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 2025.

Below, we have analysed price data from 13 cities in 10 Middle Eastern countries, in graph and table forms. While we have used all price data available to us as of Dec 31st 2025, 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 2024.

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.

How to read this graph

Highlights and takeaways from the research findings

Some people might think the cost of international schools in the Middle East are among the highest in the world. However, our 2025 research shows that even the highest median cost in the region (Istanbul in Turkey) did not appear in the top 10 highest median costs worldwide.

That said, Istanbul had the 11th highest median cost in the world for international schools, and when it comes to the Middle East it was the most expensive city by a wide margin. The median cost of international school in the Turkish capital in 2025 was $24,482. By contrast, the next most expensive city in the Middle East was the Dammam Metropolitan Area with a median cost of $12,198 - more than half the cost in Istanbul.

Of the 13 cities included in our research for the Middle East region however, there is another country that stands out. Saudi Arabia had three cities in the top half of the range of median international school costs. This suggests that costs are consistently higher throughout the country compared to other areas of the Middle East, and not just isolated to one city. The Dammam Metropolitan Area had the second highest median cost for international schools in the region, while Jeddah and Riyadh were the fifth and sixth most expensive. Median costs there were $9,901 and $9,866 respectively.

Overall however, the cost of international schools in the Middle East in 2025 fell within a relatively narrow range. The majority of cities included in our research for this region - 9 out of 13 - had a median cost of under $10,000. Furthermore, 8 of the cities had median costs within a range of $8,583 to $10,348. They are, from lowest to highest; Muscat in Oman, Limassol in Cyprus, Kuwait City, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Baku in Azerbaijan, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Doha in Qatar.

The Middle Eastern cities with the lowest median costs for international schooling however, were Manama in Bahrain and Amman in Jordan. The median costs for both cities in 2025 had very little difference - $6,559 and $6,600 respectively.

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.

Prices of International Schools Per Year

source: www.international-schools-database.com

How to read the graph

The purple box shows the middle portion of the data, known in statistical lingo as the Interquartile Range. This is the ‘ballpark’ range that you would usually expect to pay in that particular city. The horizontal lines at each end of the box represent the First Quartile (Q1) and Third Quartile (Q3). These are the prices that would be considered somewhat cheaper (for Q1) or more expensive (for Q3) than the norm.

The median is shown as a vertical bar in the centre of the box. This is the price of the school in the exact middle of the range, i.e. the half-way point. Finally, you’ll see dots next to some of the box plots. These are ‘outliers’, prices that sit outside of all of the above ranges.

⇧ Go back to the graph ⇧

Additional research for other regions:

• The cost of international education around the World
• The cost of international education in Asia
• The cost of international education in Africa
• The cost of international education in Europe
• The cost of international education in the Americas