Dubai private schools · 2026-27 academic year
Dubai school fee increase checker
Maximum tuition fee increase for 2026-27
0% at every Dubai private school
KHDA confirmed there will be no increase in private school fees in Dubai for 2026-27. Whatever the school's inspection rating, the fee for each grade cannot go up from its 2025-26 level.
- KHDA: no fee increase for 2026-27 · 22 May 2026
Your result
How fee increases work in a normal year
KHDA's School Fees Framework applies to private schools in Dubai that have completed three years of operation. It covers tuition fees, and uniforms and books when the school provides them. For-profit schools apply for an increase based on their latest inspection rating and the Education Cost Index (ECI) approved by KHDA for that year:
| Inspection rating compared with the previous year | Increase |
|---|---|
| Same rating | Up to the ECI |
| Improved: Very Weak to Weak, Weak to Acceptable, or Acceptable to Good | Up to ECI × 2 |
| Improved: Good to Very Good | Up to ECI × 1.75 |
| Improved: Very Good to Outstanding | Up to ECI × 1.5 |
| Dropped to a lower rating | No increase |
| Inspected for the first time | Up to the ECI |
Not-for-profit schools may ask for more than the ECI with the approval of their board and the endorsement of the parents' representative.
What KHDA set in recent years
- 2025-26: KHDA approved an ECI of 2.35% for for-profit private schools; eligible schools could apply for an increase of up to 2.35%, and schools operating in Dubai for less than three years were not eligible (KHDA, 2 May 2025).
- 2026-27: no increase in private school fees (KHDA, 22 May 2026).
What this checker does not cover
- Schools outside Dubai: KHDA regulates private education in Dubai only.
- Charges other than tuition, such as transport, activities and trips. The announcement refers to school fees and does not list individual charges.
- Early childhood centres and nurseries: for them, the 22 May 2026 announcement mentions exemptions from licence fees, not the fees parents pay.
- Schools opening in 2026-27, which have no 2025-26 fee to compare with.
- Whether a particular fee was approved: only the school and KHDA can confirm that. Contact KHDA.
Questions
- Can Dubai private schools raise their fees for 2026-27?
- No. On 22 May 2026 KHDA confirmed that there will be no increase in school fees for private schools in Dubai for the 2026-27 academic year.
- Does my school's inspection rating change the answer?
- Not for 2026-27: the freeze covers all private schools in Dubai. In a normal year, KHDA's School Fees Framework links the increase a for-profit school can apply for to its inspection rating and to the Education Cost Index.
- Which fees should I compare?
- The annual tuition fee for the same grade in both years: the school's 2025-26 fee for the grade your child is entering, and the fee the school asks for that grade in 2026-27. Fees differ by grade, so comparing last year's grade with next year's grade does not show an increase.
- What was the limit in 2025-26?
- KHDA approved an Education Cost Index (ECI) of 2.35% for for-profit private schools in Dubai for 2025-26. Eligible for-profit schools could apply for an increase of up to 2.35%; schools operating in Dubai for less than three years were not eligible.
- What is the Education Cost Index?
- It is the measure of the cost of providing education in Dubai private schools that KHDA uses in its School Fees Framework: wages and salaries, rents and other costs. The framework says it is calculated from the audited financial statements of private schools and published by Digital Dubai Authority.
- Does the freeze cover transport, uniforms or books?
- KHDA's announcement refers to school fees and does not list individual charges. KHDA's School Fees Framework applies to tuition fees, and to uniforms and books when the school provides them, but not to other activities or services. Ask the school if another charge goes up.
- What can I do if my school asks for more?
- Ask the school which KHDA approval the new fee is based on. If it is still unclear, contact KHDA.
- Does this apply to schools outside Dubai?
- No. KHDA regulates private education in Dubai. Private schools in other emirates are regulated by other authorities, such as ADEK in Abu Dhabi and SPEA in Sharjah.
Sources
- KHDA news, “Dubai freezes private school fees for 2026-27 academic year”, 22 May 2026.
- KHDA news, Education Cost Index for the 2025-26 academic year, 2 May 2025.
- KHDA, School Fees Framework (PDF), based on Executive Council decision 43/2011 as revised in 2019.
- School names and inspection ratings: KHDA open data 2024-2025, unaltered (terms of use).
- KHDA pages read on . The explanations on this page are ours, not KHDA's text, and they are not legal advice.