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Best 10 International Schools in Abu Dhabi

International Education in Abu Dhabi

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It shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that international education in the United Arab Emirates isn’t cheap. As a global economic powerhouse, its capital Abu Dhabi offers excellent job opportunities and sky high salaries to expats. But it comes at a cost - eye-watering yearly school fees for your child!

It’s not all bad news though. The standard of education on offer in Abu Dhabi is among the best on the planet. And while the city’s international schools may not be budget friendly, they are somewhat less expensive than neighbouring Dubai. Any of the international schools in Abu Dhabi will set your child up to become a highly skilled professional in adult life. They emphasise maths and science subjects, and languages are taught to a world class standard, too.

The British curriculum dominates in Abu Dhabi’s international schools. To a lesser extent, so do other English-speaking countries’ curricula - American, Canadian, and Australian in particular. Some European and Asian curricula can also be found however, so there is a wide variety to choose from. English is the language of instruction in most international schools, with Arabic offered as a compulsory second language.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is the government organisation responsible for regulating international schools in Abu Dhabi. Every two years they assess and rate schools all over the capital and publish detailed results. These reports are freely available from the ADEK website, and can be a useful resource for your school search.

Remember not to take any school’s rankings as the ‘be all and end all’. There are many other factors to consider; the school where your child will be happiest may not necessarily be at the one that tops the ADEK rankings.

The majority of Abu Dhabi’s international schools begin lessons for children as young as 3 or 4 years of age. If you don’t want to start your child in school so young, you don’t have to - the majority will accept children of all ages and stages of education. It is somewhat easier, however, to get a spot in the more sought-after schools if your child is enrolled at the earliest possible stage.

There is one aspect of education in Abu Dhabi that you will have no choice in. If you are not an Emirati citizen, you will be required to pay fees whether your child is attending a public or private school. Education in the United Arab Emirates is only free for Emirati citizens. In almost all schools, students are also required to wear uniforms.

Gender segregation is still common in public schools in the UAE, but is much less common in international schools. The school day will start at around 7am or 8am and finish up at 2 or 3pm, depending on the age of the students. Most schools are centrally located in downtown Abu Dhabi.

Below, we have compiled the top 10 international schools in Abu Dhabi according to our users. However, there are another 60 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in Abu Dhabi based on your requirements.

Recommended Schools

Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi

Part of the Nord Anglia Education family of premium international schools, NAS Abu Dhabi offers a learning experience designed for the future where your child will achieve more than they ever imagined possible.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 65,000
to: Dirham 95,000

Best 10 International Schools in Abu Dhabi

Out of a total of 70 International Schools in Abu Dhabi.

Based on the aggregated preferences of our users in the last 30 days.

The Spanish School of Abu Dhabi

Founded on the basis of strong cultural relations between Spain and the UAE, the Spanish School of Abu Dhabi is committed to providing quality education based on the Spanish curriculum.
Presently, SSAD is offering Nursery to Grade 5.
Curriculum
Spanish
Language of instruction
Spanish
Ages
3 to 13
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 20,750
to: Dirham 22,750

Ajyal International School

Ajyal International School commits to:
- Offering students an education that is meaningful and relevant to their personal, academic, and social life using the Significant Learning Model;
- Providing active learning experiences, avoiding rote learning;
- Using means of assessment that are educative in nature (assessment for learning), qualitative and quantitative, standardised, frequent, performance–based (criterion and standards) and involving self-assessment;
- Aligning its teaching and assessment activities to Significant Learning Outcomes by a process referred to as backward design;
- Collecting wide-ranging performance data to continuously improve learning and teaching, curriculum provision, and institutional efficacy;
- Using technology to enhance learning, and not just to facilitate teaching;
- Providing continuous professional development to all our staff; and
- Adhering to the highest standards of student physical safety, health and personal well-being.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 23,136
to: Dirham 33,592
Reviews
(1 review)

American International School in Abu Dhabi

The American International School in Abu Dhabi is celebrating its 25th anniversary, having been established in 1995 to provide local and expatriate residents of Abu Dhabi with high quality American education, based on American standards and an international curriculum. AISA received its first accreditation in October 1997 from the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), and in January 2010 was accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS). AISA offers education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It was the first school to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma in the UAE and later became the first school in Abu Dhabi to be authorized to offer the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP). In keeping with local regulations, the Secondary School is gender segregated.
Curriculum
IB, American
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: Dirham 32,950
to: Dirham 59,900
Reviews
(1 review)

Good Will Children Private School

Good Will Children Private School L.L.C. is a recognized Cambridge International School teaching Cambridge Core subjects in English (as a second language), Math, Science and ICT.
This internationally respected curriculum is now taught in 150 countries across the world and culminates in the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, AS and A level certification recognized by universities worldwide.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 15
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 26,650
to: Dirham 32,360

German International School Abu Dhabi

German International School Abu Dhabi is a German international school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates certified as an excellent German abroad school by the German government.
Curriculum
German
Language of instruction
German
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 36,610
to: Dirham 53,480

Virginia International Private School

We aim to produce life-long learners who are innovative and creative, highly competitive in the modern economy and who are champions of UAE culture and heritage. We are a lead school in the United Arab Emirates, developing all learners for successful participation in Society and in the global economy.
Curriculum
American
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 26,690
to: Dirham 47,369

Brighton College Abu Dhabi

Brighton College Abu Dhabi offers its pupils a vibrant and challenging learning environment, and a distinctive British independent school ethos which reflects the values and dynamic culture of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.
Located on Abu Dhabi Island in a purpose-built campus next to Khalifa Park, Brighton College Abu Dhabi boasts state-of-the-art facilities and is committed to becoming the leading school in the Middle East. With 144 highly experienced and talented Academic staff and over 100 support staff the school is able to provide an outstanding level of education as witnessed by our latest Inspection reports.
Curriculum
British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 50,830
to: Dirham 80,780

Al Najah Private School

Al Najah Private School was founded in 1987 as a private international school from K-12 with the aim of providing the most comprehensive British curriculum as a college preparatory education to students of all nationalities.
Curriculum
IB, British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 15,100
to: Dirham 33,420
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 54,000
to: Dirham 72,000

Abu Dhabi International School

Abu Dhabi International School is a truly international school that educates students from over 70 nationalities in a familial, friendly, fun yet disciplined environment. The international flavor our school provides is also reflected in the diversity of its academic programs. AIS provides the opportunity for its students to graduate with an American program, the British (IGCSE and A-Levels) program or the International Baccalaureate Programme and join top tier institutions worldwide, such as Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge and the Sorbonne of France as well as regional universities in Lebanon, Egypt and the UAE.
Curriculum
IB, American, British
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2024/2025
from: Dirham 32,635
to: Dirham 48,800

Find the Best International School in Abu Dhabi FOR YOU!

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