Premium & Most Expensive Schools in Qatar: Fees 2026

If you are moving to Doha with children, school fees can quickly become one of the biggest items in the family budget after housing.

At the upper end of Qatar's international-school market, secondary tuition can reach QAR 75,000–80,000+ per child per year, and some schools charge sizeable annual capital fees on top. Once registration, transport, uniforms, meals, trips and examinations are added, the real annual cost can move well beyond the advertised tuition.

Here is a practical look at some of Qatar's higher-fee international schools for the 2026–27 academic year, plus a few established alternatives at lower price points.

Premium school fees at a glance

ACS Doha International School — Al Kheesa

ACS Doha is an international school offering the IB continuum alongside a US High School Diploma.

Current published annual tuition is:

• Pre-K3 to Kindergarten: QAR 51,309
• Grade 1: QAR 63,985
• Grades 2–6: QAR 70,324
• Grades 7–12: QAR 80,465

An annual QAR 5,352 capital charge is added to tuition.

New applicants also pay:

• Application fee: QAR 595
• Registration fee after acceptance: QAR 4,163

That means a Grade 7–12 place has a recurring tuition-plus-capital cost of approximately:

QAR 85,817 per year

before transport, meals, examinations and other extras. ACS Doha -

Location: Al Kheesa, Zone 70. ACS Doha -

American School of Doha — Al Waab / Al Soudan

This is one of the most important omissions from the original draft.

ASD follows an American college-preparatory curriculum with AP and IB Diploma options.

Current published annual tuition is:

• Pre-K3 and Pre-K4: QAR 36,570
• Kindergarten–Grade 5: QAR 60,982
• Grades 6–12: QAR 79,305

The school also charges an annual capital fee of:

• Pre-K: QAR 10,950
• Kindergarten–Grade 12: QAR 14,600

For a student in Grades 6–12, that gives a recurring annual tuition-plus-capital cost of:

QAR 93,905

before transport and other charges.

There is also a QAR 500 application fee and QAR 3,796 one-time registration fee for new students. American School of Doha

This makes ASD one of the clearest examples of a genuinely high-cost international school in Doha.

Doha College — Al Wajba

Doha College is a British-curriculum school serving pupils from Early Years through Sixth Form.

Importantly, it no longer operates campuses in Al Waab and West Bay. Those campuses closed in 2020, and the school now operates from its purpose-built Al Wajba campus. Doha College

For 2026–27:

• FS1–FS2: QAR 39,192 tuition per year
• Years 1–6: QAR 41,151
• Years 7–11: QAR 70,137
• Years 12–13: QAR 74,841

Annual capital charge:

• Early Years / Primary: QAR 8,000
• Secondary / Sixth Form: QAR 5,000

So a Year 12–13 place comes to around:

QAR 79,841 per year

for tuition plus capital charge.

Joining fees include:

• Seat booking: QAR 2,000
• Registration: QAR 3,650
• Stationery deposit: QAR 1,000. Doha College

The Hamilton International School — Mesaimeer

Hamilton is an international school following American standards, with an IB Diploma pathway available in the senior years.

Unlike the original draft, Hamilton's fees are published online.

Current published tuition is:

• Pre-KG–KG1: QAR 55,000
• KG2: QAR 60,000
• Grades 1–4: QAR 60,000
• Grade 5: QAR 70,000
• Grades 6–8: QAR 70,000
• Grades 9–12: QAR 75,000

Additional charges include:

• Application fee: QAR 300
• Registration fee: QAR 5,000
• Re-enrolment fee: QAR 2,000, deducted from the following year's tuition

The school also currently advertises sibling discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% for the second, third and fourth child respectively. The Hamilton International School

Location: Mesaimeer. The Hamilton International School

King's College Doha — Al Thumama and Mesaimeer

If the article is genuinely about premium schools, I would add King's College Doha.

Its 2026–27 tuition runs:

• Pre-School–Year 2: QAR 47,550
• Years 3–6: QAR 50,000
• Years 7–9: QAR 60,000
• Years 10–11: QAR 65,000
• Years 12–13: QAR 70,000

New students also pay:

• Assessment: QAR 300–500 depending on campus
• Registration: QAR 2,500

GCSE and A-Level examination charges are separate. King's College Doha

Sherborne Qatar

Another useful premium British comparison is Sherborne Qatar.

For 2026–27:

• Pre-School: QAR 35,000
• Reception: QAR 48,011
• Years 1–6: QAR 52,812
• Years 7–10: QAR 61,196
• Years 11–13: QAR 66,053

Application, registration and seat-reservation fees apply separately. Sherborne Qatar

Other established international schools at lower price points

These are useful comparisons, but I wouldn't describe them as being among Qatar's “most expensive.”

GEMS Wellington School Qatar — Al Wukair

Its MOEHE-approved 2026–27 tuition is:

• FS1: QAR 38,250
• FS2: QAR 42,250
• Year 1: QAR 44,250
• Years 2–3: QAR 44,875
• Years 4–6: QAR 45,500
• Year 7: QAR 53,500
• Years 8–9: QAR 53,625
• Years 10–12: QAR 58,625
• Year 13: QAR 63,625

The school states these fees include tuition, books and stationery.

Additional fees include:

• Registration: QAR 3,500
• Assessment: QAR 200 from FS2–Year 13. GEMS Wellington School - Qatar

Doha English Speaking School — Fereej Kulaib

DESS currently runs through Year 8 and is located in Fereej Kulaib, not Al Luqta.

Annual tuition:

• FS1–Year 6: QAR 38,120
• Year 7: QAR 48,500
• Year 8: QAR 49,500

Additional fees:

• Registration: QAR 2,750
• Seat reservation: QAR 2,000, offset against tuition
• Assessment: QAR 300 for FS1–Year 6 where required; QAR 275 for Years 7–8. Doha Speaking English School

International School of Choueifat – Doha — Legtaifiya

This is another major correction: ISC Doha is in Legtaifiya, not Abu Hamour.

The official MOEHE 2026–27 fee schedule lists:

• KG1: QAR 17,417
• KG2–Grade 6: QAR 24,990
• Grades 7–9: QAR 29,912
• Grades 10–12: QAR 36,728

Additional approved charges include:

• Seat reservation: QAR 2,000, deducted from tuition
• Registration: QAR 1,500
• Entrance assessment from Grade 1: QAR 1,200
• Books: QAR 1,000–2,500 depending on grade
• Optional transport: QAR 5,000. Choueifat Doha

The school's official address is in Legtaifiya Area 66. Choueifat Doha

What the headline fee doesn't include

This section of your original article is useful, but I would avoid saying extras automatically add 10–20%, because the difference varies enormously by school.

At ASD, for example, the capital fee alone is QAR 14,600 for Kindergarten–Grade 12, whereas GEMS Wellington includes books and stationery in its published tuition. American School of Doha

Ask each school about:

• Capital or facility fees
• Application and assessment fees
• Registration
• Seat reservation
• Bus transport
• Uniform
• Meals
• Books and stationery
• School trips
• Extracurricular activities
• GCSE, A-Level, AP or IB examinations
• Technology charges

The better comparison is therefore:

“What will this school cost my family for one complete year?”

rather than comparing tuition alone.

How expensive can a premium school really get?

For an older child, the gap is substantial.

Using current published recurring charges:

SchoolUpper-year tuitionKey recurring extraAmerican School of DohaQAR 79,305QAR 14,600 capitalACS DohaQAR 80,465QAR 5,352 capitalDoha CollegeQAR 74,841QAR 5,000 capitalHamiltonQAR 75,000No capital charge shown on fee pageKing's College DohaQAR 70,000Exams/extras separateSherborne QatarQAR 66,053Extras separateGEMS WellingtonQAR 63,625Books/stationery included

So saying premium upper-school fees run around QAR 60,000–80,000+ is fair — but the real annual cost can exceed QAR 90,000 once compulsory capital fees are added.

How to apply

The original admissions steps are broadly fine, but one detail matters: not every school uses the same admissions test or waits until the term before entry.

For example, Doha College publishes specific application windows and already had waiting lists for some 2026–27 year groups. Doha College DESS also publishes live year-group availability, with some 2026–27 grades already closed while others remained open. Doha Speaking English School

A safer process is:

1. Check whether your child's year group is accepting applications.
2. Submit the school's online application.
3. Pay the application or assessment fee where required.
4. Upload passports, QID/residency documents where available, reports and supporting records.
5. Complete any assessment, interview or school-reference process.
6. Accept the offer.
7. Pay the required registration or seat-reservation amount by the deadline.

For popular schools, apply as soon as you know you are moving to Qatar, rather than waiting until one term before arrival.

FAQs

What are the most expensive schools in Qatar?

Among schools with high current published fees, American School of Doha, ACS Doha, Doha College and Hamilton sit near the upper end.

At ASD, Grades 6–12 currently cost QAR 79,305 in tuition plus QAR 14,600 in annual capital fees, taking the recurring annual cost to roughly QAR 93,905 before other extras. American School of Doha

ACS tuition reaches QAR 80,465, plus QAR 5,352 in annual capital charges. ACS Doha -

There is no single official MOEHE ranking of Qatar's schools from most to least expensive, so avoid declaring one school definitively “the most expensive” without comparing every approved fee schedule.

Does Doha College still have an Al Waab campus?

No.

The Al Waab campus operated from 1988 to 2020. Doha College now operates from its Al Wajba campus. Doha College

Where is ACS Doha?

ACS Doha is in Al Kheesa, not Al Gharrafa. ACS Doha -

Does Hamilton publish its fees?

Yes.

Its current fee page lists tuition from QAR 55,000 in early years to QAR 75,000 in Grades 9–12. The Hamilton International School

Are school fees approved by the Ministry?

Private-school fees in Qatar are regulated through the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and many schools publish their MOEHE-approved schedules directly.

However, families should still check the exact academic year on the fee document before budgeting.

Do school fees include buses and meals?

Usually not.

Some schools include items such as books or stationery, while others charge them separately. Transport, meals, exams, trips and activities frequently sit outside tuition.

Do premium schools offer sibling discounts?

Some do, but not all.

• Hamilton, for example, currently publishes sibling discounts; GEMS schools also publish selected sibling, corporate and referral discounts. 

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