Bengaluru: In a sign of growing popularity of residential schools in the state, as many as 2,75,610 candidates have applied for the 52,830 seats available at govt-run co-educational residential institutions under the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) and the minority welfare department for the 2025-26 academic year.
According to KREIS data, 2,19,186 candidates have applied for 41,500 seats available in co-educational boarding schools. This marks an approximately 17% increase in the number of applicants, compared to the previous year’s figures of 1.87 lakh, according to data from the department of social welfare.

The trend has held in schools under the minority welfare department as well, which have seen a roughly 34% increase in number of applicants for 2025-26, over the previous year. According to the department, it received 56,424 applications for the 11,330 seats that are up for grabs this year. In other words, roughly five students are competing for each seat in this category.
Last year, 42,000 candidates had applied in this category, the department said.
KEA data show, so far, 26,182 seats have been allotted in the first of two rounds of selection under KREIS.
Exams for KREIS schools, conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), are crucial for 821 institutions, including Morarji Desai Residential Schools, Ekalavya Model Residential School, Kithuru Rani Channamma, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee School among others.
“There has been so much focus on KREIS from the state govt and the chief minister himself. This time, 34% additional funding was made available to KREIS. So, we can improve the schools like never before. All schools are going to get their own buildings. Results have also improved. Notebooks and uniforms will come on time,” said an official.
For the first time, the minority welfare department held the selection process online. The entrance test was held on April 27 at 145 exam centres across Karnataka.
However, with increased competition, it is now quite common for students in the northern districts to skip regular classes and train at coaching centres for entrance tests.
Sounding a word of caution, a primary school teacher said: “Many illegal tuition centres have cropped up, which are in a tie-up with some of these schools. Primary school students often skip regular classes for a full day to attend these coaching centres, just to crack the entrance exams.”