Last verified: 27 October 2026. The school facts below — Bijapur’s 1963 founding and 406-acre campus, Kodagu’s 2007 founding at Kudige — are CONFIRMED from school profiles and reporting cited. The AISSEE pattern facts (marks, ages, quotas) follow the established AISSEE framework used across our guides; the AISSEE 2027 bulletin itself is still awaited, so 2027 specifics are EXPECTED until it appears. Fee figures conflict across secondary sources and are labelled reported wherever they appear.
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Parents searching for “Sainik Schools in Karnataka” usually expect a long list. The honest core answer is shorter: Karnataka has two schools under the Sainik Schools Society — Sainik School Bijapur and Sainik School Kodagu. Both admit through AISSEE, conducted by NTA. Around them, newer partnership-mode schools have appeared, and this guide separates the two layers so you do not mix them up.
| School | Founded | Location | Campus | Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sainik School Bijapur (SSBJ) | 1963 | Shastri Nagar, Vijayapura (Athani Road) | 406 acres | CBSE |
| Sainik School Kodagu | 2007 | Kudige, Somwarpet Taluk, Kodagu district | About 62 acres (reported) | CBSE |
Bijapur is the thirteenth Sainik School set up in the country and Karnataka’s first. It began functioning in temporary shelters on 16 September 1963, housed in a section of Vijaya College in Bijapur, and moved to its present permanent 406-acre campus on Athani Road in November 1966. India’s then Vice President, Dr Zakir Hussain, formally declared the campus open on 17 December 1966.
That six-decade history is the school’s real strength for parents: a settled campus, a large alumni base, and a routine refined over generations of cadets.
Careers360 lists 120 seats for Class 6 and 13 seats for Class 9 at Bijapur — a reminder of how much tighter the Class 9 entry is, since most seats fill at Class 6 and only a handful open up through withdrawals. If your child is aiming for Class 9 at Bijapur, treat it as a high-competition attempt and keep a realistic backup school in the preference list.
Kodagu is Karnataka’s second Society school, founded in 2007 at Kudige in Somwarpet Taluk. The school was started in the memory of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa and General Thimmaiah — two of the Indian Army’s most celebrated officers, both with Kodagu roots — and that connection shapes the school’s identity in a way no prospectus can manufacture.
The campus sits on land near the Koodige farm, reported at about 62 acres, with the full-fledged school building inaugurated in December 2012 after the school’s early years in temporary accommodation. Like Bijapur, Kodagu is affiliated to CBSE and admits boys and girls through AISSEE.
For a Karnataka family, the practical difference between the two schools is geography: Bijapur serves the north Karnataka belt around Vijayapura, while Kodagu serves the south, with Mysuru as the nearest major city. Both carry the same home-state advantage explained below.
Beyond the two Society schools, Karnataka’s map now includes newer Sainik Schools set up in partnership mode under the government’s plan for 100 new Sainik Schools. Reporting lists a Sainik School in Mysore from 2022 and the Sangolli Rayanna School in Belagavi, under construction. These are reported details, not Society-school facts, so verify their status, seats and fee structures school by school before planning around them.
The distinction matters at counselling time: the classic Society schools are the ones most parents mean when they say “Sainik School”. A partnership-mode school may have its own admission route, so never assume one form covers both.
Admission to Bijapur and Kodagu runs through AISSEE, and the pattern is the same across the country:
For a fuller walkthrough of the form itself, see our AISSEE 2027 form guide and our Madhya Pradesh regional guide, which explains the same system from another state’s angle.
The single most important number for a Karnataka family is 67%. Under the standard Sainik School reservation pattern, 67% of seats are reserved for candidates from the home state and 33% for candidates from other states. Within that, the usual reservation layers apply — SC 15%, ST 7.5% and OBC-NCL 27% — plus a 25% defence-category share of the remainder, and a 10% girls’ quota.
What this means in practice: a Karnataka-domiciled child competes first inside the Karnataka pool at Bijapur and Kodagu, a smaller and more favourable pool than the all-India one. That is exactly why your domicile certificate matters — our domicile certificate guide explains the state-wise process — and why a missing domicile document can quietly move your child into the tougher 33% pool.
This is where parents get misled most often, so here is the honest picture for Bijapur. Published secondary figures conflict:
| Source | Bijapur annual fee (reported) |
|---|---|
| Nationhub fee table | Rs 1,49,035 for new admission; Rs 1,44,910 for subsequent years |
| SpeedyBrains school profile | About Rs 1,70,181 (approximate) |
| The Good School listing | About Rs 1,24,000 (average figure) |
The components behind these totals are consistent in shape — tuition around Rs 79,860, diet charges around Rs 33,925, plus clothing, pocket money and caution money — but the totals differ enough that no single number should anchor your budget. Check the school’s own fee notice for the current year, and ask about scholarship and fee-concession schemes for eligible categories at the same time.
How many Sainik Schools are there in Karnataka?
Two schools under the Sainik Schools Society: Sainik School Bijapur (1963) and Sainik School Kodagu (2007). Newer partnership-mode schools, including one in Mysore reported from 2022, sit outside the original Society list.
What is the home-state quota for Karnataka Sainik Schools?
67% of seats are reserved for candidates from the home state, Karnataka, and 33% for candidates from other states, under the standard Sainik School reservation pattern.
What are the age limits for admission to Sainik School Bijapur and Kodagu?
For Class 6, age 10 to 12 years as of 31 March 2027, and for Class 9, age 13 to 15 years as of 31 March 2027, under the standard AISSEE eligibility pattern.
How many Class 6 seats does Sainik School Bijapur have?
Careers360 lists 120 seats for Class 6 and 13 seats for Class 9 at Bijapur. Treat seat counts as reported for the current cycle until the AISSEE 2027 seat matrix is published.
What is the annual fee at Sainik School Bijapur?
Published secondary figures conflict, ranging from about Rs 1,44,910 to about Rs 1,70,181 per year, so treat any single figure as reported, not confirmed. Check the school’s own fee notice before budgeting.
Can girls apply to Karnataka Sainik Schools?
Yes. Both Bijapur and Kodagu admit boys and girls, and girls are admitted under the 10% girls’ quota pattern that applies across Sainik Schools.
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