Good-quality education in Abu Dhabi does not have to cost a fortune, with many of the top-ranked schools in the emirate charging less than Dh45,000 ($12,250) a year for tuition.
While school fees vary greatly across the emirate, some charge more than double that of others, despite having the same inspection rating.
However, sending your child to a highly reputed school does not have to be prohibitively expensive as the emirate has a host of cheaper schools offering a high level of education.
Depending on your child's grade, some yearly fees start as low as Dh9,850.
The majority of affordable schools ranked outstanding and very good in Abu Dhabi follow the British curriculum, while a few follow the Indian, American, Ministry of Education or Japanese curriculums.
Inspection ratings for private schools in the emirate were last published by Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge in April 2023.
As part of the evaluation, schools were judged in several categories, including pupils’ achievement, personal and social development, innovation skills, teaching and assessment, and leadership and management of the school.
While a very good school was deemed as exceeding expectations, an outstanding school was noted as substantially exceeding expectations.
The National has put together a guide on some of Abu Dhabi's leading schools with fees under Dh45,000 per year.
Private International English School
Curriculum: Indian
Location: Mohamed Bin Zayed City
Fees: From Dh10,200 (kindergarten) to Dh19,300 (grade 12)
Rating: Very Good
Noted as one of the most affordable schools rated very good by ADEK, Private International English School is managed by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Middle East, a premier institution providing education in India. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded in 1938.
The school was established in 2010 and offers the Indian CBSE curriculum.
The school in Mussaffah was rated very good in 2023 by ADEK. The school’s website says it is the first Indian CBSE school to be rated very good in the emirate.
Its vision and mission is to ensure pupils are global citizens who are socially adjusted, emotionally balanced and technically talented.
Al Bashair Private School
Curriculum: Ministry of Education
Location: Mohamed Bin Zayed City
Fees: From Dh12,900 (kindergarten) to Dh27,200 (grade 12)
Rating: Very Good
The only Ministry of Education curriculum private school on the list was established in the emirate in 1993.
The school’s aim is to be one of the emirate’s leading educational institutions, keeping pace with international standards.
The school received a very good rating for its high-quality education and pupil care in 2022-23.
It takes in pupils from kindergarten to grade 12.
Al Basma Private School
Curriculum: British
Location: Al Bahya, Abu Dhabi
Fees: From Dh22,040 (foundation stage two) to Dh40,560 (year 13)
Rating: Very Good
Al Basma Private School prides itself on offering state of the art facilities across primary and secondary buildings with 18 subject dedicated labs and eight sports facilities.
The school houses 1,800 pupils and 200 staff.
Fees start from Dh22,040 up to Dh40,560.
The school received a Very Good rating for its top-quality education in 2022-23.
Japanese School in Abu Dhabi
Curriculum: Japanese
Location: Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi
Fees: From Dh17,250 (kindergarten) to Dh38,180 (grade 9)
Rating: Very Good
The school provides a high quality of education for Japanese and Emirati pupils in the emirate, from kindergarten to grade nine.
Pupils at the school clean the classrooms and passageways so that they develop good habits early on.
The school runs small classroom sizes of five to 15 pupils and has only one class per grade so that children get personalised attention.
Japanese School of Abu Dhabi was established in 1978 and it claims that all pupils at the school are fluent in Japanese within three years.
Most of the lessons at the school are taught in Japanese, while Emirati pupils take basic English from grade four and standard English starts in grade seven.
The school only runs to grade nine and pupils who wish to continue in the same curriculum can move to a high school in Japan.
The Cambridge High School
Curriculum: British
Location: MBZ City
Fees: From Dh15,230 (foundation stage two) to Dh32,100 (year 13)
Rating: Very Good
The school has a dual focus on promoting a holistic education by providing students with valued based curriculum and a wide range of activities.
Founded in 1988, The Cambridge High School offers a British-based curriculum that is aligned to the General Certificate of Secondary Education, AS and A Levels.
The school is set in a spacious campus which is divided into two sections: the primary school and secondary school.
Fees start from Dh15,230 through to Dh32,100
Merryland International School
Curriculum: British
Location: Mussaffah
Fees: From Dh23,500 (kindergarten) to Dh41,100 (year 12)
Rating: Outstanding
Merryland International School in Mussaffah earned the top rank of outstanding for the first time in 2018. Annual fees at the school start at Dh23,500.
The school aims to educate future astronauts and rocket scientists and has a 3D laboratory, a robotics lab and a weather station.
The school is accredited by the University of Cambridge and offers Cambridge Primary, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge AS & A level courses.
Pearl Primary School
Curriculum: British
Location: Al Dhafrah, Abu Dhabi
Fees: From Dh43,150 (foundation stage one) to Dh43,150 (year six)
Rating: Outstanding
The primary school prides itself on its family feel and works to nurture adaptable, creative future leaders.
The inclusive British primary school is located in central Abu Dhabi on Muroor Road.
Pupils at the school get priority placement at Aldar Education's secondary schools.
Gems Cambridge International School
Curriculum: British
Location: Baniyas City, Abu Dhabi
Fees: From Dh21,300 (foundation stage one) to Dh36,220 (year 13)
Rating: Very Good
Gems Cambridge International School's mission is to ensure all learners are high performers in a fully inclusive learning environment.
The school is located in the Baniyas City area of Abu Dhabi.
It follows the British curriculum and many of its students go on to attend some of the world's most prestigious universities including the University of Oxford, Harvard University in Massachusetts and the University of Cambridge.
Belvedere British School
Curriculum: British
Location: Musaffah, Abu Dhabi
Fees: From Dh24,280 (foundation stage two) to Dh31,590 (year 13)
Rating: Very Good
Belvedere British School earned a Very Good ranking in 2021-22. School fees start from Dh24,280.
The school follows the British curriculum and aims to prepare students for life, based on the values of tolerance, respect and responsibility.
The curriculum offers a broad and predominantly academic education for pupils from four to 16 years old, with many students going on to study biology, chemistry, business studies, geography and English literature at A Level.
