Dubai · Ib · fees published for 2026/27
GEMS Dubai American Academy vs Sunmarke School
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 107,532
9% more at GEMS Dubai American Academy
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
Sunmarke School per year
AED 76,296
average across the ladder
Compare by
How the gap opens up
GEMS Dubai American AcademySunmarke School
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 | Sunmarke School | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| KG 1 | 66,185 | 54,104 | -12,081 |
| KG 2 | 66,185 | 59,333 | -6,852 |
| Grade 1 | 93,300 | 67,819 | -25,481 |
| Grade 2 | 93,300 | 68,249 | -25,051 |
| Grade 3 | 93,300 | 69,170 | -24,130 |
| Grade 4 | 93,300 | 69,268 | -24,032 |
| Grade 5 | 93,300 | 69,661 | -23,639 |
| Grade 6 | 93,300 | 69,661 | -23,639 |
| Grade 7 | 93,300 | 84,338 | -8,962 |
| Grade 8 | 93,300 | 85,244 | -8,056 |
| Grade 9 | 93,300 | 85,369 | -7,931 |
| Grade 10 | 93,300 | 89,473 | -3,827 |
| Grade 11 | 93,300 | 90,038 | -3,262 |
| Grade 12 | 93,300 | 91,068 | -2,232 |
Sunmarke School 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 | Sunmarke School | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Al Barsha, Dubai | Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai |
| Curriculum | American, IB | British, IB |
| Inspection rating | Outstanding (KHDA) | Very Good (KHDA) |
| Tuition (per year) | AED 66,185 – 93,300 /yr | AED 54,104 – 91,643 /yr |
| Ages / years | 4 - 18 years | 3 - 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed |
| Established | 1998 | 2016 |
| 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 | 25m Swimming PoolLearner PoolAstroturf Pitch5-a-Side PitchMUGA Courts2 Indoor Sports HallsGymnasiumDance Studio400-Seat Auditorium3 LibrariesSTEAM RoomArt StudiosMusic StudiosZen Garden |
GEMS Dubai American Academy vs Sunmarke School at a glance
- GEMS Dubai American Academy publishes annual fees from AED 66,185 to AED 93,300, against AED 54,104 to AED 91,643 at Sunmarke School, which works out roughly 9% above Sunmarke School across the fee range.
- Both teach the IB curriculum; GEMS Dubai American Academy additionally offers American while Sunmarke School adds British.
- Sunmarke School starts younger, admitting from age 3 against age 4 at GEMS Dubai American Academy.
- GEMS Dubai American Academy is the longer-established of the two, founded in 1998, with Sunmarke School following in 2016.
- Location wise, GEMS Dubai American Academy sits in Al Barsha and Sunmarke School in Jumeirah Village Circle, so the school run may decide it.
- GEMS Dubai American Academy lists the larger facilities set on Talem, 23 against 14.