Dubai allows private schools to increase fees by up to 2.35% for new academic year

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has approved an Education Cost Index (ECI) of 2.35 per cent for for-profit private schools in the emirate for the 2025-26 academic year.

The decision is based on the annual review of audited financial statements submitted by Dubai private schools, in collaboration with the Digital Dubai Authority.

The ECI takes into account the operational costs of running a school to offer a high quality of education, including staff wages, support services, and rental expenses.

KHDA has informed all private schools in Dubai about the requirements for submitting fee adjustment requests for the next academic year. Eligible for-profit schools may apply for an increase up to, but not exceeding, the approved ECI. Private schools that have been operating in Dubai for less than three years are not eligible for a fee adjustment. All applications will be reviewed by KHDA to ensure they meet the criteria for fee increases.

Shamma Al Mansouri, Director of Licensing and Education Services at KHDA, said, "The Education Cost Index for fee adjustments is based on a robust and transparent methodology that supports schools in Dubai to manage their resources while maintaining a high quality of education in line with the needs of students and parents.

"This sustainable approach to regulating school fees reflects Dubai Government’s commitment to transparency and efficiency in the education sector. It ensures that Dubai remains a leading destination for high quality education in line with the goals of the Education 33 Strategy.”

Fifteen new private schools have opened in Dubai in the last two academic years, and KHDA is currently reviewing more than 20 applications for new schools set to open in the next two years, offering parents in Dubai a wider range of choices.

Dubai currently has 227 private schools serving 387,441 students from 185 nationalities. The sector recorded an unprecedented 12 percent increase in student enrolment in the 2023-24 academic year. Enrolment grew by a further 6 percent during the 2024-25 academic year.

The opening of new schools and steady enrolment growth in Dubai’s private education sector support the objectives of the Education Strategy 33, which aims to open at least 100 new private schools by 2033.

WAM