"Best IB schools in Dubai" is the question of a family that has decided on the IB and now wants the short list; "affordable IB schools in Dubai" is the same family after seeing the first fee page. Both get muddled answers, because the lists online mix schools that run the full IB from age three with British schools that add the Diploma at sixteen, and quote fees from different years. This page starts from the IB's own register (56 schools in the UAE authorised for the Diploma, 62 IB World Schools in all, on the IB's finder in October 2026), adds the KHDA and ADEK ratings and the May 2025 Diploma results, and sorts Dubai and Abu Dhabi into the best, the affordable and the rest, with a printable table at the end.
Download the IB schools table for Dubai and Abu Dhabi (PDF) (every Diploma school in the two emirates with programmes, rating, published fees and 2025 average, the affordable list, and the questions to ask on the tour; two pages, free)
First, what the numbers mean
- Programmes. PYP (ages 3 to 12), MYP (11 to 16), DP (the Diploma, 16 to 19) and CP (the Career-related Programme). A full-continuum school runs PYP, MYP and DP; about half the Dubai Diploma schools are British or American schools that run the Diploma only in the last two years, after IGCSE or Grade 10.
- Ratings. In Dubai, KHDA's last full inspection round for established schools was 2023-24, and those are the ratings in use (Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak); only schools new since 2022 were rated in 2024-25. In Abu Dhabi, ADEK's Irtiqa'a round published in October 2025 covered 204 schools: 13 Outstanding, 51 Very Good, 93 Good, 42 Acceptable, 5 Weak.
- Results. The Diploma is scored out of 45 (six subjects at 7 each, plus up to 3 for Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay). The May 2025 world average was 30.58, with about 81 to 82 percent of candidates awarded the Diploma, across 202,103 students; UAE schools averaged about 32.6 and passed about 91 percent.
- Fees. The Outstanding schools' figures below are the KHDA-approved fees reported for 2025-26; the others are the schools' published ranges. Every school's fee page is the final word, and the Diploma years are always the dearest.
Dubai: the best IB schools
| School | Programmes | KHDA rating | Fees, first year to Diploma year (AED) | May 2025 Diploma average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), Arabian Ranches | DP in the sixth form (British to Year 11) | Outstanding | FS1 54,129 to Year 13 104,544 | about 38, 100 percent pass, 107 candidates, two 45s, a third at 40 or more |
| Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | Outstanding | KG1 44,979 to Grade 12 79,696 | about 36, 100 percent, 158 candidates, three 45s, 28 percent at 40 or more |
| Nord Anglia International School, Al Barsha | DP in the sixth form | Outstanding | FS1 69,625 to Year 13 105,288 | 36, 15 percent at 40 or more |
| GEMS Wellington International School, Al Sufouh | DP and CP in the sixth form | Outstanding | FS1 47,527 to Year 13 103,399 | 36, 98 percent, 107 candidates |
| Repton School Dubai, Nad Al Sheba | DP in the sixth form (alongside A-levels) | Outstanding | FS1 57,178 to Year 13 102,753 | 35, 100 percent |
| Dubai American Academy (GEMS), Al Barsha | DP alongside AP in Grades 11 and 12 | Outstanding | KG1 66,185 to about 93,300 | 34, 95 percent, 149 candidates |
| GEMS Modern Academy, Nad Al Sheba | PYP, MYP, DP (an IB stream alongside the ICSE stream) | Outstanding | KG1 38,246 to Grade 12 73,876 in the IB stream | 34, 97 percent, 132 candidates, two 45s |
| Deira International School, Festival City | DP and CP in the sixth form | Outstanding | FS1 44,616 to Year 13 89,889 | 34.2, 100 percent, 76 candidates |
| North London Collegiate School Dubai, Sobha Hartland | PYP, MYP, DP | not yet in an Outstanding round | premium | 36.5, 100 percent, 58 candidates |
| Sunmarke School, Jumeirah Village Triangle | DP and CP in the sixth form | not Outstanding | mid | 36.4, 100 percent, 21 candidates |
| Dubai International Academy, Al Barsha | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | Very Good | mid | about 35.5 to 36, 100 percent |
| Raffles World Academy, Umm Suqeim | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | Good to Very Good | about 33,500 to 88,000 | 34.1, 100 percent |
JESS and DIA Emirates Hills are the two names that come up in every conversation, and the results say why: JESS has the highest average in the country, DIA the largest cohort at 36. GEMS Modern Academy is the one Indian-run school on the list, with a Diploma stream next to its ICSE stream and the lowest Outstanding-school fee at Diploma level.
Dubai: the affordable IB schools
"Affordable" in the Dubai IB means under about AED 80,000 in the Diploma years and under AED 45,000 at entry.
| School | Area | Programmes | Fees (AED, published range) | May 2025 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegiate International School | Al Qusais | PYP, MYP, DP | about 39,000 to 71,000 | not published |
| Uptown International School | Mirdif | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | about 31,000 to 78,000 | 33, 100 percent, 39 candidates |
| GEMS Modern Academy, IB stream | Nad Al Sheba | PYP, MYP, DP | 38,246 to 73,876 | 34, 97 percent |
| Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills | Emirates Hills | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | 44,979 to 79,696 | about 36, 100 percent |
| Emirates International School, Meadows and Jumeirah | The Meadows; Jumeirah | PYP, MYP, DP (CP at Jumeirah) | from about 29,000 to about 82,000 | 32, 89 to 93 percent |
| Greenfield International School | Dubai Investments Park | PYP, MYP, DP, CP | about 34,000 to 83,000 | 32, 95 percent, 56 candidates |
| The Universal American School | Festival City | PYP, DP | about 38,000 to 73,000 | 33, 86 percent |
| Dar Al Marefa Private School | Mirdif | PYP, MYP, DP | about 40,000 to 65,000 (older figures) | 31.8, 100 percent |
| GEMS AlKhaleej International School | Al Garhoud | DP | budget | not published |
| Philadelphia Private School | Al Qusais | DP | budget | about 35 (small cohort) |
The value school on this list is Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills: an Outstanding rating, a 36 average and a Diploma fee under AED 80,000. GEMS Modern Academy is the other, for a family that wants the Indian school community with the IB.
Dubai: the rest of the Diploma list
GEMS World Academy, Al Barsha South (PYP to CP, Very Good, the dearest Diploma in the city at about AED 128,000 to 145,000, average 33); GEMS International School Al Khail (full continuum, average 32); GEMS Wellington Academy Silicon Oasis (DP and CP, 32); Jumeira Baccalaureate School (full continuum, 33); Dwight School Dubai (32.5); Swiss International Scientific School, Al Jaddaf (full continuum, bilingual); Fairgreen International School, The Sustainable City (32); Ambassador International Academy, Al Khail (first cohort 2025, 36.3 in 2026); Bloom World Academy; Dunecrest American School; The Aquila School; and the Bilingual French International School. Thirty-three Dubai schools in all are authorised for the Diploma.
Not on the IB's register, whatever a listing says: Hartland International, Arcadia, Kings' Al Barsha, Jumeirah College, Dubai English Speaking College, the American School of Dubai (AP) and Dubai British School. JESS's Jumeirah campus is primary only; the Diploma is at Arabian Ranches.
Abu Dhabi: every Diploma school
| School | Area | Programmes | ADEK rating | Fees (AED, published) | May 2025 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bateen World Academy (Aldar) | Al Bateen | PYP, DP, CP | Outstanding | FS1 54,000 to Year 13 75,310 | 33, 97 percent, about 57 candidates |
| American Community School of Abu Dhabi | Saadiyat | DP | Outstanding | KG1 56,526 to Grade 12 99,060 | not published |
| Raha International School, Khalifa City and Gardens campuses | Khalifa City; Al Raha Gardens | PYP, MYP, DP | Very Good | about 42,000 to 66,000 | 33, 95 percent (Gardens) |
| GEMS American Academy | Khalifa City | DP alongside AP | Very Good | about 49,000 to 81,000 | 32, 79 percent, one 45 |
| GEMS World Academy Abu Dhabi | Khalifa City | PYP, MYP, DP | Very Good | about 65,000 | not published |
| Emirates National Schools | Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Al Manaseer, Al Nahyan, Al Ain | PYP, MYP, DP (by campus) | Very Good and Good by campus | about 25,500 to 55,200 | not published |
| International Community School | Mushrif | DP | Very Good | mid | not published |
| American International School in Abu Dhabi | Al Falah | PYP, DP | Good | about 33,000 to 60,000 | not published |
| Australian School of Abu Dhabi | Khalifa City | PYP, MYP, DP | Good | about 15,600 to 37,000 | not published |
| Aspen Heights British School | Al Bahia | DP in the sixth form | Good | mid | not published |
| Abu Dhabi International Private School | Al Muroor and branch | DP | Very Good (older report) | about 13,700 to 46,400 by campus | not published |
| Al Najah Private School | Mohammed Bin Zayed City | DP | Good (older report) | about 14,200 to 24,800 | not published |
| The British International School Abu Dhabi (Nord Anglia) | Zayed City | DP alongside A-levels | Outstanding (October 2025) | FS1 54,204 to Year 13 76,952 | 33.9, 99 percent, 87 candidates |
Al Ain's only Diploma school is the Emirates National Schools campus. Cranleigh, Brighton College (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain), Repton Abu Dhabi, Yasmina and Al Yasat are A-level schools; Ajyal and Reach are not IB. The cheapest Diplomas in the emirate are at Emirates National Schools, the Australian School, Al Najah and Abu Dhabi International Private School; the strongest published results are at Bateen World Academy and the British International School.
How to read a school's IB claims
- "IB World School" is not "runs the Diploma". A school authorised for PYP only is an IB World School. Ask which programmes it is authorised for, and since when; the IB's finder shows it.
- The average and the cohort together. A 36 across 150 candidates (DIA) or 107 (JESS) is a different achievement from a 36 across 20. Ask for the distribution: the share at 40 or more and the lowest score, not just the mean.
- Who is allowed into the Diploma. Some schools steer weaker students to the Career-related Programme or a high-school diploma, which lifts the DP average. Ask what share of Grade 10 enters the full Diploma.
- Subject availability at Higher Level. Maths Analysis and Approaches HL, Physics HL and Chemistry HL are what engineering and medicine need; a small sixth form may not run all three. Ask for the timetable blocks.
- The fee in Year 12 and 13, not the entry fee, plus the IB's own exam fees, books and trips.
Where to get help
The Diploma's hard subjects are the ones we teach 1-on-1 online: IB maths (Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation, SL and HL, including the internal assessment), physics and chemistry, from MYP 4 and 5 into the Diploma, in the school's order, with the exam-style questions from the first term. Dubai and Abu Dhabi evenings, 1.5 hours behind the tutor, every class recorded, about AED 37 to 48 an hour. The free 30-minute first class is a real lesson on the topic the child is on.
Download the IB schools table (PDF)
Questions parents ask
1Which are the best IB schools in Dubai?
2Which are the affordable IB schools in Dubai?
3Which schools in Abu Dhabi offer the IB Diploma?
4What is a good IB Diploma score?
5What do IB schools in Dubai cost?
6What is the difference between PYP, MYP, DP and CP?
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