Key points:
- While Dubai unsurprisingly had the highest median price for international schools in the Middle East, other cities - specifically Doha and Istanbul - were not far behind. Just $1,700 separated the three cities’ median prices.
- The range of median prices across the Middle East was relatively narrow, with around $4.5k in the difference between highest and lowest median prices for international schools.
- Manama in Bahrain and Amman in Jordan offered the lowest median prices for international schools in the Middle East.
At the International Schools Database, we help local and expat parents choose the perfect international school for their children. Our database allows parents to find, research and compare international schools around the world. Naturally, this means that we gather and analyse a huge amount of information about international schools.
Starting in 2019, we began using this data to evaluate the prices of international schools across the globe. In this article, we share and analyze the prices of international schools in the Middle East updated to 2024.
Below, we have analysed price data from 10 cities in 9 Middle Eastern countries, in graph and table forms. While we have used all price data available to us as of Dec 31st 2024, there may be additional schools and prices not included in each city. This is because they do not make their price data available or because it is unknown to us. Links to additional research focusing on each world region individually and globally can be found at the bottom of this article and here can be found the results of the previous year 2023.
Prices of International Schools in the Middle East, Per Year
The graph below is known as a box plot graph. It shows a comprehensive view of the range of prices in each city, instead of just an average. A single average price may not necessarily represent the full picture of prices in each destination. Since there is a lot to unpack in this graph, we have also provided a little explanation on how to read the graph easily at the end of the article.
Highlights and takeaways from the research findings
The most expensive city in the Middle East for international schools was Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman, with a median price of $10,883. While this isn’t surprising, The other U.A.E city included in our research - Abu Dhabi - only ranked 4th out of 10 cities with a median price of $8,993. Doha in Qatar and Istanbul in Turkey had higher median prices than the U.A.E capital, at $10,111 and $9,177 respectively.
While the Middle East is not the cheapest region in the world for international school costs, it is certainly one of the most consistent. The lowest median price in the region was Manama in Bahrain with $6,220 per year, while Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman was the highest at $10,883 - a difference of just over $4.5k. This is broadly similar to the African region, where the difference between the highest and lowest median prices was just over $4k.
For parents not willing to pay the high costs seen in the United Arab Emirates or Qatar for international schools, Bahrain or Jordan could make suitable alternatives. Median prices in both countries were under $7k per year - or more specifically, $6,220 for Manama in Bahrain and $6,910 for Amman in Jordan. For the cities in the middle of the price range found in the Middle East (Riyadh, Muscat, Kuwait, and Abu Dhabi), you can expect median prices of around $8k - $9k per year.
You can find a breakdown of exact prices for each Middle Eastern city in the table below. But if that isn’t enough, we have also compiled price data for other regions and cities around the world; you can find links to this additional research at the bottom of this article. If you require any further information or have additional questions, don't hesitate to contact us at andrea@international-schools-database.com.
