How much do school fees cost in Makkah?
Choosing a school in Makkah comes down to balancing tuition against curriculum, location and facilities. Across 140 schools with published fees, annual tuition runs from 4,800 SAR to 60,000 SAR, with a typical fee of about 9,500 SAR. The lower end is mostly national-curriculum and community schools, while international schools — British, American and IB — sit at the premium end.
This guide compares those 140 schools so you can see at a glance where fees sit in Makkah, which schools are the most affordable, and how costs shift by curriculum and by stage. Every figure here is starting annual tuition; the exact amount can change by grade and usually excludes transport, registration and materials.
A guide to school fees in Makkah
School fees in Makkah sit at the more moderate end of Saudi Arabia's private-school market. The city is anchored by private national-curriculum schools serving its large resident and expatriate-worker families, with a smaller pocket of international schools than you'll find in Riyadh or Jeddah — so the headline tuition range tends to be tighter, and genuinely premium-priced seats are relatively scarce. The biggest single driver of where a Makkah school lands in that range is curriculum, followed by stage and the district it sits in. Use the fee stats and tables on this page to see exactly where each Makkah school falls.
What affects the fees?
- Curriculum: the Saudi national curriculum makes up most of Makkah's private schools and keeps fees lower, while the handful of British and American schools — and the rare IB option — sit noticeably higher because of accreditation, imported materials, and native-speaker staffing.
- Stage: expect fees to climb step by step from kindergarten up to secondary; the jump into high school is usually the steepest, especially for English-medium and international programmes.
- Location & district: schools in established residential areas such as Al Aziziyah, Al Awali, and Al Naseem often carry higher fees than those in Al Shawqiyyah and the outer neighbourhoods, where land and operating costs are lower.
- Facilities & transport: larger campuses with labs, sports halls, and door-to-door bus routes through Makkah's hilly, congested districts add to the total — transport in particular can be a meaningful line item here.
Tips to lower the cost
- Ask each school about instalment plans — most Makkah schools split tuition across the year, which softens the upfront burden even when the annual figure is unchanged.
- Check for sibling discounts and early-payment discounts; with many Makkah families enrolling more than one child, a multi-child reduction can outweigh a slightly lower base tuition elsewhere.
- Compare the total annual cost — registration, books, uniforms, and transport — rather than the advertised tuition alone, since transport across Makkah's spread-out districts can shift the real bottom line.
Browse Makkah schools to compare.
Cheapest schools in Makkah
Schools with the lowest starting annual tuition.
| School | Curriculum | Type | From (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Nabt Al Hassan National Kindergarten | Saudi | National | 4800 |
| Al Thaqafa National School | Saudi | National | 5500 |
| Future Buds Private Kindergarten | Saudi | National | 6000 |
| future Baram national school | Saudi | National | 6000 |
| Lamsat Albraem National kindergarten | Saudi | National | 6000 |
| Azhaar Al Marah National School | Saudi | National | 6500 |
| The development national kindergarten | Saudi | National | 6500 |
| Iqraa National School | Saudi | National | 7000 |
| Iqraa international School | Pakistani | International | 7000 |
| Shoaa Al Marefa International Schools | Egyptian General | International | 7000 |
Most expensive schools in Makkah
Schools with the highest starting annual tuition.
| School | Curriculum | Type | From (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeel Al Maarfah National Schools | Saudi | Special Education | 60000 |
| Saql Al Mawahib School | Saudi | Special Education | 45000 |
| Al Forsan National Schools in Mecca | Saudi | Special Education | 34600 |
| Al Fursan International Schools | American | International | 27000 |
| Dor Al Elm National Schools | Saudi | National | 26000 |
| Alinjaz national School | Saudi | Special Education | 25000 |
| Alinjaz National Schools | Saudi | Special Education | 25000 |
| Al Batool International Schools - Al-Hamraa | American | International | 22000 |
| masirati educational academy | American | International | 19000 |
| Creativity secondary school | American | International | 18900 |
Fees by curriculum
| Curriculum | Schools | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi | 106 | 4800 | 9000 | 60000 |
| American | 22 | 8000 | 17000 | 27000 |
| Egyptian General | 4 | 7000 | 7250 | 11500 |
| Indian | 3 | 8000 | 8000 | 8500 |
| Egyptian Experimental | 2 | 7500 | 7750 | 8000 |
| Bilingual | 2 | 10000 | 11750 | 13500 |
| Pakistani | 1 | 7000 | 7000 | 7000 |
Fees by stage
| Stage | Schools | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinder | 106 | 4800 | 9000 | 60000 |
| Primary | 123 | 6000 | 11500 | 65000 |
| Middle | 70 | 8000 | 13000 | 45000 |
| Highschool | 47 | 9000 | 15900 | 34600 |
What affects school fees in Makkah?
Several things move a school's price up or down:
Curriculum
International programmes (British, American, IB) cost more than national-curriculum schools because of accreditation, specialist staff and resources.
Education stage
Fees usually rise from kindergarten through to high school as teaching becomes more specialised.
Facilities & activities
Labs, sports, arts and technology raise a school's running costs — and its fees.
Location & reputation
Established schools in sought-after districts often command higher fees.
Costs beyond tuition
The headline fee rarely tells the whole story. In Makkah, families typically also budget for one-off registration or application fees, transport, uniforms, books and supplies, and activity or exam fees. Ask each school for a full annual breakdown — including any sibling or early-payment discounts — before you compare.
How to choose a school within your budget
Start by setting a realistic annual budget, then shortlist schools whose starting fees fall within it — the tables above make that quick. Narrow further by curriculum, stage and distance from home, and remember to factor in the extra costs above. Once you have two or three strong matches, contact them to confirm current fees and availability.
Frequently asked questions
How much are school fees in Makkah?
Across 140 schools in Makkah, annual tuition is typically around 9,500 SAR, ranging from 4,800 SAR to 60,000 SAR.
What are the cheapest schools in Makkah?
The most affordable schools start from about 4,800 SAR per year — see the full list above.
Do school fees vary by curriculum?
Yes. International curricula (British, American, IB) are usually more expensive than national-curriculum schools. See the by-curriculum breakdown above.
Do the fees include transport and books?
Usually not. Tuition is typically separate from transport, uniforms, books and registration — check each school for additional fees.
Are international schools in Makkah more expensive?
Generally yes. International-curriculum schools (British, American, IB) usually charge more than national-curriculum schools — see the by-curriculum breakdown above for the typical range in Makkah.
Can school fees be paid in installments?
Many schools in Makkah offer termly or monthly installment plans, and some give sibling or early-payment discounts. Availability varies by school, so confirm directly with each one.