The Rankings — 2026/27
Next update in 362d 17h 32m 11s
Independent · Unpaid · Editorial
World's Top Schools, Ranked.
Every ranked and candidate school in the directory, one continuous list from #1 down. Use this view when you want the full picture without switching between tiers.
This ranking is locked. The next ranking update will be on September 1, 2027. How the ranking cycle works · Why this ranking exists
Penny's picks
Saudi Arabia · Eastern Province
Dhahran Ahliyya Schools
In Dhahran's oil-country heartland, a bilingual campus founded in 1977 pairs IB rigor with an Arab and Islamic identity.
72.2
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
American International School – Riyadh
Since 1963, north Riyadh's dual-diploma pioneer pairs an American high school degree with the IB, drawing 65-plus nationalities to one campus.
71.5
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
British International School Riyadh
Founded in 1979 amid Riyadh's diplomatic and oil community, this multi-campus day school pairs A-Levels with the IB Diploma.
70.6
Score
Saudi Arabia · Eastern Province
British International School Al Khobar
Governed with the British Embassy since 1977, this not-for-profit Gulf school earned exemplary marks in its 2025 BSO inspection.
70.3
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Kingdom Schools
Twin single-sex campuses in Riyadh pair American Common Core rigor with Arabic and Islamic studies, plus a bid for IB Primary Years status.
69.3
Score
Saudi Arabia · Makkah Province
Jeddah Prep and Grammar School
Founded in 1967 as the region's first British school, blending Cambridge rigor with a not-for-profit, fifty-nation community ethos.
68.8
Score
Saudi Arabia · Makkah Province
KAUST School
Set inside a Red Sea research university campus, this IB continuum school pairs inquiry-based learning with a working scientific community.
68.6
Score
Saudi Arabia · Al Rawdah
American International School - Jeddah
Born in 1952 as a parents' cooperative for Saudia's expat families, now Jeddah's oldest American school pairing AP depth with a new IB track.
68.5
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Manarat Al Riyadh Schools
A Maarif-network day school where American diploma and British A-level tracks run alongside Riyadh's only inter-school Quran competition.
68.4
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Misk Schools
Nine single-sex academies share one royally founded Riyadh campus, built to engineer Vision 2030's next leaders.
66.4
Score
Saudi Arabia · Makkah Province
The British International School of Jeddah
Born in a British Embassy room in 1977, this Jeddah 'Conti' became the first British-style school worldwide to earn ECIS accreditation.
66.4
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Multinational School Riyadh
A 1998-founded British day school in Riyadh built its reputation on inclusive teaching and one of the region's most developed learning-support programmes.
64.1
Score
Saudi Arabia · Eastern Province
Dhahran Academy
Founded in 1962 for US Consulate families, this Eastern Province campus now pairs AP Capstone rigor with a full IB Diploma pathway.
57.1
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
King Faisal School
Founded by the King Faisal Foundation in 1991, the first school in the Kingdom to run all three IB programmes end to end.
56.0
Score
Saudi Arabia · Eastern Province
American School Dhahran
Born in 1962 to educate US Consulate families, this day school in Aramco's hometown now offers both AP Capstone and full IB Diploma tracks.
53.8
Score
Saudi Arabia · Al Muhammadiyah
Advanced Learning Schools
In central Riyadh, a full IB continuum meets American college prep for a student body that is majority Al Saud.
51.8
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Riyadh Schools
Five decades running the Saudi national curriculum in tandem with California English-standard benchmarking and MAP testing.
49.6
Score
Saudi Arabia · Makkah Province
Dar Al Fikr Schools
A campus engineered like a solar system, with faith as the fixed center around which British rigor and Arab-Islamic identity orbit.
48.8
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Al-Tarbia Al-Islamiah Schools
Founded in 1964 by Saudi royalty, this Rahmaniyah day school pairs Quranic values with disciplined academic rigor in Riyadh.
42.9
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
King's College Riyadh
Riyadh's first British day school anchors a 140-year King's lineage in historic Diriyah, building toward iGCSE and A Level provision.
42.0
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Aldenham Riyadh
A 425-year-old English school's owner-operated outpost in Riyadh's financial district pairs British rigour with strong Arabic studies.
40.3
Score
Saudi Arabia · Eastern Province
British School Dhahran
In Saudi Arabia's oil heartland, a purpose-built 40-acre campus delivers the National Curriculum for England alongside its American neighbour.
39.7
Score
Saudi Arabia · Riyadh Province
Downe House Riyadh
A century-old Berkshire girls' school transplanted to Riyadh, blending British rigor with Arabic and Islamic studies from Year 5.
35.6
Score
Methodology
How we rank
Our composite weights eight categories. Each is scored 0–100 by our editorial panel and audited against 30 sub-criteria drawn from school records, university placement audits, alumni surveys, campus visits and parent interviews. Schools cannot pay for placement or preview scores.
Weighting
- Academic Outcomes20%
- University Placement17%
- Prestige & Heritage13%
- Alumni Network13%
- Facilities13%
- Transparency & Communications8%
- Peer & Industry Review10%
- Admissions Selectivity & Demand8%
Score key
Reading the scores
Bands out of 100
Every category, sub-criterion and composite total across this issue uses the same six-band editorial palette. Bands are calibrated against the full 300-school cohort — a "Distinguished" mark is meaningfully harder to earn than a "Strong" one.
- Exceptional90–100
Top of cohort
- Distinguished80–89
Elite tier
- Strong70–79
Consistently high
- Solid60–69
Reliable performer
- Average50–59
Room to grow
- Below par< 50
Underperforming
The same colour bands are used inside each school profile, on category chips, radar charts and the annual score-history line — so a colour glimpsed on the Rankings page always means the same thing everywhere else.