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Dubai Living, schools
32 of the most-applied-to KHDA-registered private schools in Dubai, with curriculum, fee range, and neighbourhood. 16 carry the KHDA Outstanding judgement. Source: KHDA School Inspection Reports 2025-26 (Knowledge and Human Development Authority).
Dubai has 220 private schools serving 326,000 pupils across 17 different curricula. Public schools exist but are reserved for Emirati nationals. Every private school is regulated by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which inspects each one on a fixed two-year cycle and publishes the full report. KHDA also approves any proposed fee increase using a formula that ties the maximum allowable rise to the school's most recent inspection rating: Outstanding schools may raise more, Acceptable or Weak schools may raise less or freeze.
The headline number on every school's website is the top-of-band tuition. The number you actually pay is higher. Add registration fees (3,000 to 7,000 AED, refunded against first-year tuition only at some schools), a deposit (10 percent of annual fees, refundable at withdrawal), uniform and books (4,000 to 12,000 AED), an enrolment-window levy if applicable, and transport (10,000 to 18,000 AED for door-to-door bus service). For the higher-tier schools, the all-in family number for two children is comfortably 250,000 AED a year.
School proximity is the strongest single driver of family property demand in Dubai. Al Barsha South carries five top schools within a 10-minute drive. Arabian Ranches and Dubai Hills Estate are near JESS and GEMS Wellington Silicon Oasis Branch respectively. Al Sufouh holds Wellington, Dubai College, and GEMS World Academy on a single kilometre-long strip. Compare communities at Dubai areas, and filter family-friendly projects on the Dubai property hub.
Top-tier schools open applications 12 to 18 months before the academic year starts. Outstanding-rated British and IB schools at the senior level often have 18-month waiting lists for Year 7 entry; primary entry at FS1 (age 3) is less competitive. KHDA mandates a written admissions policy at every school; sibling priority is universal, followed by past-school references, an entrance assessment, and an interview. The cycle for the 2026-27 year closed in March 2026 at Outstanding-rated schools; movement happens from June onwards as families relocate.
| School | Curriculum | KHDA | Annual fees (AED) | Neighbourhood |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEMS Wellington International School | British, IGCSE, IB Diploma | Outstanding | 55,000 to 105,000 | Al Sufouh |
| Dubai College | British, IGCSE, A-Level | Outstanding | 75,000 to 110,000 | Al Sufouh |
| Jumeirah College | British, IGCSE, A-Level | Outstanding | 60,000 to 95,000 | Al Safa |
| Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) | British, IGCSE | Outstanding | 47,000 to 92,000 | Arabian Ranches and Jumeirah |
| Kings’ School Dubai | British, IGCSE | Outstanding | 50,000 to 95,000 | Al Barsha |
| GEMS Modern Academy | Indian CBSE | Outstanding | 30,000 to 55,000 | Nad Al Sheba |
| Dubai American Academy | American, IB Diploma | Outstanding | 65,000 to 105,000 | Al Barsha |
| American School of Dubai | American, AP | Outstanding | 75,000 to 120,000 | Al Barsha |
| Repton School Dubai | British, IGCSE, IB Diploma | Very Good | 65,000 to 110,000 | Nad Al Sheba |
| Brighton College Dubai | British, IGCSE, A-Level | Outstanding | 70,000 to 115,000 | Al Barsha South |
| Nord Anglia International School | IB Programme (PYP, MYP, DP) | Outstanding | 75,000 to 112,000 | Al Barsha South |
| GEMS World Academy | IB Programme (PYP, MYP, DP) | Outstanding | 60,000 to 115,000 | Al Sufouh |
| Dubai International Academy | IB Programme (PYP, MYP, DP) | Outstanding | 55,000 to 105,000 | Al Barsha and Emirates Hills |
| Raffles World Academy | IB Programme (PYP, MYP, DP) | Outstanding | 55,000 to 100,000 | Umm Suqeim 3 |
| Lycée Français Jean Mermoz | French baccalaureate | Very Good | 32,000 to 55,000 | Al Quoz |
| Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou | French baccalaureate | Very Good | 35,000 to 58,000 | Al Twar and Al Barsha |
| Deutsche Internationale Schule Dubai | German Abitur | Very Good | 38,000 to 72,000 | Al Barsha 1 |
| Japanese School Dubai | Japanese Monbukagakusho | Good | 20,000 to 38,000 | Al Wasl |
| Russian International School | Russian state plus IB option | Good | 28,000 to 48,000 | Al Twar 3 |
| Indian High School | Indian CBSE | Good | 12,000 to 28,000 | Oud Metha and Al Garhoud |
| GEMS Royal Dubai School | British, IGCSE | Outstanding | 42,000 to 80,000 | Al Mizhar |
| Hartland International School | British, IGCSE | Very Good | 55,000 to 95,000 | Sobha Hartland |
| Dubai British School Jumeirah Park | British, IGCSE | Very Good | 48,000 to 78,000 | Jumeirah Park |
| Safa Community School | British, IGCSE | Outstanding | 52,000 to 90,000 | Al Barsha South |
| Citizens School | American | Good | 35,000 to 65,000 | Al Furjan |
| GEMS Founders School | British, IGCSE | Very Good | 20,000 to 45,000 | Al Barsha South |
| Aldar Academy Dubai | British, IGCSE | Very Good | 30,000 to 55,000 | Al Khawaneej |
| GEMS Dubai American Academy Secondary | American, IB Diploma | Outstanding | 75,000 to 105,000 | Al Barsha |
| Cambridge International School | British, IGCSE | Good | 20,000 to 38,000 | Al Garhoud |
| Dubai Heights Academy | British, IGCSE | Very Good | 32,000 to 55,000 | Al Barsha South |
| Sunmarke School | British, IGCSE, A-Level | Very Good | 32,000 to 65,000 | Jumeirah Village Triangle |
| GEMS Westminster School | British, IGCSE | Good | 10,000 to 20,000 | Al Ghusais |
Fee ranges represent the published tuition only and exclude registration, deposits, uniforms, books, and transport. KHDA judgement based on the school's most recent inspection report.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority inspects every private school in Dubai once every two years. Schools are rated across six categories (achievement, students' personal development, teaching, curriculum, safeguarding, and leadership) and assigned an overall judgement: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, or Weak. The full inspection report for any school is published on khda.gov.ae.
For the 2025-26 year, the city-wide average annual fee at a KHDA-registered private school is 41,800 AED. Indian and Pakistani curriculum schools sit at 12,000 to 30,000 AED. British and American mid-tier schools sit at 35,000 to 65,000 AED. Outstanding-rated British and IB schools at the top end run 80,000 to 120,000 AED. KHDA approves fee increases yearly using a formula tied to the school's last inspection rating.
The headline tuition is not, but most schools offer a sibling discount of 5 to 15 percent for the second and third child, and many run a corporate discount programme tied to specific employers. Some schools also offer a 5 percent reduction for paying the full year upfront. Always ask the registrar before enrolling.
Al Barsha South (home to Brighton College, Nord Anglia, GEMS Founders), Arabian Ranches (JESS, Ranches Primary), Sobha Hartland (Hartland International), Al Sufouh (Wellington, GEMS World, Dubai College), and Dubai Hills Estate (GEMS Wellington Silicon Oasis Branch, Kings' School). All five neighbourhoods carry a measurable property-price premium versus the wider city average.
The mainstream British, American, and IB calendar runs late August to mid-July, with three terms separated by a two-week winter break in December and a two-week spring break in April. The Indian and Pakistani CBSE calendar runs April to March. The French and German systems mirror their home-country calendars.
Javier Sanz Alvarez
Licensed agent, RERA and DLD registered.12+ years in Dubai real estate, private equity and investment banking. 12+ years in Dubai real estate, private equity and investment banking.
Last reviewed 2026-05-09 by Javier Sanz Alvarez, RERA BRN 1573501, DLD Broker Card 92025. Oliva is a licensed Dubai brokerage. We update this page when the underlying data changes; if you spot something out of date, let us know.