WRITTEN BY
Samantha
13 July, 2022

How much are private schools in Dubai?

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With over 200 private schools in Dubai, choosing the right school for your child can be an overwhelming prospect and the cost of private school fees will always be a key factor in the decision-making process. Inevitably there will be a lot of questions. What are the tuition fees? What do they include? How much is it for a boarding school in Dubai? Are there discounts for siblings? There are also other factors to consider when choosing the right school. What are the facilities? How many children per room in boarding accommodation?  What pastoral care will there be for your child? Fees do vary so as a starting point, Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has produced a report detailing the expected costs by each private school in Dubai so that you can compare costs and what you will get for your fees. We would recommend arranging a tour of any prospective private school so that you can see the full facilities on offer and, if your child will be boarding, view the accommodation. To give an indication as to how much private schools in Dubai cost, below is an outline of the fees and what they cover for the academic year of 2022/23 for SISD.  

Dubai Tuition Fees

Tuition fees will increase as your child progresses through the school and there will be different costs dependent on the curriculum that your child follows. For our International Baccalaureate curriculum Pre-KG starts at AED 53,000 rising to AED 99,000 for a Grade 12 pupil. Children starting our International Baccalaureate Bilingual program, fees start at AED 62,484 Pre-KG and up to AED 99,000 for Grade 12. Included in these fees are books, examination fees and internal after-school activities. It does not include school uniforms, school trips, food and beverages or any external school activities. All students have access to our state-of-the-art facilities including a clinic, Olympic-size swimming pool, dance studios, football pitches, tennis courts and a climbing wall.  

Dubai Boarding Fees

At SISD, we offer three types of boarding school arrangements: 1/ Full boarding fees apply when the student spends the whole term at the school, only returning home for holidays. Fees include school tuition fees, accommodation, all meals, airport transfers for school term and breaks, student visa, three internal after-school activities, various weekend activities, books, exam fees, three sets of uniform and laundry service. Costs start at Grade 6 at AED 224,500 2/ Weekly boarding fees are for students spending five nights boarding and returning home for the weekend. Costs start at AED 185,650 for Grade 6, rising to AED 200,850 for Grade 12. 3/ Flexi boarding fees are for 6-night stays, for a maximum of 5 weeks per academic year. Many students use this for preparation and revision for exams. The cost is AED 2,500 for each 6-night stay and includes accommodation, meals and structured homework support. Accommodation is in boarding houses, all recently refurbished with en-suite bathrooms for each double room. Boarders are fully supported by a dedicated pastoral care team.  

Application Fees

An application fee of AED 525 is payable at the time of the assessment to join the school.  

Registration Fees

It is normal to pay a non-refundable registration fee, often adjustable against the final annual payment. For day school students, the Pre-KG registration fee is AED 6,240 and AED 9,900 for Grade 12.  

Discounts on school fees

If you are sending more than one child to a private school, it is worth checking whether there are any discounts available. At SISD, discounts apply for other siblings. 5% discount for second and third children, 20% for a fourth child and 50% for a fifth child.   A full breakdown of our fees can be found here, but if you have any questions regarding our fees and our admissions process, please do not hesitate to contact us.