How many secondary schools in Muscat
Muscat hosts around 20 international secondary schools open at Year 7 to Year 13 in 2026. The breakdown by curriculum is roughly 12 British schools running IGCSE and A Level, three IB Diploma schools, two American schools running Advanced Placement, one German School with the German International Abitur, one French Lycee with the Baccalaureat and one Indian School running CBSE through Class 12. Eleven of these schools offer a full sixth form. The remainder finish at IGCSE, Class 10 or Year 11 and rely on outbound transfers to complete the qualification cycle.
Cohort sizes thin out meaningfully from Year 9 onwards as families with secondary aged children make sharper decisions about university pathways. Year 7 cohorts at BSM, MPS and TAISM sit at 70 to 80 children, while Year 12 cohorts at the same schools drop to 45 to 60. The IB Diploma cohorts at ABA Oman, TAISM and The Sultan's School all sit between 35 and 55 graduating students a year. The A Level cohort at BSM is the largest sixth form in the country at around 110 students across two year groups. Most schools run an active scholarship programme for Year 12 entry that draws applicants from outside the school's own Year 11.
Fees and the tier map
Secondary fees in Muscat range from about OMR 3,200 a year for Year 7 at value tier providers to OMR 7,500 for Year 13 A Level or IB Diploma at the premium tier. The median Year 9 fee in 2026 is roughly OMR 5,000, with a 10 to 15 percent step into sixth form for A Level or the IB Diploma. Capital levies of OMR 350 to OMR 1,200 apply at most schools on entry and IGCSE plus A Level or IB Diploma exam entries cost an additional OMR 450 to OMR 700 a year in qualification years. For the full fee picture, see our Muscat fees guide and the relocation cost calculator.
The secondary fee tier map mirrors the primary picture with a 10 to 15 percent uplift. Tier 1, above OMR 6,500 for Year 9, covers TAISM and BSM. Tier 2, sitting at OMR 5,000 to OMR 6,400, covers MPS, ABA Oman, The Sultan's School and Lycee Francais college et lycee. Tier 3, sitting at OMR 4,000 to OMR 4,900, covers most ABQ schools, Al Sahwa, Deutsche Schule Muskat Sekundarstufe and the Indian school secondary. Tier 4, below OMR 4,000, covers value tier providers in Al Khoud, Bawshar and the older Indian community schools.
Looking at sixth form options in Muscat?
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Illustrative example schools
The schools below are illustrative, not a ranking. Each has been running a recognisable secondary programme in Muscat for at least 15 years and serves a meaningful international family base.
British School Muscat in Madinat Sultan Qaboos runs Year 7 to Year 13 with Cambridge IGCSE at the end of Year 11 and a sixth form A Level programme. The largest sixth form in the country with around 110 students across Year 12 and Year 13, and a strong UK university progression record including regular Oxbridge offers.
The American International School of Muscat in Madinat Qaboos runs the American programme through Grade 12 with the IB Diploma offered as an option in Grade 11 and 12 alongside Advanced Placement. Strong AP US History and AP Calculus provision, with a clear progression to US and Canadian universities.
ABA Oman in Al Ghubrah is the longest established IB World School in Muscat, with the IB Middle Years Programme through Grade 10 and the IB Diploma at Grade 11 and 12. Roughly 50 IB Diploma graduates each year, with a strong record at UK Russell Group and Dutch universities.
Muscat Private School in Madinat Sultan Qaboos covers Year 7 to Year 13 on the Cambridge syllabus, with a larger Year 11 IGCSE cohort than BSM and a smaller, more focused sixth form. Good route for families who want the Cambridge syllabus without the BSM Year 7 bottleneck.
The Sultan's School in Seeb runs a bilingual Arabic English secondary that mixes the Omani national curriculum with British content, then splits at sixth form into parallel IB Diploma and A Level streams of roughly equal size. The strongest bilingual sixth form in the country.
Sixth form pathways
Muscat sixth form pathways split into four routes. A Level, the dominant choice with roughly 60 percent of sixth form students, runs at BSM, MPS, ABQ Al Khuwair, the Sultan's School A Level stream and four smaller British schools. The IB Diploma, taken by roughly 25 percent of sixth form students, runs at ABA Oman, TAISM, the Sultan's School IB stream and as a parallel option at BSM by special arrangement. Advanced Placement runs at TAISM and one smaller American school. The remaining sixth form students take the German International Abitur at Deutsche Schule Muskat, the French Baccalaureat at Lycee Francais de Mascate or stay in the Indian School CBSE Class 11 and 12 stream.
University destinations track the qualification choice but with meaningful overlap. UK Russell Group universities accept all four routes on documented equivalence grids, with conditional offers translated from A Level grades to IB Diploma points to Abitur Durchschnitt to Baccalaureat mention. US universities prefer Advanced Placement or the IB Diploma. Dutch universities have become an increasingly popular destination across all four routes thanks to lower fees and strong English language provision. Read our IB schools guide for IB Diploma specifically and our British curriculum hub for A Level routes.
Admissions and the Year 7 bottleneck
Year 7 and Year 12 are the main intake points at most Muscat secondaries. Applications for September 2026 opened in October 2025 with assessment days in January and February at the larger schools. Year 7 is the tightest bottleneck at BSM and ABA Oman because the school's own primary cohort fills most places, and external applicants take only the seats left over after siblings. Year 12 A Level entry usually requires a minimum of five IGCSEs at grade 6 or above, with grade 7s in proposed A Level subjects. IB Diploma entry typically requires five MYP year 5 grades at a 5 or above, with a 6 in the proposed Higher Level subjects.
Mid secondary entry into Year 8, Year 9 and Year 10 is slightly more open because expatriate postings turn over on three to five year cycles, with most families leaving at the half term and end of year break. Late applicants go on a waiting list and pick up places only when families withdraw, typically May to August as postings shift. Apply 9 to 12 months ahead for the Tier 1 schools and use the compare tool to assess sixth form options before locking a school choice.
Frequently asked questions
How many international secondary schools are there in Muscat?
Muscat has around 20 international secondary schools at Year 7 to Year 13, including roughly 12 British curriculum schools running IGCSE and A Level, three IB Diploma schools, two American schools running AP, plus the single German International Abitur school and the single French Baccalaureat school. About 11 offer a full sixth form.
Which Muscat schools offer the IB Diploma?
ABA Oman, TAISM and the IB stream at The Sultan's School all offer the IB Diploma. ABA Oman has run the IB Diploma the longest in Muscat, with three full graduating cohorts a year. The Sultan's School offers the IB Diploma alongside A Level, with the two streams roughly equal in size.
How much does sixth form in Muscat cost?
Sixth form fees in Muscat range from OMR 5,400 a year at value tier British providers to OMR 7,500 at the most premium A Level or IB Diploma sixth form. Year 13 A Level adds 10 to 15 percent over Year 11 because of smaller group teaching and individual UCAS counselling.
Are Omani A Level and IB Diploma results competitive for UK university entry?
Yes. The top Muscat schools produce A Level and IB Diploma results comparable to mid tier UK independent schools, with regular Russell Group offers. Strong applicants compete for Oxbridge and medical school places successfully each year. UK university acceptance rates from Muscat schools hold steady around 88 percent.
When is the most competitive secondary entry point in Muscat?
Year 7 is the tightest bottleneck at BSM and ABA Oman because the school's own primary cohort fills most places and external applicants compete only for the seats left over after siblings. Year 12 sixth form entry is the second tightest point, with strong IGCSE or MYP grades required.
