American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS)

What the school is

Campus, governance and published school information

ACS moved to Al Bateen in 1975 and added a high school in 1991. On 15 January 2024, it opened its Saadiyat Island campus near NYU Abu Dhabi. Published facilities include a 650-seat theatre, two pools and a football field. Families familiar with the former Al Bateen site should plan around the Saadiyat location.

The school publishes a pupil-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and reports that 67% of teachers hold advanced degrees. The ratio is different from class size. Its statement that 87% of graduates received an offer from at least one of their top three colleges comes without a dated cohort or a definition of how preferences were recorded.

Academics in practice

High-school pathways and learning support

ACS offers the IB Diploma and Advanced Placement courses within its American high-school programme. The school’s giving report also describes support for self-taught mother-tongue study within the IB. This can contribute toward bilingual Diploma recognition, subject to the IB’s requirements; it is not a separate guarantee of a bilingual award.

The cited inspection summary records Outstanding English, mathematics and science in middle and high school, alongside Acceptable Arabic First Language, Arabic Second Language and Islamic Education. These are dated findings. ACS describes an Arabic Institute of Excellence at the new campus; ask how provision has changed and what recent assessment evidence shows in your child’s phase.

Families seeking learning support should discuss their child’s needs before accepting a place. The 2026–27 schedule lists an annual AED 5,505 Student Support Services charge where required. Ask what it covers, the staff and timetable proposed, and any limits on available provision.

Admissions and cost

2026–27 tuition, joining costs and payment dates

For 2026–27, a new Grade 9 pupil’s tuition of AED 101,537, application charge of AED 630 and capital charge of AED 27,000 total AED 129,167 before other costs. The AED 3,000 reservation payment counts toward tuition, so it is not added again. The non-refundable capital charge must be paid in full in year one.

The published tuition instalments are 35% on 1 June 2026, 30% on 1 September and 35% on 1 December. The schedule allows a half refund of the reservation payment with written notice by 1 May 2026 and no refund after that date. These are the dated terms for the 2026–27 cycle; ask how the invoice is calculated for a later joining date.

Transport, uniforms, devices, examinations and trips add to tuition. The fee schedule separately sets out late-entry charges and withdrawal refunds; compare those terms with the likely length of your posting.

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Source: ACS official fees 2026–27

The family experience

Travel and settling into school

The Saadiyat campus changes the journey for families who previously considered Al Bateen; for siblings attending different schools, both journeys bear on where to live.