FULL LIST: Dubai's most expensive private schools in 2023-2024
School fees in Dubai can really cut into the family budget, with many institutions charging tens of thousands of dirhams a year.
But Dubai is home to 217 private schools, meaning parents have several options to choose from.
Fees at the top schools can vary widely. Gems World Academy, an International Baccalaureate school, charges Dh117,552 ($32,000) for Year 12, while Gems Our Own English High School charges Dh15,759.
Both have been rated “very good” by the emirate's private school regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
Parents do not need to make a choice between quality and price, however, as a number of reasonably priced schools have been rated highly by the regulator.
The KHDA has rated 36 schools as “very good”, of which eight charge less than Dh35,000 a year.
The Indian High School, Delhi Private School Dubai and Gems Our Own English High School — all Indian curriculum schools — charge less than Dh16,000 a year, even for senior years.
Schools in Dubai were assessed by KHDA inspectors this year.
The National takes a look at eight "very good" schools that offer a high quality of education at a reasonable price.
The Indian High School: Up to Dh10,465 a year
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The Indian High School's new building is opened by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman of Emirates Airline, in 2022. The school is the largest in the country. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National -
School directors chose not to increase fees, despite the authorities lifting a four-year freeze. -
The group's three schools collectively have more than 13,000 pupils. -
In Dubai, the last permitted fee increase was for the academic year 2019-20. -
A vibrant dance performance was a highlight of the celebrations.
Many Indian schools in Dubai have recorded a rise in enrolments, particularly from families who moved to the UAE this year, and The Indian High School is one of them.
The school in Oud Metha was founded in 1961 and is one of three campuses that make up the Indian High Group of Schools. More than 15,000 pupils attend the schools.
About 9,000 pupils currently attend the Oud Metha campus.
It is one of the oldest and largest schools in Dubai and opened a new three-storey building in May that features dozens of classrooms, laboratories and activity rooms.
The expansion will also enable the school to accept pupils on its waiting list.
The school has also established a well-being centre, where pupils can seek help from counsellors if they have mental health concerns.
Annual fees start at Dh5,525 and go up to Dh10,465.
Delhi Private School Dubai: Up to Dh14,848 a year
Delhi Private School Dubai has been rated “very good” for six years in a row and has about 3,800 pupils enrolled.
The school in Jebel Ali follows India's Central Board of Secondary Education curriculum and says it focuses on academic excellence, leadership, pastoral care and ensuring children receive emotional support.
It has 288 teachers and a turnover of 16 per cent.
The school was one of the first to enact the KHDA's Rahhal programme, an initiative that treats all forms of learning as legitimate.
“Change is always good and one should not ignore new trends,” principal Rashmi Nandkeolyar said in 2019 when the school signed up for the Rahhal initiative.
“Finland has shown that alternative methods of education do work. You can see the shift in education."
Pupils who are part of the programme can at times be allowed to miss classes due to a tournament or for skills development.
Fees at the school range from Dh10,607 in kindergarten to Dh14,848 in Grade 12.
Gems Our Own English High School: Up to Dh15,759 a year
The Indian curriculum school in Al Warqa 3 has more than 10,400 pupils and is one of the emirate’s largest schools.
It is also one of the oldest in the Emirates and celebrated its golden jubilee in 2018.
The school has pupils from 17 different countries. It is coeducational from kindergarten to Grade f and is for girls only from Grades 5 to 12.
Staffed by 471 teachers, the school has a 1:22 teacher-pupil ratio and a staff turnover of 15 per cent.
Fees at the school range from Dh7,454 in kindergarten to Dh15,759 in higher grades.
The school has been rated “very good” by the KHDA since the 2015-2016 academic year.
MSB Private School: Up to Dh22,500 a year
MSB Private School was established in 1985 and now has two campuses for primary and secondary education.
The school in Al Nahda 2 follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales from Year 1 to Year 9, and IGCSE in Years 10 and 11.
It is one of the least expensive UK-curriculum schools in the emirate.
Annual fees at the school range from Dh9,894 in the foundation stage to Dh22,500 in Year 13.
The school says it focuses on preparing pupils to be analytical, imaginative, action-orientated and caring.
JSS Private School: Up to Dh25,116 a year
JSS Private School in Al Safa is an Indian curriculum institution established in 2011.
The school has more than 2,000 pupils enrolled from pre-primary level to Grade 12.
Fees start at Dh11,565 in pre-primary and reach Dh25,116 in Grade 12.
The school says it aims to help ensure pupils become confident global citizens with a keen sense of commitment, social awareness and responsibility.
It offers blended trips, dance, music, drama and group projects.
The Millennium School: Up to Dh25,594 a year
The 22-year-old school in Al Qusais has about 2,800 pupils enrolled from pre-primary to Grade 12.
It was established in 2000 with only 40 pupils and 11 teachers.
Today, there are 160 teachers, with staff turnover of 9 per cent.
Fees at the Indian curriculum school start at Dh17,405 in pre-primary and go up to Dh25,594 in Grade 12.
The school focuses on providing personalised and digital-driven learning.
The Winchester school: Up to Dh31,760 a year
The school teaches the National Curriculum for England and Wales to pupils from foundation stage one to Year 13.
The school was established in 2003 and has about 3,900 pupils.
It is ranked “very good” by the KHDA for effective teaching and assessment across all grades.
The curriculum is designed to meet the individual needs of pupils and it has been rated outstanding in this category.
Fees at the school start at Dh14,237 in foundation stage one and go up to Dh31,760 in Year 13.
Gems New Millennium School: Up to Dh31,025 a year
Located on Al Khail road, the school follows the CBSE curriculum but offers secondary pupils the option to study the IGCSE British curriculum.
Pupils can either choose to go down the CBSE route or pick the IGCSE curriculum in Years 10 and 11, and the AS and A levels in Years 12 and 13.
The school improved its inspection ranking from "good" to "very good" in 2019.
There are pupils from more than 30 different countries at the school. Fees range from Dh18,733 (with a discount) in pre-primary to Dh31,025 in Grade 12.
Dubai's top-ranked private schools — in pictures
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Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National -
Located in Barsha South, Gems Dubai American Academy focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change. Reem Mohammed / The National -
The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches. The non-profit school was started in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Stephen Lock / The National -
Dubai College in Al Sufouh is one of the oldest in the city and often touted as one of the best in the emirate. Pawan Singh / The National -
Gems Modern Academy, located in Nad Al Sheba 3, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National -
Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Horizons English school, situated in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to Year 6, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled. Photo: Horizons English School -
Kings School Barsha is a relatively new school, opening in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of 'outstanding' in its last two inspections. Satish Kumar / The National -
Located in Umm Suqeim, close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai offers primary education for children aged 3 to 11. Photo: Kings School -
Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate programme. Antonie Robertson / The National -
The Repton School located in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE. Photo: Repton Dubai -
Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010 by the KHDA. Photo: Jumeirah Primary School -
Jumeirah College, a UK curriculum school located in Al Safa 1, has 1,125 pupils from 59 countries. Photo: Jumeirah College -
Pupils at Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou have a consistently outstanding performance in mathematics across all ages, DSIB's latest quality indicators report showed. Pawan Singh / The National -
Jumeirah English Speaking School at Al Safa 1 has a little more than 2,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National -
Dubai English Speaking College at Academic City was established with the aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university. Pawan Singh / The National -
Victory Heights Primary School, located in the heart of the Sports City community opened in 2012. Teaching the British curriculum, it has just under 1,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Nord Anglia International School Dubai, located in Al Barsha 3, teaches pupils from early years up to Year 13. Photo: Nord Anglia International School Dubai -
Dubai International Academy opened in Emirates Hills in 2005. It has more than 2,600 pupils, ranging in ages from 3 to 18. Reem Mohammed / The National -
Deira International School, in Al Badia, Festival City, has just over 1,800 pupils enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 18. Photo: Deira International School
