Royal Belfast Academical Institution
| Royal Belfast Academical Institution | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
College Square East , , BT1 6DL | |
| Coordinates | 54°35′49″N 05°56′11″W / 54.59694°N 5.93639°W |
| Information | |
| Other name | Inst |
| Type | Voluntary Grammar Boys Grammar |
| Motto | Quaerere Verum (To Seek the Truth) |
| Religious affiliation | Non-denominational |
| Established | 1810 |
| Founder | William Drennan |
| Status | Open |
| Chairman of the board of governors | Colin Gowdy |
| Principal | Ms Janet Williamson (until September); Next Principal: Dr. Craig Walker (starting from September) |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | 1063 (2023/24) |
| Houses | Dill Jones Kelvin Larmor Pirrie Stevenson |
| Colour | |
| Newspaper | Sea Horse |
| Yearbook | School News |
| School fees | Years 8–12 £1740 (2025) Years 13–14 £1745 (2025) All fees charged per annum |
| Affiliations | Inchmarlo Prep. |
| Alumni | Old Instonians |
| Website | https://rbai.org.uk |
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, known locally as Inst, is an independent grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the support of Belfast's leading reformers and democrats, it opened its doors in 1814. Until 1849, when it was superseded by what today is Queen's University, the institution pioneered Belfast's first programme of collegiate education.The modern school educates boys from ages 11 to 18. It is one of the eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school occupies an 18-acre site in the centre of the city on which its first buildings were erected.