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Affordable schools in Dubai: the lowest tuition by curriculum, 2026–27

This page lists the schools with the lowest published tuition for 2026–27 in each curriculum and year group, lowest first, with each school's latest KHDA rating and its year.

Lowest tuition by curriculum

Lowest published 2026–27 tuition for Year 1 / KG2, one row per curriculum

CurriculumSchoolsLowest tuition 2026–27Lowest, rated Good or better
British106 schools106Lowest: AED 4,938 · English Language Private SchoolAcceptable 2023–24 · Year 1Lowest rated Good or better: AED 7,361 · St. Mary's Catholic High SchoolGood 2023–24 · Year 1
American39 schools39Lowest: AED 9,245 · New Academy SchoolGood 2023–24 · KG2Lowest rated Good or better: The same school
IB36 schools36Lowest: AED 20,532 · Philadelphia Private SchoolGood 2023–24 · KG2Lowest rated Good or better: The same school
Indian CBSE31 schools31Lowest: AED 2,859 · Crescent English SchoolAcceptable 2023–24 · KG2Lowest rated Good or better: AED 4,466 · New Indian Model SchoolGood 2023–24 · KG2
Ministry of Education16 schools16Lowest: AED 6,301 · Al Eman Private SchoolAcceptable 2023–24 · KG2Lowest rated Good or better: AED 7,828 · Al Shurooq Private SchoolGood 2023–24 · KG2
French8 schools8Lowest: AED 29,488 · Lycée Français International – Oud MethaOutstanding 2023–24 · Grande sectionLowest rated Good or better: The same school
Indian ICSE3 schools3Lowest: AED 17,214 · JSS International SchoolVery good 2023–24 · KG2Lowest rated Good or better: The same school

Every school's fee for Year 1 / KG2

The lowest fee in each curriculum and, beside it, the lowest among schools rated Good, Very good or Outstanding; a school with no rating yet is simply not in that column. Here «affordable» means the lowest third of fees at a year group, the same definition the site's assistant uses.

A fee belongs to one year group and one year, so the page gives no average. Tuition is what KHDA's Fees Fact Sheet lists for that year group, after the school's discount where the sheet shows one; a discount can be conditional or for one year only, and uniforms, transport, books and exam fees are extra.

217 of the 228 private schools on the site's list publish a 2026–27 Fees Fact Sheet; a school without one is not on this page. Year groups are matched by age, so Year 1 sits beside KG2 and Year 2 beside Grade 1.

What else comes with tuition: School costs beyond tuition in Dubai 2026–27.

From KHDA's school register and Fees Fact Sheets, checked 24 September 2026.

British schools: lowest fees

Of the 106 British curriculum schools on the site's list, 99 publish a 2026–27 fee for Year 1. The tables below list the ten lowest at each year group, lowest first, with the KHDA rating and its year. The whole list by rating: British schools in Dubai.

Year 1

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

British schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 1

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingYear 1 tuition, 2026–27
English Language Private SchoolUmm Hurair Acceptable 2023–24AED 4,938
Grammar SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,120
Al Sadiq Islamic English SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,243
Arab Unity SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,110
St. Mary's Catholic High SchoolUmm Hurair Good 2023–24AED 7,361
Apple International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 8,198
Dubai Carmel SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 9,121
Al Diyafah High SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 9,654
The Westminster SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 11,565
MSB Private SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 12,603

Affordable (lowest third of British fees at Year 1): AED 26,000 or less, 33 schools. See them on the map.

Year 7

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

British schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 7

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingYear 7 tuition, 2026–27
Grammar SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,760
Al Sadiq Islamic English SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 6,764
English Language Private SchoolUmm Hurair Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,284
Arab Unity SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,755
Dubai Carmel SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 9,809
St. Mary's Catholic High SchoolUmm Hurair Good 2023–24AED 9,815
Al Diyafah High SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 10,236
Apple International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 11,242
The Westminster SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 12,482
MSB Private SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 13,396

Affordable (lowest third of British fees at Year 7): AED 32,448 or less, 32 schools. See them on the map.

Year 12

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

British schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 12

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingYear 12 tuition, 2026–27
Grammar SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,040
Arab Unity SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 9,696
English Language Private SchoolUmm Hurair Acceptable 2023–24AED 10,720
Dubai Carmel SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 13,947
St. Mary's Catholic High SchoolUmm Hurair Good 2023–24AED 15,812
Al Diyafah High SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 16,966
The Westminster SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 18,203
Apple International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 18,847approved AED 22,173
Oxford SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4Good 2023–24AED 20,128
Pristine Private SchoolAl Nahda Good 2023–24AED 20,372

Affordable (lowest third of British fees at Year 12): AED 38,403 or less, 24 schools. See them on the map.

American schools: lowest fees

Of the 39 American curriculum schools on the site's list, 38 publish a 2026–27 fee for KG2. The tables below list the ten lowest at each year group, lowest first, with the KHDA rating and its year. The whole list by rating: American schools in Dubai.

KG2

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

American schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, KG2

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingKG2 tuition, 2026–27
New Academy SchoolAl Raffa Good 2023–24AED 9,245
Dubai Modern Education SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 11,956
Al Maaref American SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 12,906
American International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 13,405
International Academic SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 1Acceptable 2023–24AED 14,992
Dubai International Private SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 15,051
Al Mawakeb School Al BarshaAl Barsha Al Barsha 2Good 2023–24AED 15,726
Al Mawakeb School Al GarhoudAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 15,726
Dubai International Private School – Al QuozAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Good 2023–24AED 15,974
School of Modern SkillsMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 1Acceptable 2023–24AED 18,247

Affordable (lowest third of American fees at KG2): AED 20,124 or less, 13 schools. See them on the map.

Grade 6

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

American schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Grade 6

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingGrade 6 tuition, 2026–27
New Academy SchoolAl Raffa Good 2023–24AED 10,262
Dubai Modern Education SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 14,470
American International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 15,422
Dubai International Private SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 15,911
Dubai International Private School – Al QuozAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Good 2023–24AED 16,890
International Academic SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 1Acceptable 2023–24AED 17,120
Al Maaref American SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 17,326
Al Mawakeb School Al BarshaAl Barsha Al Barsha 2Good 2023–24AED 17,502
Al Mawakeb School Al GarhoudAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 17,502
iCademy Middle EastDubai Knowledge Park No rating yetAED 19,828

Affordable (lowest third of American fees at Grade 6): AED 25,492 or less, 13 schools. See them on the map.

Grade 11

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

American schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Grade 11

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingGrade 11 tuition, 2026–27
Dubai Modern Education SchoolAl Mizhar Acceptable 2023–24AED 18,499
American International SchoolAl Qusais Good 2023–24AED 20,653
Dubai International Private SchoolAl Garhoud Acceptable 2023–24AED 21,701
Dubai International Private School – Al QuozAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Good 2023–24AED 23,034
Al Mawakeb School Al BarshaAl Barsha Al Barsha 2Good 2023–24AED 23,970
Al Mawakeb School Al GarhoudAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 23,970
New Academy SchoolAl Raffa Good 2023–24AED 24,625
International Academic SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 1Acceptable 2023–24AED 26,551
iCademy Middle EastDubai Knowledge Park No rating yetAED 27,767
Al Maaref American SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 28,683approved AED 30,183

Affordable (lowest third of American fees at Grade 11): AED 29,572 or less, 11 schools. See them on the map.

IB schools: lowest fees

All 36 IB curriculum schools on the site's list publish a 2026–27 fee for Year 1 / KG2. The tables below list the ten lowest at each year group, lowest first, with the KHDA rating and its year. The whole list by rating: IB schools in Dubai.

Of the four curricula with their own tables on this page, IB starts highest: the lowest 2026–27 fee at Year 1 / KG2 is AED 20,532. Most schools teach the IB alongside another curriculum; the Curriculum column lists everything each school teaches.

Year 1 / KG2

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

IB schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 1 / KG2

SchoolAreaCurriculumKHDA ratingYear 1 / KG2 tuition, 2026–27
Philadelphia Private SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 20,532
Emirates National SchoolsAl Khawaneej IB, AmericanAcceptable 2023–24AED 23,330approved AED 31,000
GEMS Al Khaleej International SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 32,125approved AED 36,096
Emirates International School – MeadowsThe Meadows IBVery good 2023–24AED 38,046
GEMS Modern AcademyNad Al Sheba Nad Al Sheba 3Indian ICSE, IBOutstanding 2023–24AED 38,246
Emirates International School – JumeirahUmm Al Sheif British, IBVery good 2023–24AED 38,636
Dar Al Marefa Private SchoolAl Khawaneej IBGood 2023–24AED 39,917approved AED 65,968
Raffles World AcademyUmm Suqeim Umm Suqeim 3IBVery good 2023–24AED 40,253
Greenfield International SchoolDubai Investment Park IBVery good 2023–24AED 42,065approved AED 48,434
Ambassador International AcademyAl Quoz Al Quoz Industrial 2IBGood 2023–24AED 43,150approved AED 56,083

Affordable (lowest third of IB fees at Year 1 / KG2): AED 46,000 or less, 12 schools. See them on the map.

Year 7 / Grade 6

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

IB schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 7 / Grade 6

SchoolAreaCurriculumKHDA ratingYear 7 / Grade 6 tuition, 2026–27
Philadelphia Private SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 25,667
Emirates National SchoolsAl Khawaneej IB, AmericanAcceptable 2023–24AED 34,150approved AED 45,000
GEMS Al Khaleej International SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 39,173approved AED 42,487
GEMS Modern AcademyNad Al Sheba Nad Al Sheba 3Indian ICSE, IBOutstanding 2023–24AED 48,173
Ambassador International AcademyAl Quoz Al Quoz Industrial 2IBGood 2023–24AED 52,451approved AED 74,956
Dubai Heights AcademyAl Barsha South British, IBVery good 2023–24AED 58,000approved AED 70,411
Greenfield International SchoolDubai Investment Park IBVery good 2023–24AED 58,115
Collegiate International SchoolUmm Suqeim Umm Suqeim 2American, IBGood 2023–24AED 59,597
Emirates International School – MeadowsThe Meadows IBVery good 2023–24AED 59,790
Emirates International School – JumeirahUmm Al Sheif British, IBVery good 2023–24AED 60,716

Affordable (lowest third of IB fees at Year 7 / Grade 6): AED 63,057 or less, 12 schools. See them on the map.

Year 12 / Grade 11

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

IB schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Year 12 / Grade 11

SchoolAreaCurriculumKHDA ratingYear 12 / Grade 11 tuition, 2026–27
Philadelphia Private SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 42,987
GEMS Al Khaleej International SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 4American, IBGood 2023–24AED 63,457
Collegiate International SchoolUmm Suqeim Umm Suqeim 2American, IBGood 2023–24AED 70,630
GEMS Modern AcademyNad Al Sheba Nad Al Sheba 3Indian ICSE, IBOutstanding 2023–24AED 73,876
Ambassador International AcademyAl Quoz Al Quoz Industrial 2IBGood 2023–24AED 77,108approved AED 93,297
The Aquila SchoolDubailand British, IBGood 2023–24AED 77,876
Uptown International SchoolMirdif IBVery good 2023–24AED 78,420approved AED 96,461
GEMS International School – Dubai HillsDubai Hills IBGood 2023–24AED 79,488
Dubai International AcademyEmirates Hills IBOutstanding 2023–24AED 79,696
Emirates International School – MeadowsThe Meadows IBVery good 2023–24AED 80,621

Affordable (lowest third of IB fees at Year 12 / Grade 11): AED 81,834 or less, 12 schools. See them on the map.

IB fees here come from each school's IB fee sheet at KHDA; for Year 12 and Year 13 they can be higher than the fee shown on the school's profile.

Indian CBSE schools: lowest fees

Of the 31 Indian CBSE curriculum schools on the site's list, 30 publish a 2026–27 fee for KG2. The tables below list the ten lowest at each year group, lowest first, with the KHDA rating and its year. The whole list by rating: Indian CBSE schools in Dubai.

Among the schools on the site's list, Indian CBSE schools publish the lowest fees at every year group from FS2 to Year 11; at FS1, Year 12 and Year 13 a British school charges less. Many run an April-to-March year: The Dubai school calendar 2026–27.

KG2

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

Indian CBSE schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, KG2

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingKG2 tuition, 2026–27
Crescent English SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 2,859
Little Flower English SchoolHor Al Anz Acceptable 2023–24AED 3,837
Gulf Model SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4Acceptable 2023–24AED 3,966
The Central SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 4,177
New Indian Model SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 4,466
Elite English SchoolDeira Acceptable 2023–24AED 4,845
Gulf Indian High SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 4,989
The Indian High School – Al GarhoudAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 5,276
GEMS Our Own Indian SchoolAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Very good 2023–24AED 7,209
GEMS Our Own English High SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 3Very good 2023–24AED 7,828

Affordable (lowest third of Indian CBSE fees at KG2): AED 7,828 or less, 11 schools. See them on the map.

Grade 6

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

Indian CBSE schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Grade 6

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingGrade 6 tuition, 2026–27
Crescent English SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 3,276
Little Flower English SchoolHor Al Anz Acceptable 2023–24AED 4,135
Gulf Model SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,047
The Central SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,260
New Indian Model SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 5,536
Elite English SchoolDeira Acceptable 2023–24AED 5,538
Gulf Indian High SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 6,351
The Indian High School – Oud MethaOud Metha Very good 2023–24AED 6,696
GEMS Our Own Indian SchoolAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Very good 2023–24AED 9,347
Our Own High SchoolAl Warqa Al Warqa 1Good 2023–24AED 10,724

Affordable (lowest third of Indian CBSE fees at Grade 6): AED 10,724 or less, 10 schools. See them on the map.

Grade 11

Lowest first. A school with no 2026–27 fee for this year group is not in the ten.

Indian CBSE schools with the lowest 2026–27 fees, Grade 11

SchoolAreaKHDA ratingGrade 11 tuition, 2026–27
Gulf Model SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 4Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,212
The Central SchoolAl Nahda Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,352
Crescent English SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 7,688
New Indian Model SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 7,769
Gulf Indian High SchoolAl Garhoud Good 2023–24AED 9,434
Elite English SchoolDeira Acceptable 2023–24AED 10,318
The Indian High School – Oud MethaOud Metha Very good 2023–24AED 10,465
Woodlem Park SchoolAl Qusais Acceptable 2023–24AED 13,950approved AED 24,598
Buds Public SchoolMuhaisnah Muhaisnah 1Acceptable 2023–24AED 14,200approved AED 15,271
GEMS Our Own Indian SchoolAl Quoz Al Quoz 1Very good 2023–24AED 14,696

Affordable (lowest third of Indian CBSE fees at Grade 11): AED 14,200 or less, 9 schools. See them on the map.

Pakistani, Russian, Japanese, Australian and other national curricula are not in these tables; their schools and fees are on All schools, A to Z.

How many schools charge under AED 20,000

72 schools charge under AED 20,000 for Year 1 / KG2 in 2026–27, and 33 of them under AED 10,000; the full list by fee band is Year 1 / KG2 schools in Dubai: fees 2026–27. 40 of the 72 are rated Good or better.

Paying with an education allowance? See how many schools fit each amount at every year group.

Questions families ask

What is the lowest school fee in Dubai for 2026–27?

AED 2,859 a year for KG2 at Crescent English School, Indian CBSE, rated Acceptable 2023–24: the lowest 2026–27 fee among the 217 schools on the site's list with a Fees Fact Sheet for that year. The lowest among schools rated Good or better at the same year group is AED 4,466 at New Indian Model School, Good 2023–24.

Which British schools have the lowest Year 1 / KG2 fees?

For 2026–27: English Language Private School AED 4,938 (Acceptable 2023–24), Grammar School AED 5,120 (Acceptable 2023–24) and, among schools rated Good or better, St. Mary's Catholic High School AED 7,361 (Good 2023–24). The British tables above give the ten lowest at Year 1, Year 7 and Year 12.

Are low-fee schools rated by KHDA?

Yes, on the same six-level scale as every other private school, and the rating with its year stands in every row. 40 of the 72 schools under AED 20,000 for Year 1 / KG2 are rated Good or better; a school that opened recently may have no rating yet.

Is the fee shown the full cost?

No. It is tuition for one year group, as KHDA's Fees Fact Sheet lists it. Uniforms, transport, books, exam fees and deposits are added to it; School costs beyond tuition sets them out, and each profile lists the school's own figures under «Fees».

Why is there no average fee?

A school's fee rises through the year groups, often by half or more between the first year and the last. One number for the whole school would describe no year group a child actually joins, so the site shows fees by year group and year only: About the data.

Do fees rise each year?

Not in 2026–27: on 22 May 2026 KHDA confirmed there is no fee increase at Dubai's private schools for that year. In other years a rise is allowed within the limit KHDA sets; Fee rises in Market Statistics shows how much, year by year, and each profile keeps the school's earlier fee sheets.

What does «after discount» mean?

Some Fees Fact Sheets list a discount on the approved fee for that year, which can be conditional or for one year only. The tables show the fee after that discount, with the approved fee beside it, as the fee pages do. Confirm the current figure with the school before you sign.

Do these schools run the same school year?

Not all. Many Indian curriculum schools run April to March, while British, American and IB schools run September to June or July. The Dubai school calendar 2026–27 gives the dates by curriculum.