Every Outstanding School in Dubai for 2026

KHDA has published ratings for 217 private schools in Dubai. Of those, just 23 currently hold the Outstanding rating — the highest possible. That is roughly 10% of all schools.

Getting an Outstanding rating is not easy. Schools are assessed across six performance standards including student achievement, teaching quality, curriculum, and leadership. A school has to excel in all of them.

The Full List

What Do They Have in Common?

Looking at the data, a few patterns stand out. The average fee at an Outstanding school is AED 67,221 per year — roughly 67% higher than the overall Dubai average of AED 40,345.

18 of the 23 are British curriculum, which is disproportionately high given that British schools make up about 46% of all schools. The British system's emphasis on structured external assessment (GCSEs, A-Levels) may give KHDA inspectors clearer evidence of student progress.

Most Outstanding schools are well-established. The average founding year is 2000, meaning they have had years to build their teams and systems.

Is Outstanding Worth the Premium?

That depends entirely on your priorities. An Outstanding rating tells you the school meets KHDA's standards at the highest level. It does not tell you whether it is the right fit for your child specifically.

A Very Good school at AED 54,056 per year might offer a better match in terms of curriculum, location, or teaching style. The rating is one data point among many.

You can compare any of these schools side-by-side using our comparison tool.