Dubai · Ib · fees published for 2026/27
GEMS Dubai American Academy vs GEMS Modern Academy
Talem publishes every year group’s fee at both schools, so the honest comparison is the whole bill, not a range.
What each costs from KG 1 to Grade 12
Difference
AED 557,739
80% more at GEMS Dubai American Academy
GEMS Modern Academy also offers the IB Diploma in its final years, which takes the whole journey to AED 728,571. The figures above take the cheaper route.
The two schools publish a different number of year groups (14 and 15), so the totals cover different spans. The per-year figures below are the like-for-like comparison.
GEMS Dubai American Academy per year
AED 89,426
average across the ladder
GEMS Modern Academy per year
AED 46,282
average across the ladder
Compare by
How the gap opens up
GEMS Dubai American AcademyGEMS Modern Academy
Cumulative tuition, one point per year group.
Year by year
Every figure below is the fee each school publishes for that year group.
| Year group | GEMS Dubai American Academy | GEMS Modern Academy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| KG 1 | 66,185 | 30,983 | -35,202 |
| KG 2 | 66,185 | 38,246 | -27,939 |
| Grade 1 | 93,300 | 38,246 | -55,054 |
| Grade 2 | 93,300 | 43,311 | -49,989 |
| Grade 3 | 93,300 | 43,311 | -49,989 |
| Grade 4 | 93,300 | 45,670 | -47,630 |
| Grade 5 | 93,300 | 45,670 | -47,630 |
| Grade 6 | 93,300 | 48,173 | -45,127 |
| Grade 7 | 93,300 | 48,173 | -45,127 |
| Grade 8 | 93,300 | 48,173 | -45,127 |
| Grade 9 | 93,300 | 48,173 | -45,127 |
| Grade 10 | 93,300 | 51,345 | -41,955 |
| Grade 11 | 93,300 | 51,345 | -41,955 |
| Grade 12 | 93,300 | 56,706 | -36,594 |
GEMS Modern Academy publishes 1 further year group that GEMS Dubai American Academy does not, so those rows have no counterpart above.
Side by side
| GEMS Dubai American Academy | GEMS Modern Academy | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Al Barsha, Dubai | Nad Al Sheba, Dubai |
| Curriculum | American, IB | Indian CISCE, IB |
| Inspection rating | Outstanding (KHDA) | Outstanding (KHDA) |
| Tuition (per year) | AED 66,185 – 93,300 /yr | AED 30,983 – 73,876 /yr |
| Ages / years | 4 - 18 years | 3 - 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed |
| Established | 1998 | 1986 |
| Facilities | 50m Olympic Swimming PoolLearner PoolTwo GymnasiumsFitness Suite & Indoor TrackIndoor Golf Simulator400m Running TrackThree Soccer PitchesBaseball DiamondRooftop Tennis Courts565-Seat AuditoriumTwo Black Box TheatresArt Studios & CeramicsPhotography DarkroomTV Studio & Radio SuiteMusic Rooms & Recording StudioTen Science LaboratoriesCenter of Excellence in AI and RoboticsTechnology SuitesLibrary & Achievement CenterArabic Language RoomsWISE CenterHealth ClinicDining & Cafes | Two 25m Swimming Pools8-Lane Synthetic TrackFour Basketball CourtsTwo Football FieldsCricket PitchFive Floodlit Cricket NetsThree Tennis CourtsVolleyball CourtMultipurpose Sports HallGymCycling & Roller Skating TrackSTEM LabBudhayana – The Spark LabFive ICT SuitesSenior LibraryPrimary Learning CentreDiscovery CentreIB LoungeLearning CorridorsAuditoriumMusic RoomsDance StudioMeditation GardenSensorial GardenPlanter's Patch |
GEMS Dubai American Academy vs GEMS Modern Academy at a glance
- GEMS Dubai American Academy publishes annual fees from AED 66,185 to AED 93,300, against AED 30,983 to AED 73,876 at GEMS Modern Academy, which works out roughly 52% above GEMS Modern Academy across the fee range.
- For KG 1, GEMS Dubai American Academy charges AED 66,185 and GEMS Modern Academy AED 38,246, so GEMS Modern Academy saves AED 27,939 a year at that stage.
- Both teach the IB curriculum; GEMS Dubai American Academy additionally offers American while GEMS Modern Academy adds Indian CISCE.
- GEMS Modern Academy starts younger, admitting from age 3 against age 4 at GEMS Dubai American Academy.
- GEMS Modern Academy is the longer-established of the two, founded in 1986, with GEMS Dubai American Academy following in 1998.
- Location wise, GEMS Dubai American Academy sits in Al Barsha and GEMS Modern Academy in Nad Al Sheba, so the school run may decide it.