DubaiSchoolGuide.com

Independent register · September 2026

Find the right private school in Dubai

KHDA ratings on the regulator's real six-point scale, fee ranges listed per year, and inspection findings read from the reports themselves - not repeated from a school's own brochure.

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230 schools6 curriculum groups50 areasFees frozen 2026-27

Fees are frozen for 2026-27. KHDA confirmed in May 2026 that private school fees will not increase for the coming academic year.

All schools (230 listed)

How KHDA ratings work

Dubai's schools regulator inspects every private school and rates it on a six-point scale, set out in the United Arab Emirates School Inspection Framework and shared with Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. The wording below is KHDA's own. Most ratings here date from the 2023-24 cycle: inspections were paused in 2024-25 and 2025-26 and resumed in 2026-27, so always read the most recent report on the official directory.

Outstanding1st of 6

Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE.

23 schools in this guide

Very Good2nd of 6

Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE.

48 schools in this guide

Good3rd of 6

Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE - the expected level for every school.

85 schools in this guide

Acceptable4th of 6

Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the UAE - the floor, not the standard.

52 schools in this guide

Weak5th of 6

Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE.

1 school in this guide

Very Weak6th of 6

Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE.

None in this guide

Not yet ratedUnrated

KHDA has not inspected the school yet. A new school is normally inspected in its third year.

21 schools in this guide

Three things relocating families learn late

  1. Apply earlier than feels reasonable

    Popular schools open applications in September to October for the following August intake. No school publishes how full its year groups are, so ask the ones you want directly, and ask early. Mid-year admissions are common - see the full admissions timeline.

  2. Two calendars run in parallel

    British, IB and American schools run late August to July. Most Indian-curriculum (CBSE) schools run April to March. If you land mid-year, this decides which schools have a natural entry point - check which year group applies.

  3. Budget past the headline fee

    Tuition is the start: registration deposits, uniforms, transport, exam fees and trips typically add 15 to 30 per cent. Plan against the top of a school’s fee range with the true cost calculator, not the bottom.

Schools by area

Al Barsha16 schools2 Outstanding, 8 in the top two bands Oud Metha7 schools3 Outstanding, 4 in the top two bands Nad Al Sheba8 schools2 Outstanding, 4 in the top two bands Al Safa4 schools2 Outstanding, 3 in the top two bands Emirates Hills2 schoolsall 2 Outstanding
More locations

Register updates by email

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Browse the guide

By curriculum

By KHDA rating

Tools and guides

More tools and guides

Common questions

How many private schools are there in Dubai?

KHDA’s online directory lists 229 private schools in Dubai (checked 14 September 2026). This register covers 228 of them. One more is listed there but has closed, so it is not carried here. It also carries 2 schools KHDA’s directory does not yet show - Dubai Arabian American Private School and Harrow International School Dubai - each explained on its own page. How the register was checked.

Are school fees increasing in 2026-27?

No. KHDA confirmed in May 2026 that fees will remain unchanged for 2026-27 following a government directive. A welcome change after a 2.35% increase was permitted in 2025-26.

What are the best British schools in Dubai?

15 schools KHDA lists under a British curriculum hold its highest rating, Outstanding: Dubai British School Emirates Hills, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, Dubai College, Dubai English Speaking College, Dubai English Speaking School, GEMS Jumeira Primary School, Horizon English School, Jumeirah College, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Kings School Al Barsha, Kings School Dubai, Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Repton School Dubai, Safa Community School and Victory Heights Primary School. A further 19 British schools are rated Very Good, among them Arcadia British School, Brighton College Dubai, GEMS FirstPoint School and GEMS Founders School Dubai. Schools such as GEMS Wellington International and North London Collegiate are often called British but are registered with KHDA under the IB, so they are not counted here. See the full Outstanding and Very Good lists; the right school still depends on location, year-group availability and budget.

Can my child join a school mid-year?

Yes - relocation churn means most Dubai schools accept mid-year admissions where space exists. You’ll typically need the most recent school report, a transfer certificate, passport and visa copies, and the school then handles KHDA transfer formalities. Timing matters: Indian-curriculum (CBSE) schools run April-March while British, IB and American schools run late August-July - see the admissions timeline and check which year group applies before you apply.

Are KHDA inspections still happening?

Yes. KHDA paused full inspections across 2024-25 and 2025-26, inspecting only schools reaching their third year, and announced in June 2026 that quality-assurance visits resume in 2026-27 - the year that began on 31 August 2026. Every eligible school now receives either a full inspection, which ends in a published report and an overall rating, or a shorter monitoring visit, which produces a concise report and no new overall rating. Schools get no more than 24 hours’ notice, and any school completing its third year in Dubai is inspected in full. Until a school’s new report is published, the rating here is the most recent one KHDA shows - for most schools, 2023-24. Always read the most recent report on the official KHDA directory.

Which Dubai schools have the most affordable fees?

Rated Good or better and charging under AED 20,000 a year, the lowest fees in this register are GEMS Our Own Indian School (from AED 7,209, Very Good), The Westminster School (from AED 7,860, Good), Al Rashid Al Saleh Private School (from AED 8,527, Good), Our Own High School (from AED 8,700, Good), Apple International School (from AED 9,647, Good), The Indian International School DSO (from AED 9,700, Good). Indian-curriculum schools dominate the list, and every figure is the school’s own published range. Browse the full affordable schools guide (under AED 20,000).

What is the school admissions age cut-off for 2026?

From 2026-27, the UAE moved the admissions age cut-off from 31 August to 31 December of the admission year: children who turn 3 by 31 December can join FS1, so children born September-December 2023 became eligible to start in August 2026 - a year earlier than before. April-start Indian-calendar schools keep a 31 March cut-off, and the change applies to new admissions only. Full chart: which year group is my child in?

Which areas of Dubai are best for school access?

Jumeirah, Al Barsha, Mirdif and Motor City are traditional school belts with multiple top-rated schools nearby. Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches and Town Square are also well-served. Business Bay and Downtown are 10-15 minutes from several good options but have no schools on-site.

Do Dubai schools accept children with special educational needs?

Yes - under Dubai’s inclusive education framework, KHDA-licensed private schools are expected to admit and support students of determination, and every school must have an inclusion lead. Provision quality varies widely in practice, so the single best research step is reading the ‘students of determination’ section of a school’s full KHDA inspection report on the official directory. Ask early about individual education plans and whether learning-support staffing carries additional fees. Full guidance: special educational needs in Dubai schools.

What is the average private school fee in Dubai?

Across the 120 schools in this guide with published fees, the median mid-range fee is about AED 44,000 a year. The full spread runs from under AED 10,000 at the most affordable Indian-curriculum schools to over AED 100,000 at premium British and IB schools, and KHDA has frozen fees for 2026-27.

When will my school’s rating be updated?

When your school is visited and its report published. Visits resumed in the 2026-27 year, with no more than 24 hours’ notice, so a new rating can appear at any point in the year rather than on a fixed date. KHDA decides which schools get a full inspection and which get a monitoring visit from school data and results; a monitoring visit does not change the overall rating. When a new result publishes, this register reconciles within 48 hours and every change is logged on the updates page.

Where parents usually start

The lists people search for most, built from the same verified register - ordered by KHDA rating then fee, with the method published on every page.