UAE vs. International Boarding: A Price Comparison

As the cost of UAE school fees continues to rise while most average salaries seem to have been frozen since 2008, we take a look at the costs involved in sending a child to boarding school in five popular English speaking countries and ask, is boarding school still more expensive than educating in the UAE and if so, by how much?

At one end of the scale Switzerland’s Le Rosey, believed to cost around Dhs440,000 per year, boasting a separate winter campus, its own chateau and obligatory sailing and equestrian pursuits, but there are literally thousands of other more affordable options available to parents considering the boarding school option.

So while an exact cost comparison is not possible - every circumstance will be unique - we have endeavoured to capture those costs you need to consider to make a valid comparison of sending a child to school in the UAE, and those when sending your child to experience life as a boarder...

Note 1: This list is in order of costs from cheapest to most expensive.  The UAE is not top of the list...

Note 2: Your reasons for keeping your child in the UAE, or sending them to boarding school will not be based on cost. However, if money has been an inhibitor to, for example, sending your child to a school better able to take advantage of the particular gifts of your child, read on... The difference may not be as much as you think...