CBSE Schools in Dubai: Fees, Grades and Subject Options

When your teenager comes home saying they want to take Commerce, the next question is what they want to study alongside it. A student leaning towards economics might need Mathematics. Another might want Business Studies with a computing elective. Both students could apply to the same school and find that their preferred subjects sit in the same timetable block. The stream is a useful starting point. The combination on the offer is what they will study for the next two years.

This guide compares three Dubai CBSE campuses for that decision. Delhi Private School Dubai publishes subject blocks for Science, Commerce and Humanities. The Indian High School in Oud Metha explains how it selects students for Grade 11 and what it needs from a Grade 12 transfer. GEMS Our Own English High School offers all three streams to girls at senior level and publishes different tuition figures for Science and for Commerce or Humanities. The fees below refer to 2026–27. If your child is applying for the next academic year, ask for the subject form and fee schedule for that intake.

Compare three CBSE campuses

All three received an overall judgement of Very Good in KHDA’s published 2023–24 inspection results. CBSE separately lists each school at senior secondary level under its own affiliation number. These records help identify the exact school when names are similar. Use the campus’s own current materials for admissions, timetables and pricing. KHDA 2023–24 results

The Indian High School, Oud Metha

Oud Metha serves Grades 5–12. The Indian High School group also runs campuses at Al Garhoud and Dubai Silicon Oasis. If you have children in different year groups, check which campus each would attend before planning the school run. The school says its registration is specific to the campus selected. For the Oud Metha senior secondary school, CBSE affiliation number 6630001 identifies the institution. Oud Metha campus · School group and campus list · CBSE affiliation record

Oud Metha offers Science, Commerce and Humanities in Grade 11. The school describes multiple senior secondary subject combinations and says that what can be offered depends on availability. Give admissions the names of the subjects your teenager wants together. A student interested in Commerce who wants both Accountancy and Mathematics, for example, should ask the campus which of its current combinations includes both and which marks determine eligibility for that combination. The current campus description gives a starting point for that conversation. The offer should name the subjects. Oud Metha curriculum

The Grade 11 selection process is specific. The school says its merit list draws on Grades 9 and 10 internal or pre-board performance, an eligibility test and a panel interview. A conditional offer is followed by final selection based on Grade 10 performance and submission of documents including the transfer certificate and board marksheet. For Grade 12, Oud Metha says admission requires CBSE approval, valid Grade 11 CBSE registration and the same subjects as a combination available at the school. It also uses a test and interview for that entry. A family moving after Grade 11 should raise the combination and board registration as soon as they enquire, while there is still time to ask the sending school for records. Oud Metha eligibility and admissions

The 2026–27 schedule lists AED 8,373 in tuition for Grade 10 and AED 10,465 for Grade 11. Grade 11 adds AED 1,250 for annual items including laboratory, technology and exam materials. That gives AED 11,715 before other applicable charges for a continuing student. The AED 2,100 facility fee for students enrolling at Oud Metha for the first time brings that figure to AED 13,815. The school lists a separate AED 500 application fee for new applicants and says its enrolment payment is credited against first-term fees. The Grade 11 KHDA sheet lists books at AED 400–800, uniforms at AED 400–1,000 and optional transport at AED 4,300–8,500. Those ranges help you plan, with the transport quote depending on the route you need. Oud Metha fee schedule · KHDA Grade 11 fee fact sheet

The Indian High School’s Instagram shared a post about FutureScape, a student showcase applying social studies to real-world questions. The account covers the school group. If your child enjoys presenting or debating, ask the Oud Metha team which projects and clubs are open to their grade.

Delhi Private School Dubai, The Gardens

Delhi Private School Dubai is near Ibn Battuta Mall in The Gardens. Its CBSE affiliation number is 6630050. The school’s curriculum covers KG through Grade 12, and its published senior secondary table is particularly useful when a student already has a shortlist of electives. Read down the relevant column to see where the options are grouped before assuming that two subjects can be taken together. DPS Dubai curriculum · CBSE affiliation record

In Science, the table shows English, Physics and Chemistry, with Mathematics in one choice row and options such as Biology, Biotechnology and Computer Science in another. In Commerce, English, Economics and Business Studies appear alongside a row listing Accountancy or Entrepreneurship. A further row includes Mathematics and Applied Mathematics among its options. In Humanities, the school shows English, History and Sociology, with Political Science or Geography listed in one row. Those details help a teenager see what studying a stream at DPS could actually look like. For a course such as Computer Science, ask for the exact title and board code that will appear on the registration. DPS Dubai senior secondary subject table

The school also lists options for a sixth subject. If your teenager wants to keep music or dance in the week, ask how that sixth subject is taught, assessed and timetabled alongside their five main subjects. If two choices are both important, request the combinations in writing and check what happens if too few students select one of them. The published admissions policy puts Grade 11 entry at the school’s discretion, taking previous exam performance and CBSE rules into account. Ask the admissions team how it applies that policy to external candidates and to the specific subject combination requested. DPS Dubai admissions policy

Grade 11 tuition is AED 15,592 in 2026–27. The KHDA sheet adds AED 250 for the learning platform, for a listed total of AED 15,842 before applicable exam entries and supplies. The school’s dated first-term circular also lists AED 100 for RFID alongside the annual platform fee. Those three priced items come to AED 15,942 on the school’s schedule before applicable extras. The current Grade 11 fact sheet lists books at AED 950–1,600, uniforms at AED 130–220 and optional transport at AED 4,150–7,820. If your child currently attends Grade 10, the school’s annual schedule gives AED 14,459 in tuition at that grade, so the tuition increase on entering Grade 11 is AED 1,133. DPS annual fee schedule · DPS 2026–27 first-term circular · KHDA Grade 11 fee fact sheet

For families considering DPS for a younger sibling too, the school’s Instagram shared a Grade 1 environmental studies activity with a hands-on STEAM focus. On a campus visit, you could ask to see both the primary classrooms and the senior labs so each child can picture their own day.

GEMS Our Own English High School, Al Warqa

GEMS Our Own English High School in Al Warqa admits boys and girls through Grade 4 and only girls from Grade 5 to Grade 12. The CBSE record for this school is 6630002. That identity matters when searching for fees or application forms because other Dubai schools have similar names. Families enrolling a younger son alongside an older daughter should plan for the son’s next school after Grade 4. GEMS admissions process · CBSE affiliation record

The senior school lists English Core alongside its compulsory programme. The Science list includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Computer Science, as well as Psychology and Food Nutrition and Dietetics. The Commerce list includes Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics and options such as Applied Mathematics and Entrepreneurship. Humanities includes Political Science, Psychology, Fashion Studies and Mass Media among its listed subjects. These are stream menus. A student drawn to Psychology and Mass Media should ask whether those two can run together and what else makes up the combination. The school’s enrolment page says admissions are subject to merit and seat availability. GEMS senior school · GEMS enrolment

The dated school schedule gives AED 13,612 in tuition for Grades 9–10. For Grades 11–12, it lists AED 15,883 for Commerce or Humanities and AED 16,562 for Science, a difference of AED 679. KHDA’s generic Grade 11 fact sheet for the same school and academic year shows AED 17,257 without identifying a stream. Before using any of these figures to budget, ask for a written fee breakdown naming the stream on the offer. The school also lists AED 525 for an application, an AED 30 one-off ID and diary charge, and an admission deposit credited against tuition. GEMS 2026–27 fee schedule · KHDA generic Grade 11 fact sheet

GEMS Our Own Dubai on Instagram shared a Dubai Fitness Challenge session with students and staff. If your teenager wants to stay active during the board years, ask how regular sport or fitness activities fit around senior school hours and the journey home.

Take the subject codes and the first-year bill to the same meeting

Make two lists with your teenager before speaking to admissions. The first is the subjects they would be disappointed to lose. The second is what a plausible university course actually asks them to study. Use exact subject names where possible. CBSE lists Mathematics and Applied Mathematics separately. If a university requirement refers to Mathematics, send the school’s proposed subject title and code to the university before relying on it for eligibility. This matters even when two subjects sound similar on a school tour. CBSE 2026–27 curriculum

A useful way to test the school’s answer is to ask what it would register for a particular student. For example, a Commerce applicant interested in both finance and technology might bring a first choice that includes Accountancy and Mathematics, then ask where a computing subject would fit. If it sits in the same choice block as Mathematics, the student can decide which subject they need most before submitting the form. For a Science applicant, the comparable question might be whether Biology and Computer Science are alternatives and whether a sixth subject offers another route. Use the school’s actual form to work through the choices together.

Ask about practical work as well. A student who transfers after the year starts may have already completed lab sessions, coursework or a project that the new class has scheduled differently. Find out what the receiving teacher needs from the old school and which pieces the student would have to complete after arrival. This is also a good moment to ask when the school expects subject choices to be final, especially if the family’s move dates depend on a visa or housing.

Then compare the fees against the same start date and the same type of student. A new student’s bill can include an application or facility charge that a continuing student would never see. A credited deposit changes the timing of payment, while an additional application charge changes the total. Ask for transport for your actual stop and set aside a line for books and any board exam fees. For siblings, price the full household journey. One campus may have the preferred subjects, while the other can be easier to reach on days when two children finish at different times.

Frequently asked questions

Can a student transfer into Grade 12 from another CBSE school?

It can be possible. The receiving school needs to check registration, subjects and availability. At Oud Metha, the school explicitly requires the same Grade 11 subjects as an available combination and makes Grade 12 admission subject to CBSE approval. Bring your Grade 11 report, subject codes, registration details and any practical or project records when asking about the move. Oud Metha eligibility

Does every CBSE school in Dubai offer the same electives?

The board publishes a common curriculum, and campuses publish their own available subjects and combinations. A campus can list an elective that your child can take only alongside certain other subjects. Get the intended subjects confirmed together, preferably on a combination sheet or the written offer.

What should we do if a place is offered before Grade 10 results?

Ask which parts of the offer are conditional and when the final subject combination will be confirmed. Keep a viable second choice while you wait. If you need to pay a deposit before the board marksheet arrives, ask how the school treats that payment if the student is offered a different combination after results.