Dubai private schools rank among world’s top 10 across all domains in PISA 2025

Dubai’s private schools have ranked among the world’s top 10 education systems across all areas assessed by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, strengthening the emirate’s position among the world’s leading education systems and achieving a key target set out in the Dubai Education 33 Strategy.

Commenting on the occasion, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, affirmed that the UAE, guided by the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, continues to place education at the heart of human development and shaping the future, recognising it as a key pillar of sustainable development and the country’s global competitiveness. 

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said that investing in people and knowledge remains a key priority for the UAE, and that building a world-class education system is central to preparing Emirati generations with the knowledge, skills, capabilities and confidence to shape the future and contribute to the nation’s development. 

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said, “We begin the new academic year with an achievement that reflects the strength and continued progress of Dubai’s education system. Dubai’s private schools have ranked among the world’s best in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, reaffirming Dubai’s advanced position in the education sector and reflecting His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s ambitious vision to establish Dubai as a global destination for educational excellence and quality, while providing the best educational opportunities for its students.” 

Sheikh Hamdan congratulated Dubai’s education community, including schools, teachers, students and parents, on the achievement, noting that the results reflect their collective efforts to build an education system capable of achieving globally competitive outcomes. 

He said, “We have great confidence in everyone working with dedication to achieve new accomplishments for Dubai and its people. We have even greater confidence in the ability of Dubai’s schools, teachers, students and parents to continue making progress and build on these results to reach new levels of excellence. Our goal remains clear and unwavering. Every student in Dubai should receive a high-quality education that opens up broader opportunities for the future and equips them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to play an active role in shaping it. This will support the UAE’s aspirations and further strengthen its global competitiveness and leading position.” 

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed added, “Dubai’s ambition knows no limits, and every achievement is a starting point for an even greater one. The emirate continues to raise expectations for its education system in line with its vision for the future. I have directed Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority to continue building on these achievements, accelerate the development of the education system, and further strengthen Dubai’s position among the world’s leading education systems. Our focus is on enhancing the quality of educational outcomes and developing the capabilities of future generations, in line with the UAE’s aspirations and its people-centred development model.” 

In a new international endorsement of the quality and competitiveness of Dubai’s education system, private schools in the emirate recorded significant gains in reading, mathematics and science. 

Dubai’s private schools ranked sixth globally in reading, with an average score of 501 points. They also ranked eighth globally in mathematics and science, recording average scores of 511 points and 522 points, respectively. 

Private schools also ranked ninth globally in computational problem solving, with an average score of 534 points, outperforming the OECD average by 34 points. Introduced as a new domain in PISA 2025, computational problem solving assesses students’ ability to use computational tools and practices to explore ideas, build knowledge and solve complex problems. 

PISA is an international assessment administered every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students. The assessment measures their ability to apply mathematics, science and reading skills in real-world contexts.

The results represent significant improvement across all assessed domains compared with the 2022 cycle, when Dubai’s private schools ranked ninth globally in mathematics, thirteenth in reading and fourteenth in science. 

Dubai’s private schools have participated in PISA since 2009, recording sustained improvement across six consecutive assessment cycles. Over this period, average scores have increased by 37 points in mathematics, 22 points in reading, and 36 points in science. 

The results also demonstrate Dubai students’ strong ability to apply scientific knowledge, evaluate evidence and use scientific reasoning to address real-world challenges. 

Emirati students recorded notable gains across all assessed domains in PISA 2025 compared with 2022, improving by an average of 31 points in mathematics, 30 points in science, and 18 points in reading. 

Across the curricula offered by Dubai’s private schools, students enrolled in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools achieved the highest average performance, recording 557 points in science, 542 points in mathematics, and 538 points in reading. 

A total of 9,600 students from 168 Dubai private schools participated in PISA 2025. More than 760,000 students from over 90 countries and economies took part in the assessment. 

WAM