International School Fees in Dubai 2026/27 and How KHDA Ratings Work
Quick Answer: KHDA confirmed on 22 May 2026 that private school fees in Dubai will not rise for 2026-27. Published tuition still runs from about AED 11,139 a year at an Indian-curriculum school to AED 110,305 in the sixth form at Dubai College. Here is how the DSIB inspection bands work, how the Education Cost Index normally caps increases, and what named schools charge.
Dubai's private school fees for 2026/27 are frozen. On 22 May 2026 the Government of Dubai Media Office confirmed that, under the directives of the Crown Prince, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) had approved no increase in school fees for the 2026-27 academic year, alongside a AED 1.5 billion economic incentives package (Khaleej Times, 22 May 2026). Published tuition still runs from about AED 11,139 a year in kindergarten at an Indian-curriculum school to AED 110,305 in the sixth form at Dubai College. This guide covers what KHDA does, what the six DSIB inspection bands mean, how the Education Cost Index normally caps an increase, what named schools charge in 2026/27, and which fees are one-off. Browse the full list of schools in Dubai to compare.
What is KHDA and what does it control?
KHDA is the Dubai government authority responsible for the growth and quality of private education in the emirate. Its October 2025 statement on the Education Cost Index puts the sector at 227 private schools serving 387,441 students from 185 nationalities. Two things follow from KHDA's remit and matter to parents: it inspects every private school through the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB), and it approves every fee change. The School Fees Framework, built on Executive Council decision 43/2011 and revised by decision TEC/OUT/2019/194, applies to every private school that has completed three years of operation. It covers tuition and the cost of uniforms and books where the school supplies them, and nothing else.
What do the KHDA inspection ratings mean?
Inspectors judge six performance standards, underpinned by 17 performance indicators, and then agree one overall performance judgement. The UAE School Inspection Framework sets out the six bands and defines each one.
| Rating | What the framework says |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE |
| Very Good | Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE |
| Good | Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE, and is the expected level for every school |
| Acceptable | Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required, and is the minimum for every school |
| Weak | Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE |
| Very Weak | Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE |
The six standards are students' achievement; personal and social development and innovation skills; teaching and assessment; curriculum; the protection, care, guidance and support of students; and leadership and management. KHDA's key findings for 2023-24 record 23 schools rated Outstanding, 48 Very Good, 85 Good, 51 Acceptable and two Weak, with 75% of schools Good or better.
How does the fee increase framework work?
For a for-profit school, the rating decides the multiple of the Education Cost Index it may apply for. A school that holds its rating may apply for the ECI. A school that climbs from Very Weak to Weak, Weak to Acceptable or Acceptable to Good may apply for twice the ECI; Good to Very Good allows 1.75 times; Very Good to Outstanding allows 1.5 times. A school whose rating drops gets no increase at all. Schools inspected by DSIB for the first time are limited to the ECI. Not-for-profit schools sit outside the table and may exceed the ECI with board approval and evidence of parental engagement. Schools rated Acceptable or lower must file a KHDA-approved action plan with the application, and an increase approved for one year cannot be carried into the next.
The ECI itself is issued annually by the Digital Dubai Authority from audited school accounts, covering wages and salaries, school land and building rent, and other operating costs. It was set at 2.35% for 2025-26. For 2026-27 the multiplier question does not arise, because no increase was approved.
What do Dubai schools charge in 2026/27?
These are annual tuition figures taken from each school's own published fee page in September 2026. GEMS Winchester states plainly that its fees for 2026-27 are unchanged from 2025-26.
| School | Curriculum | Lowest year (AED) | Highest year (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Private School Dubai | Indian (CBSE) | 11,139 (KG 1) | 15,592 (Grade 12) |
| GEMS Winchester School Dubai | British | 20,370 (FS1) | 38,403 (Year 13) |
| GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis | British and IB | 40,340 (FS1) | 89,246 (Year 13) |
| Jumeirah English Speaking School | British | 54,129 (Foundation 1) | 104,544 (Sixth Form) |
| Repton School Dubai | British and IB | 57,178 (FS1) | 102,753 (Year 13) |
| American School of Dubai | American | 60,571 (PreK) | 89,319 (Grades 1 to 12) |
| Dubai College | British | 97,415 (Years 7 to 11) | 110,305 (Years 12 to 13) |
Sources, all checked September 2026: the KHDA fee fact sheets published by Delhi Private School, and the fee pages of GEMS Winchester, GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis, JESS, Repton Dubai, the American School of Dubai and Dubai College. ASD adds an annual facility fee of AED 12,984 from K2 upwards. Fees at this level are not unique to Dubai; our guide to international schools in Abu Dhabi sets out what the neighbouring emirate charges.
What are the one-time fees?
Application fees are small and non-refundable: AED 500 at JESS, and AED 525 including VAT at Repton and at GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis, where it also covers the entrance assessment. The larger item is the registration deposit. GEMS Wellington Academy charges 10% of annual tuition on acceptance of the offer, non-refundable but credited against tuition, then 5% each year to hold the seat. Repton charges 10% for new pupils and 5% for returners, both deducted from tuition in line with KHDA rules. Dubai College takes an annual re-registration fee of 5% in Term 3 and a refundable personal debenture of AED 30,000, returned when the student leaves. The American School of Dubai charges a one-time, non-refundable capital fee of AED 22,000, payable in three annual instalments of AED 7,333. Budget for those separately, then read how international school fees are structured and what accreditation actually certifies before you compare two schools on tuition alone.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Dubai school fees increasing in 2026/27?
- No. The Government of Dubai Media Office announced on 22 May 2026 that KHDA had confirmed no increase in private school fees for the 2026-27 academic year, under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The decision followed approval of a second economic incentives package worth AED 1.5 billion. Schools that published 2026-27 fee schedules, such as GEMS Winchester School Dubai, state that their tuition is unchanged from 2025-26.
- What do KHDA school ratings mean?
- KHDA inspects private schools through the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau and awards one of six overall judgements. Outstanding means performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE, Very Good means it exceeds it, Good means it meets it and is the expected level for every school, Acceptable means it meets the minimum level required, Weak means it is below expectation and Very Weak means it is significantly below. The judgement draws on six performance standards and 17 indicators.
- How much can a Dubai school raise its fees?
- Under the KHDA School Fees Framework, a for-profit school that keeps the same inspection rating may apply for the Education Cost Index. Improving from Very Weak to Weak, Weak to Acceptable or Acceptable to Good allows twice the ECI, Good to Very Good allows 1.75 times, and Very Good to Outstanding allows 1.5 times. A school whose rating falls may not raise fees at all. Schools inspected for the first time are limited to the ECI.
- What is the Education Cost Index?
- The ECI is a measure of the cost of running a private school in Dubai, issued annually by the Digital Dubai Authority from audited financial statements submitted by schools. It takes in wages and salaries for teachers, administrators and other staff, school land and building rent, and other operating costs. KHDA set it at 2.35% for the 2025-26 academic year. Schools operating for less than three years cannot apply for a fee adjustment.
- How much do international schools in Dubai cost?
- Published 2026/27 annual tuition spans a wide range. Delhi Private School Dubai charges AED 11,139 in KG 1 and AED 15,592 in Grade 12. GEMS Winchester School Dubai runs from AED 20,370 to AED 38,403. At the top, Jumeirah English Speaking School charges AED 104,544 for sixth form and Dubai College AED 110,305 for Years 12 and 13. Curriculum matters less than the school's position in the market.
- What fees do Dubai schools charge on top of tuition?
- Expect an application fee of AED 500 to AED 525, then a registration deposit, usually 10% of annual tuition for a new pupil and 5% to re-register, credited against the tuition bill but not refundable once term starts. Some schools add a one-off capital charge: the American School of Dubai asks AED 22,000, and Dubai College requires a refundable AED 30,000 debenture. Transport, meals, uniforms, books and exam entries are billed separately.
- Does a higher KHDA rating mean higher fees?
- Not directly. The rating governs how fast a school may raise fees, not the level it charges. A school rated Outstanding that holds its rating is limited to the Education Cost Index, the same as an Acceptable school that holds its rating. The larger multiples go to schools that improve, which is why the biggest permitted rise, twice the ECI, is available to a school moving up from Very Weak, Weak or Acceptable.
