A guide to nine top-ranked Abu Dhabi schools with tuition fees under Dh45,000

The majority of leading schools in the emirate and Al Ain follow the British curriculum

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  Private International English School was established in 2010 and offers the Indian CBSE curriculum. Yearly tuition starts at Dh9,850. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

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  Al Bashair Private School is the only Ministry of Education curriculum private school on the list. Yearly tuition starts at Dh12,900. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

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  Al Ain American Private School has 734 pupils and 52 teachers. Tuition starts at Dh14,600. Alex Atack / The National

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  Liwa International School in Al Ain focuses on a non-traditional way of learning that inspires pupils to be self-disciplined, independent, lifelong learners. Tuition starts at Dh16,870. Photo: Liwa International School

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  The Japanese Private School in Abu Dhabi provides a high quality of education for Japanese and Emirati pupils in the emirate, from kindergarten to grade nine. Tuition starts at Dh17,250. Photo: Japanese Private School

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  Al Ittihad Private School has a dual focus on promoting the UAE's culture while embracing a global perspective. Tuition starts at Dh19,960. Victor Besa / The National

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  Merryland International School earned the top rank of outstanding for the first time in 2018. Annual fees at the school start at Dh23,850. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

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  Horizon Private School, founded in 2008, follows the American curriculum and has more than 1,700 pupils, with fees from Dh23,490. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

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  The Pearl Academy prides itself on its family feel and works to nurture adaptable, creative future leaders. Tuition starts at Dh41,700. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

Good-quality education in Abu Dhabi does not have to cost a fortune, with many of the top-ranked schools in the emirate charging less than Dh45,000 ($12,250) a year for tuition.

While school fees vary greatly across the emirate, some charge more than double that of others, despite having the same inspection rating.

However, sending your child to a highly reputed school does not have to be prohibitively expensive as the emirate has a host of cheaper schools offering a high level of education.

Depending on your child's grade, some yearly fees start as low as Dh9,850.

The majority of affordable schools ranked outstanding and very good in Abu Dhabi follow the British curriculum, while a few follow the Indian, American, Ministry of Education or Japanese curriculums.

Inspection ratings for private schools in the emirate were last published by Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge in April 2023.

As part of the evaluation, schools were judged in several categories, including pupils’ achievement, personal and social development, innovation skills, teaching and assessment, and leadership and management of the school.

While a very good school was deemed as exceeding expectations, an outstanding school was noted as substantially exceeding expectations.

The National has put together a guide on some of Abu Dhabi's leading schools with fees under Dh45,000 per year.

Private International English School

Private International English School. Victor Besa / The National

Curriculum: Indian

Location: Mohamed Bin Zayed City

Fees: From Dh10,200 (kindergarten) to Dh19,300 (grade 12)

Rating: Very Good

Noted as one of the most affordable schools rated very good by ADEK, Private International English School is managed by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Middle East, a premier institution providing education in India. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded in 1938.

The school was established in 2010 and offers the Indian CBSE curriculum.

The school in Mussaffah was rated very good in 2023 by ADEK. The school’s website says it is the first Indian CBSE school to be rated very good in the emirate.

Its vision and mission is to ensure pupils are global citizens who are socially adjusted, emotionally balanced and technically talented.

Al Bashair Private School

Al Bashair Private School. Victor Besa / The National

Curriculum: Ministry of Education

Location: Mohamed Bin Zayed City

Fees: From Dh12,900 (kindergarten) to Dh27,200 (grade 12)

Rating: Very Good

The only Ministry of Education curriculum private school on the list was established in the emirate in 1993.

The school’s aim is to be one of the emirate’s leading educational institutions, keeping pace with international standards.

The school received a very good rating for its high-quality education and pupil care in 2022-23.

It takes in pupils from kindergarten to grade 12.

Al Basma Private School

Al Basma Private School. Photo: Al Basma Private School

Curriculum: British

Location: Al Bahya, Abu Dhabi

Fees: From Dh22,040 (foundation stage two) to Dh40,560 (year 13)

Rating: Very Good

Al Basma Private School prides itself on offering state of the art facilities across primary and secondary buildings with 18 subject dedicated labs and eight sports facilities.

The school houses 1,800 pupils and 200 staff.

Fees start from Dh22,040 up to Dh40,560.

The school received a Very Good rating for its top-quality education in 2022-23.

Japanese School in Abu Dhabi

The Japanese School in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Japanese Private School

Curriculum: Japanese

Location: Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi

Fees: From Dh17,250 (kindergarten) to Dh38,180 (grade 9)

Rating: Very Good

The school provides a high quality of education for Japanese and Emirati pupils in the emirate, from kindergarten to grade nine.

Pupils at the school clean the classrooms and passageways so that they develop good habits early on.

The school runs small classroom sizes of five to 15 pupils and has only one class per grade so that children get personalised attention.

Japanese School of Abu Dhabi was established in 1978 and it claims that all pupils at the school are fluent in Japanese within three years.

Most of the lessons at the school are taught in Japanese, while Emirati pupils take basic English from grade four and standard English starts in grade seven.

The school only runs to grade nine and pupils who wish to continue in the same curriculum can move to a high school in Japan.

The Cambridge High School

The Cambridge High School.

Curriculum: British

Location: MBZ City

Fees: From Dh15,230 (foundation stage two) to Dh32,100 (year 13)

Rating: Very Good

The school has a dual focus on promoting a holistic education by providing students with valued based curriculum and a wide range of activities.

Founded in 1988, The Cambridge High School offers a British-based curriculum that is aligned to the General Certificate of Secondary Education, AS and A Levels.

The school is set in a spacious campus which is divided into two sections: the primary school and secondary school.

Fees start from Dh15,230 through to Dh32,100

Merryland International School

Merryland International School in Abu Dhabi. Mona Al Marzooqi / The National

Curriculum: British

Location: Mussaffah

Fees: From Dh23,500 (kindergarten) to Dh41,100 (year 12)

Rating: Outstanding

Merryland International School in Mussaffah earned the top rank of outstanding for the first time in 2018. Annual fees at the school start at Dh23,500.

The school aims to educate future astronauts and rocket scientists and has a 3D laboratory, a robotics lab and a weather station.

The school is accredited by the University of Cambridge and offers Cambridge Primary, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge AS & A level courses.

Pearl Primary School

The Pearl Academy School in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Curriculum: British

Location: Al Dhafrah, Abu Dhabi

Fees: From Dh43,150 (foundation stage one) to Dh43,150 (year six)

Rating: Outstanding

The primary school prides itself on its family feel and works to nurture adaptable, creative future leaders.

The inclusive British primary school is located in central Abu Dhabi on Muroor Road.

Pupils at the school get priority placement at Aldar Education's secondary schools.

Gems Cambridge International School

Gems Cambridge International School. Photo: Charles Verghese

Curriculum: British

Location: Baniyas City, Abu Dhabi

Fees: From Dh21,300 (foundation stage one) to Dh36,220 (year 13)

Rating: Very Good

Gems Cambridge International School's mission is to ensure all learners are high performers in a fully inclusive learning environment.

The school is located in the Baniyas City area of Abu Dhabi.

It follows the British curriculum and many of its students go on to attend some of the world's most prestigious universities including the University of Oxford, Harvard University in Massachusetts and the University of Cambridge.

Belvedere British School

Belvedere British School. Photo: Ramona Ruiz/Anwar Hajikaram

Curriculum: British

Location: Musaffah, Abu Dhabi

Fees: From Dh24,280 (foundation stage two) to Dh31,590 (year 13)

Rating: Very Good

Belvedere British School earned a Very Good ranking in 2021-22. School fees start from Dh24,280.

The school follows the British curriculum and aims to prepare students for life, based on the values of tolerance, respect and responsibility.

The curriculum offers a broad and predominantly academic education for pupils from four to 16 years old, with many students going on to study biology, chemistry, business studies, geography and English literature at A Level.