Aditya Birla World Academy vs Dhirubhai Ambani International School

	A Aditya Birla World Academy Mumbai, India	D Dhirubhai Ambani International School Mumbai, India
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year ₹650,000 - 1,100,000	Fees / year ₹170,000 - 1,470,400
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Cambridge (Primary), Cambridge (Secondary), Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International AS Levels, Cambridge A Levels, IB (DP)	Curriculum Indian Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, IB (DP)
Pupils	Pupils 560	Pupils 1,064
Typical class size	Typical class size 8	Typical class size 6
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 2008	Opened 2003
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Vastu Shilp Annexe, Gamadia Colony, J D Road, Tardeo, Mumbai 400007.	Location Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai 400098, India
Stages	Stages Nursery to Grade 12. Junior School: Nursery–5th; Secondary School: 6th–10th; High School A-Level: 11th–12th; High School IBDP: 11th–12th.	Stages ICSE Secondary Programme for Classes VIII–X (ICSE being phased out; last batch in March 2026), IGCSE Secondary Programme for Classes VIII–X, IB Diploma Programme for Classes XI–XII
School type	School type co-educational day school	School type ICSE, IGCSE, and IB Diploma Programme international curricula
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support Learning Centre; inclusive environment with individualized learning approaches; College Counselling; Student Care Services; ICT in the Classroom
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Cambridge International Examinations and International Baccalaureate	Country affiliation India
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details The School operates 24 bus routes; details on routes, pick-up and drop-off points, time schedules, and bus charges provided at admission; no plans to extend bus routes
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application / Admission fees - A non‑refundable application fee is commonly required; published secondary sources report an application form fee around INR 5,000. - Many families report a one‑time admission/registration or seat‑confirmation charge at offer stage; published estimates for a seat‑confirmation/admission payment fall broadly in the range of INR 100,000 to INR 300,000 depending on grade and timing. Tuition fees by year group (annual sums and guidance) - Early years / Primary (PYP / lower grades): published fee summaries and market comparisons place annual tuition in the approximate range of INR 500,000 to INR 800,000 per year. - Secondary (middle / IGCSE years): published guidance and fee‑comparison pages place annual tuition commonly between about INR 600,000 and INR 1,000,000 per year. - High School (A‑Levels / IBDP): published sources indicate annual tuition for IB/A‑Level years is typically in the higher band, commonly reported in the range of INR 600,000 to INR 1,400,000 per year. Per‑term / per‑term‑breakdown - The school does not publish a publicly accessible detailed per‑term fee table on its downloads page; therefore exact termly instalments by grade are not publicly listed. Where parents need term‑by‑term amounts, third‑party summaries show annual figures and note that schools in this cohort usually offer annual, termly or instalment billing options, but the specific termly breakdown for each grade at this school is not openly published. Billing schedule and payment terms - Typical practice reported for comparable international day schools in Mumbai (and reported in third‑party summaries for this school) includes: - Seat confirmation / booking payment at acceptance of offer. - Tuition billed annually with common options to pay in full or in instalments (termly or quarterly) subject to the school's payment deadlines and any late‑payment penalties. Published summaries do not provide a school‑published, grade‑wise instalment calendar. Boarding / accommodation fees - Aditya Birla World Academy operates as a day school; no boarding accommodation or boarding fees are applicable. Other costs and typical additional fees - One‑time or annual charges commonly reported in third‑party fee breakdowns include development/maintenance fees, building fund or corpus contributions, computer / smart‑class charges, co‑curricular or activity fees, sports fees, and miscellaneous charges. These are frequently shown as separate line items in market fee summaries. - Transport / school bus: if used, bus fees are commonly charged separately and vary by route; they are not included in the tuition figures reported by fee‑comparison sources. - Uniform, textbooks, examination fees (including IB exam charges for DP students), external assessment fees, and optional programme fees (tutoring, learning‑support, trips) are typically charged in addition to tuition. Published summaries note IB examination fees and other external exam costs are not included in headline tuition figures. Refund information - Third‑party summaries and common school practice indicate some one‑time deposits (for example a refundable security deposit) may be refundable at the end of enrolment subject to clearance of dues and conditions; however, detailed, grade‑specific refund rules and timelines for returns are not published in a public downloadable fee policy on the school's downloads page. Parents should treat one‑time admissions/booking payments as typically non‑refundable unless expressly stated otherwise in the school's offer/fee policy. Fee payment options - Market summaries indicate schools in this segment commonly accept online bank transfer (NEFT/RTGS/IMPS), credit/debit card payments (with possible processing fees), and demand drafts or direct deposits for fee payments; seat‑confirmation payments are usually accepted via secure online gateway or bank transfer. The school's public downloads area does not publish an explicit, itemised list of accepted payment instruments. Summary note on available public detail - A publicly downloadable, grade‑wise, term‑by‑term official fee schedule is not available from the school's open downloads page; most available numeric figures are published by third‑party fee‑comparison sites and market summaries that report annual fee ranges and common additional charges. The figures above reflect the ranges and line‑items reported in those market summaries; precise termly instalments, exact grade‑wise tuition amounts, and the school's formal refund and detailed payment‑terms are not published in a public downloadable fee schedule on the school's downloads page.	Fee details Application & registration fees - Registration (application) fee: INR 8,000 (one-time, payable at time of application). - Non‑refundable admission / initial payment: paid at the time of accepting an offer. For new admissions the first‑year admission/initial payment levels reported for recent sessions are: LKG–Class VII: INR 170,000; Classes VIII–X: INR 448,000; Classes XI–XII: INR 965,000. These figures are treated as the first‑year total (admission + first instalment of tuition/charges). Tuition fees by year group (annual and per‑term breakdown) - LKG to Class VII - Annual total (reported): INR 170,000. - Payment pattern (per the school's term/quarter rules): - Term I (due on admission / before start of year): 50% of annual = INR 85,000. - Remaining 50% of annual tuition (INR 85,000) is collected in two equal quarterly instalments during Term II: INR 42,500 + INR 42,500. - Classes VIII to X (IGCSE/secondary group) - Annual total (reported): INR 448,000. - Payment pattern: - Term I (due on admission / before start of year): 50% of annual = INR 224,000. - Remaining 50% of annual tuition (INR 224,000) is collected in two equal quarterly instalments during Term II: INR 112,000 + INR 112,000. - Classes XI to XII (IB / senior secondary) - Annual total (reported): INR 965,000. - Payment pattern: - Term I (due on admission / before start of year): 50% of annual = INR 482,500. - Remaining 50% of annual tuition (INR 482,500) is collected in two equal quarterly instalments during Term II: INR 241,250 + INR 241,250. (Note: the school's published billing model separates an annual tuition component and a "term fee" component; the school requires the Term I tuition and Term I term‑fee to be paid in advance on acceptance, and the remaining tuition is collected in two equal quarterly instalments in the second term. The per‑term instalment amounts above follow that payment rule applied to the reported annual totals.) Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition and charges for school bus service and lunch are payable quarterly; the term fee is payable half‑yearly. The school publishes specific quarterly payment windows (for example: June 12–18, September 12–18, December 12–18, March 12–18 for the academic year cycle used for IGCSE/IB; ICSE dates follow a similar quarterly schedule). Parents of newly admitted students normally pay the Term I amounts in full before the academic year begins. - Late payment penalties: INR 50 per day for payments overdue up to 10 days; INR 100 per day for delays beyond 10 days. - Accepted payment methods: fees are required to be paid online through the DAIS parent portal; the school also has used third‑party online payment gateway options and accepts cheques / demand drafts / pay orders drawn in favour of the school when specifically instructed. (The parent portal / gateway is the primary channel for fee collection.) Boarding fees - Boarding is not a published standard offering for the DAIS main campus; DAIS operates as a day school. No boarding fee schedule is published for regular residential provision. Other costs and recurring charges - In addition to the annual tuition totals above, parents are responsible for costs that typically include: school lunch, school transport, compulsory educational trips and excursions, examination / board fees, university / college application charges, books, stationery and school uniform. These items are billed separately or charged as additional services when applicable. Refund and withdrawal policy - Notice and documentation: parents must submit a “Notice of Intention to withdraw pupil” form plus a signed letter requesting withdrawal. The School Leaving Certificate is issued only after clearance of outstanding dues and return of school property. - Refund rules for withdrawals communicated before the scheduled start of the academic year: - Withdrawal on or before 90 days before commencement: 100% refund of the Tuition Fee paid. - Withdrawal less than 90 days but on or before 45 days before commencement: 50% refund of the Tuition Fee paid. - Withdrawal less than 45 days before commencement: no refund of Tuition Fee. - Term Fee refunds follow the same 100% / 50% / nil bands relative to 90 / 45 day cutoffs; amounts paid for school transport and school lunch paid prior to commencement are refundable. - After the academic year or term has commenced, no refunds of Tuition Fee, Term Fee or other charges are made for any term, whether or not the student attends classes, if parents communicate withdrawal or the child leaves before the end of that term. Fee payment options and instructions - Primary channel: the DAIS parent portal (online payments). - Other channels that have been used/mentioned in fee circulars or parent communications: school‑provided online payment links (payment gateway), and in limited circumstances cheque / demand draft / pay order drawn in favour of the school. The school has used ICICI Eazypay for online collections. Parents should follow the payment instructions on the school's admission offer / fee notice when making payments. Summary (what parents should budget for in the first year) - One‑time/initial: registration application fee (INR 8,000) plus the non‑refundable admission / first‑year initial payment equal to the Term I amount (50% of the published annual total for the child's year group). - Recurring in‑year: the remaining tuition instalments (two equal quarterly payments that together equal the second 50% of annual tuition), term fee instalments as scheduled, and separate charges for lunches, transport, trips, uniforms, books and examination/college application fees.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Nursery uses a blended Montessori and Reggio Emilia approach to early learning. Junior School serves Nursery to Grade 5 with a focus on core subjects. Secondary School offers the Cambridge IGCSE for Grades 9 and 10. High School provides Cambridge A-Levels (Grades 11-12) with CIPQ and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for Grades 11-12. University counselling begins in Grade 8 to help map curriculum choices (IGCSE, A Levels, and IBDP) to higher education, with SAT testing and the Cialfo platform for college exploration. The school has a 1:8 teacher–student ratio.	Curriculum details DAIS is an English-medium, K-12 school. Lower KG to Grade 7 uses an integrated curriculum of national and international boards. Grades 8 to 10 offer ICSE or IGCSE; Grades 11 and 12 pursue the IB Diploma Programme. It is authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and is pursuing IB World School authorization. It is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio 1:8	Student teacher ratio 6:1
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results In Class of 2021, 106 graduates; 104 full IB Diploma candidates; 103 full IB Diploma recipients; 17 students achieved 45/45 on the IB; IB average score 41.1/45.
Higher education progression	Higher education progression University counselling begins in Grade 8 to guide students in mapping IGCSE, A-Level, and IB DP curricula to higher education. Counselors assist with shortlisting universities, navigating applications, and writing college essays. The school provides standardized testing support (SAT) and uses the Cialfo platform for career and college exploration to help students plan their futures.	Higher education progression DAIS graduates have attended universities worldwide, including Amherst College, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Sydney, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Nanyang Technological University.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions Step 1: Eligibility and grade availability. ABWA accepts Nursery, LKG, Grade 8, and Grade 11; admission to other grades depends on chance vacancies. Age criteria for AY 2026-2027 are Nursery 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023; LKG 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022; HKg 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021; Grade 1 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020. Admission to ABWA is subject to seat availability and fulfilment of the eligibility criteria.	Admissions Admissions for academic year 2026-27. Eligibility for Class VIII (IGCSE): the student must have successfully completed Class VII and been promoted to Class VIII from a recognized school. Eligibility for Class XI (IB Diploma): the student must have successfully completed Class X from a recognized secondary education board. Instructions for filling out the online Application for Admission: use the latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Internet Explorer (IE10 or above). You can download the DAIS Admission Mobile App from the Play Store or the App Store. Your registered email ID on the Admission portal serves as your Login ID, and you should use this login ID to complete the form. If applying for more than one child, use the same login credentials for each child. The password must be at least 8 characters with at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one number. User Registration: the registered email ID is the login ID; when registering the mobile number, select the country code and enter the number. All communications from the School concerning admissions are sent ONLY to the registered mobile number and email ID. Ensure the names of the student and parents on the online application match the birth certificate; if there is no middle name, the field may be left blank. Photograph: a recent passport-size colour photo (size 5.5 cm x 4.5 cm) on a white, red, or blue background; full-face with eyes open; file size not exceeding 5 MB; accepted formats are PNG, JPG, JPEG, TIF, or TIFF. Documents to be uploaded for IGCSE Class VIII: self-attested birth certificate; self-attested copies of school reports for the last three academic years and the current academic year (AY 2025-26); a Personal Statement up to 500 words (written by the student) outlining academic and co-curricular interests, achievements, and how studying at DAIS would help; self-attested documents of achievements may be uploaded on the Additional Information page. Documents to be uploaded for IBDP Class XI: self-attested birth certificate; self-attested copies of school reports for the last three academic years and the current academic year (2025-26); Personal Statement up to 500 words; self-attested certificate/report evidencing completion of Class X; self-attested documents of achievements may be uploaded on the Additional Information page. File size for each document: up to 5 MB; documents must be uploaded in PDF, JPG, JPEG, TIF, or TIFF formats; every page must be self-attested by a parent or guardian. DOC files can be uploaded to the Additional Information page for both IGCSE Class VIII and IBDP Class XI forms, and multiple files (up to 10 files) of 5 MB may be uploaded per item. Printing the Application for Admission: use the Printing Options, set Layout to Portrait, Paper Size to A4, and Margins to None, then print. Note: the School reserves the right to amend admissions policies and procedures; submitting a completed Application for Admission does not guarantee admission, which remains subject to seat availability and the school's discretion. The Admissions page also includes an Academic Calendar and test/interview schedules. Academic Calendar 2026-27: IGCSE Classes VIII to X and IB Diploma Programme Classes XI and XII begin on 10 August 2026; there are summer and Diwali/Christmas breaks. IGCSE Class VIII Aptitude Test and Parents' Interaction: all registered applicants who meet eligibility will be invited for the Aptitude Test; Aptitude Test date shown as 11 October 2025 (Saturday); shortlisted candidates will be invited for an Interaction in the last week of November 2025; these dates are indicative and may be changed by the School. IB Diploma Programme (Class XI): Admission Test (Stage I and Stage II) and Interactive Session; Stage I is a 1 hour 30 minute multiple-choice test (Logical Reasoning, Mathematics, English); Stage II is a 3-hour descriptive test (English, Mathematics, and an Elective Paper); shortlisted candidates after Stage II are invited to an Interactive Session; Stage I test date shown as 4 October 2025 (Saturday); Stage II test shown as 8 November 2025 (Saturday); Interaction with Students in the first week of December 2025; these dates are indicative and may be changed. Information Session dates for Class XI (IB DP) and Class VIII (IGCSE) are listed (e.g., 22 September 2025, 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.); webinar links are sent to registered applicants. The above dates and schedules are indicative and may be changed at the School's discretion. Printing and printing-related notes and the deadlines for admission are subject to change. For further details, refer to the admissions information published for the 2026-27 cycle.
Scholarships	Scholarships Step 2: Online inquiry and application. The school provides Online Admissions and an Admission Enquiry form; on the form you select Academic Year and Grade. For AY 2026-2027 the application process is closed; complete the inquiry form to register for chance vacancies. Step 3: Fixed admission timing. There is a fixed admission period and mid-year admissions are not accepted, with possible exceptions for international admissions; contact the Admissions Office for guidance. Step 4: Scholarship pathway (Grade 11 IBDP). For the Merit Scholarship Programme, internal and external applicants seeking Grade 11 (IBDP) admission may be eligible; the scholarship can cover part or full tuition for the two-year programme. Step 5: Contact for admissions. For inquiries, reach the Admissions Office at abwa.admissions@abet.co.in or 022 2352 8400.	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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