American Community School of Abu Dhabi
American Community School of Abu Dhabi
The American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS) is a private, not-for-profit, co-educational American international school on Saadiyat Island, in the Saadiyat Marina District a short walk from New York University Abu Dhabi. Founded in 1972 on land donated by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is one of the capital's oldest international schools, and in January 2024 it relocated from its long-standing Al Bateen home to a purpose-built campus, designed by Broadway Malyan to an Estidama Pearl 3 sustainability rating and roughly double the size of the old site. ACS follows a US standards-based, Common Core-aligned curriculum from KG1 to Grade 12, leading to a Middle States-accredited American High School Diploma alongside the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the high school. It serves around 1,200 students from more than 80 nationalities and is the only not-for-profit American-curriculum school in Abu Dhabi rated Outstanding by ADEK, as well as a member of the NESA association of overseas schools. IB Diploma candidates average about 34 points, some five points above the global average.
Fees for 2026/2027, per year group. Excludes registration, uniform, and transport.
Tuition as published in the school's own "School Fees 2026-27" schedule. Fees are due in full on 1 June 2026 or in three instalments of 35%, 30% and 35%. A one-time, non-refundable capital fee of AED 27,000 applies to new students and is not prorated; the application fee is AED 630 including VAT and the reservation fee AED 3,000, applied toward tuition and 50% refundable on written notice by 1 May 2026. Uniforms, an Apple laptop for Grades 5 to 12, lunch, IB and AP examination entries and trips are charged separately. ADEK's public register still lists this school's 2022-23 schedule, so no approved-fee comparison is shown.
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ADEK 2022–2023 inspection
The quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectations of the UAE.
Source: Abu Dhabi Department of Education & Knowledge (ADEK), Irtiqa'a
Play-based early-years programme developing communication, early literacy and numeracy, and social-emotional skills, with low 1:7 adult ratios.
US standards-based, Common Core-aligned elementary curriculum with specialist subject teaching and a strong Arabic programme.
Subject-specialist middle-school programme bridging elementary to high school, with STEM, the arts and a world-languages choice.
Dual post-16 pathway: the Middle States-accredited American High School Diploma with the IB Diploma Programme and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. ~94% of seniors sit at least one IB exam; IB Diploma average ~34 points.
Reach the admissions team directly to book a visit or ask about places.
A professional 650-seat theatre for productions, assemblies and the performing arts.
A dedicated wing of fully-equipped science laboratories.
Technology labs for artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and virtual reality.
A three-storey greenhouse for hands-on environmental science and biology.
Division libraries and media/research centres across the school.
A dedicated centre raising the profile and teaching of Arabic.
An expansive art gallery and visual-arts studios.
Rooms and studios for music, drama and the performing arts.
Superintendent (Head of School)
Leads ACS as Superintendent, overseeing the school's academic programme and its move to the Saadiyat Island campus.
Assistant Superintendent
Elementary School Principal
Middle School Principal
High School Principal
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Saadiyat Marina District, Saadiyat Island, PO Box 42114, Abu Dhabi, UAE
