.

Breakdown: How Many Students Per Class?

The 25 million+ figure isn’t spread evenly. Most students are in the middle years - Classes 6 to 10. That’s where the bulk of enrollment happens. Here’s the rough split by class level in 2026:

• Classes 1-5: Around 7 million students
• Classes 6-8: About 8 million students
• Classes 9-10: Nearly 9 million students
• Classes 11-12: Roughly 1.5 million students

Notice the drop after Class 10? That’s when students start choosing streams - Science, Commerce, or Humanities. Many shift to state boards or open schools for Class 11, especially in rural areas. But the 1.5 million in Class 11-12 still represent the most critical group: they’re the ones preparing for JEE, NEET, CUET, and international university applications.

Where Are These Students Located?

CBSE schools aren’t just in big cities. In fact, more than 60% of CBSE-affiliated schools are now outside metro areas. Uttar Pradesh alone has over 3,200 CBSE schools. Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh each have more than 2,000. Even smaller states like Chhattisgarh and Odisha have seen rapid growth - up 18% in CBSE enrollment since 2022.

Urban centers like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad still lead in total numbers, but the real expansion is happening in places like Indore, Lucknow, and Bhopal. Private schools in these cities offer CBSE because parents trust its exam pattern. It’s easier to prepare for than unpredictable state board papers.

There are also over 200 CBSE schools outside India - in the UAE, Qatar, Kenya, and even Fiji. These serve Indian diaspora families, but they’re still counted in the official CBSE statistics. That’s why the total includes students beyond India’s borders.

Why the Numbers Keep Rising

Several factors are pushing CBSE enrollment higher:

• Parental preference: CBSE is seen as more aligned with national-level competitive exams like JEE and NEET. Its syllabus matches the NCERT textbooks used in those exams.
• English-medium instruction: Most CBSE schools teach in English, which parents believe gives their children an edge in college and jobs.
• Digital resources: CBSE provides free video lessons, sample papers, and online portals. Schools in villages with poor infrastructure still use these.
• Recognition abroad: Universities in the UK, Canada, Australia, and the US accept CBSE certificates without extra testing.

There’s also a cultural shift. Ten years ago, many families in South India preferred state boards. Now, even in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, parents are switching to CBSE for Class 9 or 10. The reason? They want their kids to compete nationally.

What the Numbers Don’t Tell You

Behind the 25 million figure are real challenges. Many CBSE schools in rural areas have one teacher handling three classes. Labs are often empty. Libraries are stocked with outdated books. The board doesn’t control infrastructure - only curriculum and exams. So while the enrollment numbers look impressive, the learning experience varies wildly.

Also, CBSE doesn’t track dropout rates after Class 10. Official reports say 95% of students appear for the Class 10 exam. But no one knows how many stop studying after that. The real dropout spike happens between Class 10 and Class 11, especially among girls in low-income families.

And while CBSE says it’s inclusive, only about 12% of its students come from government schools. The rest are in private or aided institutions. That means the board’s reach is strong, but its equity is still a question.

How CBSE Compares to Other Boards

For context, here’s how CBSE stacks up against India’s other major boards in 2026:

CBSE isn’t the largest in terms of school count - state boards like UP and Maharashtra have far more schools. But they serve mostly local populations. CBSE’s strength is its national footprint and its ability to attract families who plan ahead - for college, for careers, for mobility.

What’s Next for CBSE?

The board is now pushing for digital transformation. In 2025, it launched the CBSE Learning App, offering live doubt-solving and AI-based practice tests. It’s also reducing syllabus load for Classes 1-8 to focus on critical thinking, not memorization.

But the real test will be how well it supports the 25 million students it serves. More exams, more apps, and more websites won’t help if a child in a village has no internet. The board’s future depends not just on how many students it enrolls - but how many it actually empowers.