7 min read
The cost of studying in Dubai is usually discussed through a single figure — tuition. In practice a family plans a budget made of at least four components, and the gap between the low and high scenario can reach 1.5x.
Tuition
A bachelor's degree at UAE universities costs roughly $9,000–25,000 a year. The lower end covers regional universities and programmes in business and IT. The upper end covers campuses of American and British universities, engineering, architecture and medicine.
Accommodation
A student residence costs less than renting a flat and usually includes utilities. A studio in an outlying district may look comparable to a residence, but it adds transport and a deposit.
What people forget to count
- Visa and medical insurance — arranged through the university
- The enrolment deposit, which is not part of the annual fee
- Flights home two or three times a year
- Transport: the metro is cheap, but not every campus sits next to a station
How to calculate properly
We budget for a full academic year and, separately, for the whole degree. The difference between a three-year bachelor's in the UAE and a four-year one elsewhere often matters more than the difference in the annual price.
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