Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, is a fast-growing and cosmopolitan city. An economic and trading center, it has a collection of wealth and power, with many important people moving to and through it each year. As with every major global city, it is also home to centers for education, excellent schools to educate the citizens of its populace.
As with every other large city, there are a great many educational options in Dubai, to meet the needs of its people. As with any other set of high schools, these are as varied as the institutions, with a wide array of options. In this article, we’re going to break down some of the best high schools in Dubai. Our goal is to help you understand what your options are, and which will best serve your needs. Let’s jump right in!
A Note on Dubai’s Public Schools
Dubai, as with most cities, offers both public and private schools. Unlike many western countries, however, public schools in Dubai are only free for Emiratis, and almost all expat students attend private schools. Note that a significant number of Emirati students also attend private schools.
Public schools offer instruction in Arabic, though generally have strong English language programs, with a focus on English as a second language. All of these schools are fully gender segregated at all grade levels, with separate schools for male and female students. All Muslim students who attend these schools (which is a vast majority of the students) are required to take Islamic education courses.
Non-Emirati nationals must achieve permission to attend these schools. This is done on a case-by-case basis, but is generally only granted to citizens of other Arab nations. The curriculum for all of these schools is set nationally by the UAE’s Ministry of Education. They have had a significant push in recent years to improve the educational quality of their public schools.
The Best Private High Schools in Dubai
There are a wide array of private schools in Dubai, offering an equally wide array of curricula. Most (but not all) of these use English as the primary language of instruction. We will go through a number of these, to showcase what they offer, and the diversity of private school opportunities in Dubai.
Note that by governmental decree, all Arab students attending a private school must be offered Arabic language instruction, and all Muslim students must take Islamic studies courses. This is true regardless of school attended. These courses are not mandatory for other students.
Sunmarke School
This is a British-style educational school, serving students in nursery through their high school graduation. It offers a fully British educational experience; all students take coursework through the GCSEs in year 11; students then have the choice of either pursuing a two-year IB program, or pursuing their A Levels for years 12 and 13. The school is fully coed, and all instruction (save foreign languages) is in English.
The school focuses on preparing students for university, regardless of which pathway they take. Students in the A Levels path take three to four subjects, students in the IB program take six. Both do well to prepare students to attend college, and students at Sunmarke perform quite well on both sets of exams. A plurality fo students from Sunmarke attend university in the UK, but a great many also apply to and attend top schools in the US.
The tuition for Sunmarke varies by grade level; Year 13 students had fees of 88,538 AED annually at time of writing. Applications to SUnmarke may be completed online. These require the online form, school reports, a reference letter from your former school, Emirates IDs, and immunization records. Students may apply to enter any year of the school. Once an application is submitted, students must take an assessment; these are offered year-round. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Kent College Dubai
This school was set up in a partnership between Kent College in England and a private company in Dubai, with the aim of offering the exact Kent College experience and education to students in Dubai. This means, unsurprisingly, that this school offers a fully British curriculum, with a fully coed educational program serving students from nursery through the end of 13th year.
All students at Kent take the GCSEs in year 11. After this, students have a choice as to whether they wish to pursue the A Levels, or an International Baccalaureate curriculum. There is a significant amount of curricular flexibility in what courses students are able to pursue, based on their interests. Many students from Kent pursue university in the UK, but students apply to and attend universities globally.
Fees for Kent vary by year; for year 12-13 they are currently 108,013 AED annually. There are discounts offered, for both multiple siblings or if you are a member of one of their corporate partners. Applications must be submitted online; these are accepted on a rolling basis. Once the application is complete, students must take an assessment. Placement within the school is based on both age and performance on the assessment; they are used to helping students transition from other school schedules to the British system.
Emirates International School – Jumeirah
Founded by a private educational group in 1991, this school provides education to students from early years through year 13. It is an international Baccalaureate school, and all students participate in the IB curriculum. Their school offers the primary, middle years, and diploma IB programs, so students follow this curricular path for the entire time they’re in the school.
This is a fully coed school, and instruction is primarily given in English. There are approximately 2,000 total students in the school across all grade levels; students who graduate pursue university at excellent colleges in Europe, the US, and elsewhere globally. Average scores for students in their diploma program are 31-35 points, above global averages.
Fees at EIS vary based on year; they are currently 81,872 AED for year 13 students. Note that there are some additional required fees beyond just tuition. Applications to EIS must be submitted online. You may apply to any year in the school; if that year is full, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified if there is a withdrawal. Once you apply, all students must complete an assessment and an interview to assure academic fit for the school. All applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
The Repton School Dubai
Founded in 2007, this is a partner school to the Repton School in the UK, though it has its own governing body and standards. They are a coed school, serving students from ages 3-18, and are one of only two boarding schools in Dubai, though most students attend as day students. They are one of the top ranked schools in both Dubai and the broader Middle East.
They offer a British and International Baccalaureate curriculum, allowing students to choose which they take. All students take the GCSEs, but then may choose to pursue either the A-Levels, or the IB diploma program. They freely publish their scores for both programs, so you can see how well their students perform. They focus on preparing students for university, and their students go on to matriculate at top schools worldwide, though most end up in the UK or US.
Fees for Repton vary by grade level; for year 12–13 students, they are 102,753 AED annually at time of writing. Boarding is a flat additional fee, and is the same for all students; it is currently 72,000 AED for full boarding. Only students aged 11 and up may participate in the boarding program. Applications must be submitted online. Once this is done, you will be invited to the school for an assessment, to test your student’s fit for the school; what this entails depends on grade level. Applications are accepted for all grades on a rolling basis, though there may not be spaces available for all grades.
Credence High School
This school was founded in 2014 by a group of Indian expatriate businessmen, and was intended to offer education to the Indian expat community in Dubai. It is not exclusive in this though, and students of more than 30 nationalities attend, though the majority of the student body is of Indian origin. This is a coed school, and serves students in pre-k through grade 12.
Credence follows an Indian-curriculum, and specifically prepares students to take Indian secondary school examinations. Students take courses in all core academic subjects, and have some curricular flexibility when choosing electives. There is also an option to pursue a business-centered curriculum.
Fees for Credence vary by grade level, and are 28,076 for grades 11-12 annually. Note that there are additional fees assessed for supplies and uniforms. Students must apply to the school online; those who are deemed qualified are invited to enroll. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for all grade levels; which grade you are placed in depends on age and academic preparation.
The English College, Dubai
This is a coed day school following the British curriculum, as the name implies, and serving students from ages 4-18. Opened in 1992, it serves just under 1500 students from a range of nationalities. All students take the GCSE exams, and then enter the A Level track. There are an array of course options for students to select for their A Levels. You can see their exam results online. They have the goal of preparing their students for college, and most matriculate into schools in the UK or US.
Fees for English College depend on grade level; for year 12-13 students they are 68,265 AED annually. Applications must be submitted online; these require completing a form, and submitting requisite documents, namely a full school report from their prior school and needed government identification documents. They accept applications for all grades on a rolling basis. They are generally noncompetitive for admissions.
Swiss International School Dubai
Founded in 2012, this school is one of two boarding schools in Dubai, though most students attend as day students. It is regularly recognized as one of the best private schools in both Dubai and the wider Middle East. This is a coed school, serving students in grades pre-K through 12. Notably, the school offers instruction not just in English and Arabic, but also in French and German, one of the few schools in Dubai to do so. Note that the school is currently run and administered by Nord ANglia, a multinational education provider.
The curriculum offered by SISD is fully based on the International Baccalaureate, and this is the case for all grade levels. All students partake in the IB curriculum, though do have some freedom in which exact courses they take. They see a 100% pass rate for their IB diploma program, with 60% of students graduating with a bilingual or advanced bilingual diploma as well.
Fees for SISD are based on grade level, for grades 11-12 they are 137,736 AED annually. There is an additional charge for boarding, leading to a total cost for boarding students of 254,968 AED. Note that only students in grades 6 and up may become boarding students. Applications to SISD must be submitted online; once this is accepted students will be asked to complete an assessment. Admissions offers are extended within five days of taking this assessment. Admissions for all grades are processed on a rolling basis.
Jumeira Baccalaureate School
This is an international school serving students in grades pre-K through 12, and offering an International Baccalaureate curriculum (as the name implies). They are a coed school, serving students from many different nationalities. Established in 2010, the school is owned and operated by Taaleem, one of the UAE’s largest private education providers.
The school offers the full IB curriculum, from primary all the way through the IB diploma program. They also offer a career program, for students who wish to focus on a particular career already in their high school studies, but don’t offer a bilingual IB option. The point of the program as a whole is to prepare students for college, and it manages to do so well; most students end up attending university in the UK.
Fees for the school are based on year; for grades 11-12 they are 91,840 AED annually. Applications to the school must be submitted online through their website. Once this is done, you must also submit required documentation; government IDs, your most recent school report, immunization forms, and any other needed supplemental forms. If there is space available, students are invited to take an assessment; places are offered based on student performance on this assessment. Admissions for all grades are open on a rolling basis.
Final Thoughts
Dubai has a large and diverse population, and their educational system reflects the diversity of these needs. We hope that this article has given you some sense of the options available; while we couldn’t cover every single school in this country, we do hope this introduction will help you find a school that will best fit your particular needs.
Of course, every situation is different, and many families grapple with the choice of keeping a child close and sending them to a local private school, or sending them abroad to pursue education in a great boarding school. If you have questions about your educational options, or want help finding the best school to meet your needs, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students navigate their educations, and are always happy to hear from you.
