Which Schools Can Increase Fees, By How Much?

The KHDA inspection ratings for 2022-23 have been published, and while the results across Dubai's private school sector may be broadly positive, the question of potential fee increases will not be far from the minds of many parents. 

The KHDA announced in March 2023 that Dubai private schools that maintain the same inspection rating will be eligible to increase their fees by 3%.

Note the word 'eligible: Schools must individually apply to do so and some may take the decision not to. 

Dubai's education regulator added, in this announcement, that "schools that improve their rating in the most recent inspections will be eligible to increase their fees according to the methodology outlined in the School Fees Framework". 

The School Fees Framework states:

Schools that have improved their rating from Very Weak to Weak, from Weak to Acceptable and from Acceptable to Good can increase their fees by double the Educational Cost Index. 

Schools that go from Good to Very Good can increase their fees by 1.75 times the ECI.

Schools going from Very Good to Outstanding can increase fees by 1.5 times the ECI. 

While the Educational Cost Index is has not been revealed by Dubai's Statistics Office this year, we understand that the figure of 3% approved by KHDA is to stand in place of the ECI, meaning the highest increase possible for fees for 2023-24 is double this figure: 6%. 

Prior to the most recent inspection cycle, most Dubai private schools were inspected in 2019-20, while some schools were inspected the following year in 2021-22.

A minority of schools had not been inspected since 2018-29. 

It is our understanding that Dubai's private schools will already have sought, and received, permissions regarding school fee increases.

This information may not, yet, have been communicated to parents. 

Please note the Not for Profit (NFP) schools are not covered by the school fees framework, and are free to request increases on their own terms. They were the only schools to have been able to request fee increases last year. All of them did so, at a range of between 5% and 8%.

Dubai Schools Eligible for 6% Fee Increase

Dubai Schools Eligible for 5.25% Fee Increase

Dubai Schools Eligible for 4.5% Fee Increase

Dubai Schools Eligible for 3% Fee Increase

Dubai Schools Not Eligible for a Fee Increase

(due either to being a new school or as a result of being downgraded)