Top 5 International Schools in Abu Dhabi (2026)

The brief

Cranleigh, BSAK and ACS are the three schools every relocating family asks about first. Brighton and Nord Anglia complete the shortlist.
All five are ADEK rated Outstanding in the most recent cycle, with the exception of Brighton (Very Good 2025, BSO Outstanding 2024).
Fees range from roughly USD 14,000 to USD 29,000 a year. Capital and registration fees sit on top. Below comparable Dubai pricing.
The five schools split across Saadiyat, Al Mushrif, Al Reem and Bloom Gardens. Three are within 20 minutes of each other; Nord Anglia is the fourth point of the diamond.
FS1, FS2, Year 7 and Year 12 are the entry points that fill. Four to six months of admissions lead time is the working assumption at all five.

The shortlist

Abu Dhabi's international school market is smaller and more concentrated than Dubai's. Five schools sit clearly above the rest on the combination of ADEK rating, published 2025 results, established intake and consistent family demand.

This is the shorter version of the top 10. Two schools that make the top 10, Bateen World Academy and GEMS American Academy, sit just below the cut here and appear at the end.

The ranking

1. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island is the school most newly arriving British and international families ask about first. It opened in 2014 as the sister school to Cranleigh in Surrey and runs the English National Curriculum from FS1 to Year 13.

ADEK and BSO both rate it Outstanding. Class sizes are capped at 18. 2025 results: *42% of A-Levels at A–A and 28% of IGCSE entries at grade 9**. Around 1,300 students.

Fees run AED 71,500 to AED 105,980 (roughly USD 19,500 to USD 28,900), the highest in the city and the closest any Abu Dhabi school comes to Dubai senior-school pricing. Cranleigh pulls families to live on Saadiyat itself, both for the location and because the island now has the residential mass to support it.

The campus, athletics provision and pastoral structure are unusually strong for the region.

2. British School Al Khubairat

BSAK is the longest-established British school in the city, founded in 1968 and operated as a not-for-profit by a parent-elected committee. FS1 to Year 13 in Al Mushrif, just inland from the Corniche. ADEK and BSO both rate it Outstanding.

The academic record is the strongest in the city. *2025 A-Levels: 50% A–A and 72% A–B. 60% of IGCSE entries at grades 9–7.* Genuinely strong by any international comparison.

Around 2,000 students. Fees of AED 51,410 to AED 74,560 (USD 14,000 to USD 20,300) sit noticeably below Saadiyat pricing, helped by the not-for-profit structure. No separate textbook charges.

The campus is older than Cranleigh's but well maintained. Demand at popular entry points is consistent and waiting lists do form. For families whose first priority is academic outcomes at sensible fees, this is the obvious answer.

3. American Community School Abu Dhabi

ACS Abu Dhabi is the established American-curriculum option, non-profit, on Saadiyat Island in a new campus that opened in January 2024. Around 1,315 students from KG1 to Grade 12. Both Advanced Placement and the IB Diploma in the senior school.

ADEK Outstanding. Accreditations include MSA, NEASC, CIS and IBO. University outcomes are strong: the school reports around 87% of graduates accepted to one of their top three university choices.

Fees run AED 56,526 to AED 99,060 (USD 15,400 to USD 27,000). Founded in 1972, ACS pre-dates most of the Saadiyat development by decades. The natural first call for American expat families, and a credible IB option for families who want a Saadiyat campus.

Head Monique Flickinger took over the school for the move into the new campus.

4. Brighton College Abu Dhabi

Brighton College Abu Dhabi sits in Bloom Gardens, adjacent to Khalifa Park, the Abu Dhabi sister of Brighton College in Sussex. FS1 to Year 13 in the English National Curriculum. Outstanding by BSO in 2024, Very Good by ADEK in 2025.

The two ratings reflect different inspection frameworks rather than a quality slip: BSO assesses against UK independent-school standards, ADEK against its own framework including National Identity and Arabic. *2025 results: 44% A-Levels at A–A, 68% A–B, and 72% of GCSE entries at grades 9–7.*

Around 1,850 students from 75+ nationalities. Fees of AED 50,830 to AED 80,780 (USD 13,800 to USD 22,000) sit below Cranleigh's. The location is one of the more central of the major international schools, drawing families from both central Abu Dhabi and Khalifa City.

5. Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi

Nord Anglia's Abu Dhabi school on Al Reem Island has the strongest IB Diploma result in the city. 2025: an average score of 39.8 points, a 92% pass rate, and 24% of the cohort scoring above 40. IGCSE: *93% at grades A–C**.

The school holds double ADEK Outstanding (including National Identity) for 2025-26, the only international school in Abu Dhabi to do so. CIS and NEASC accredited. Around 1,000 students.

Fees run AED 65,000 to AED 95,000 (USD 17,700 to USD 25,900). Opened in 2017, so the senior-school track record is shorter than Cranleigh's, BSAK's or ACS's, but the recent IB outcomes have moved the school into the top tier. Year 12 launched in August 2025; Year 13 follows in 2026. The location works for families on Al Reem, on the Corniche, or in Al Maryah, with the bridge keeping commute times short.

At a glance

School	Curriculum	Ages	ADEK rating	Fees range (USD)	Area
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi	British	3–18	Outstanding	19,500–28,900	Saadiyat Island
British School Al Khubairat	British	3–18	Outstanding	14,000–20,300	Al Mushrif
American Community School	American, IB	4–18	Outstanding	15,400–27,000	Saadiyat Island
Brighton College Abu Dhabi	British	3–18	Very Good	13,800–22,000	Bloom Gardens
Nord Anglia Abu Dhabi	British, IB	3–18	Outstanding	17,700–25,900	Al Reem Island

Fees converted at AED 3.67 = USD 1. Capital and registration fees are extra. Verify current figures with each school.

How this list was built

This is an editorial ranking, not a statistical model. Five factors went into placement.

ADEK rating. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge inspects every private school every year or two and publishes the rating: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak. Four of the five hold Outstanding for the most recent cycle. Brighton is Very Good by ADEK and Outstanding by BSO.

Published 2025 exam results. A-Level percentages, IGCSE grade distributions, IB Diploma averages and pass rates where each school publishes them. BSAK leads on A-Levels (50% A*–A). Nord Anglia leads on IB Diploma (39.8 average). Cranleigh, ACS and Brighton publish detailed senior-school outcomes.

Institutional track record. BSAK has been in the city since 1968, ACS since 1972. Cranleigh and Brighton both have over a decade of operating history. Nord Anglia is the newest (opened 2017) but moved into the top tier on results.

Curriculum credibility. All five hold recognised accreditation: BSO, ADEK Outstanding, CIS, NEASC, MSA or IBO. None is brand-only.

Family demand. The schools that come up first in admissions conversations among relocating families, and that show waiting lists at the popular entry points.

Schools just below the cut

Bateen World Academy in Al Manaseer is the only school in Abu Dhabi running the full IB Continuum: PYP, IGCSE, IB Diploma and the IB Career-related Programme. ADEK Outstanding. The 2024 IB Diploma average was 34.3 against a global average of about 30.5, with a 97% pass rate. Around 1,030 students; fees AED 54,000 to AED 75,310.

GEMS American Academy in Khalifa City is the larger commercial American-curriculum alternative to ACS. Around 1,800 students from FS1 to Grade 12, with both AP and the IB Diploma at the senior end. CIS and NEASC accredited. The 2024 IB Diploma average was 38 points. Fees AED 57,850 to AED 80,610.

Both appear in the full top 10 alongside Yasmina British Academy, Muna British Academy and Repton Rose Campus.

FAQs

Which of the five has the strongest 2025 exam results? On A-Levels, BSAK leads with 50% A–A and 72% A–B. On IB Diploma, Nord Anglia posted a 39.8 average with a 92% pass rate and 24% of the cohort above 40 points. Cranleigh's 2025 A-Levels were 42% A–A. Brighton's were 44% A–A and 68% A*–B. ACS reports around 87% of graduates accepted to one of their top three university choices.

Why is Brighton on the list with a Very Good ADEK rating? The 2025 A-Level and GCSE outcomes, the central location and the long-established intake justify the position. BSO rated Brighton Outstanding in 2024 and the ADEK and BSO frameworks measure different things; the split is common across the leading schools in the city.

Which is best for IB? Nord Anglia on outcomes. The 39.8 average in 2025 is the strongest in the city. ACS offers the IB Diploma alongside AP at the senior end. Bateen, just below the cut, runs the full IB Continuum and the Career-related Programme.

How early should I contact admissions? Four to six months before your intended start date for FS1, FS2, Year 7 and Year 12 at all five schools. Waiting list positions move through the year as offers are accepted or declined, so confirm directly with each admissions office.

How do these fees compare with Dubai? Cheaper. A like-for-like Dubai equivalent at the senior end sits 10 to 25 percent higher. Cranleigh at AED 105,980 in the senior school is the closest any Abu Dhabi school comes to Dubai top-tier pricing, and even that sits below Dubai College's senior fees. ADEK regulates fee increases and a school needs ADEK approval to pass one on.

Fees correct as of June 2026. Exchange rate: approximately AED 3.67 per USD 1. ADEK ratings and exam results sourced from school publications and the ADEK regulator's published reports. We work hard to make every figure, date and description on this page accurate. We don't always get it right. If you spot an error, please tell us. We'll check it and update the article.