Choosing between Sainik School, RMS (Rashtriya Military Schools), and RIMC (Rashtriya Indian Military College) can feel confusing—because all three are “defence-style” residential institutions, but they differ a lot in how many schools exist, how many seats are available, and which age group is eligible.
Parents usually ask three practical questions first:
- How many schools are there?
- How many seats are available each year (approx)?
- What is the age criteria?
This section answers those clearly (no tables), in a copy-paste ready format for your AceJoule blog.
1) How many schools are there?
Sainik School (AISSEE route)
- Old / existing Sainik Schools: 33 schools across India.
- New Sainik Schools (approved under the Sainik School pattern): dozens of schools (the list has expanded over time and can change as new schools get approved).
What this means: Sainik School offers the widest choice of campuses, which also improves your practical chances if you plan your preferences smartly.
RMS (Rashtriya Military Schools)
- Only 5 schools:
- Ajmer
- Belgaum
- Bengaluru
- Chail
- Dholpur
What this means: Very limited number of campuses, so total seats are smaller and competition can feel tighter.
RIMC (Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun)
- Only 1 institute (not a network of schools).
What this means: Highly focused, highly selective, and very different from the “many schools” model.
2) Seats per year (approximate)
Important note (parents should know):
Sainik School and RMS seats are vacancy-based, not a fixed “same number every year.” Vacancies change depending on the school’s sanctioned strength, withdrawals, and category-wise availability.
Sainik School (typical scale)
- Class 6: usually a few thousand seats per year in total (across the old/existing Sainik Schools).
- Class 9: usually a few hundred seats per year in total (much fewer than Class 6).
- When New Sainik Schools are included, the overall Class 6 seat volume increases further, because many more institutions participate.
Practical takeaway: If your goal is to maximize chances, Sainik School typically provides more total seats and more campus choices than RMS or RIMC.
RMS (typical scale)
- Across all 5 RMS schools combined, admissions are typically a few hundred seats per year (Class 6 + Class 9 together), depending on vacancies.
Practical takeaway: RMS is a strong legacy option, but it’s a smaller admissions funnel than Sainik Schools.
RIMC (stable and easy to remember)
- RIMC admits about 25 cadets every six months, which is roughly about 50 cadets per year.
Practical takeaway: RIMC is the smallest and most selective pathway among the three.
3) Age criteria (simple and exam-ready)
Sainik School (AISSEE)
- Class 6: typically 10 to 12 years as on 31 March of the admission year.
- Class 9: typically 13 to 15 years as on 31 March of the admission year.
Note: The exact date-of-birth cut-off window is published every year in the official AISSEE information bulletin.
RMS (RMS CET)
- Class 6: typically 10 to 12 years as on 31 March of the admission year.
- Class 9: typically 13 to 15 years as on 31 March of the admission year.
Note: RMS is boarders-only, so boarding readiness matters along with age eligibility.
RIMC (Class VIII entry only)
- Admission is only to Class VIII.
- The candidate should generally be:
- Not less than 11 years, and
- Not attained 13 years
on the term start date (RIMC has admissions aligned with its term schedule).
Quick conclusion (copy-paste)
If you compare Sainik School vs RMS vs RIMC, the biggest differences are the number of campuses, the seat volume, and the age window. Sainik Schools have the widest network and usually the largest number of seats (especially in Class 6). RMS has only five schools, so seats are more limited and competition is tighter. RIMC is a single elite institute with around fifty admissions per year, making it the most selective defence-school entry route.