9th July 2025
Welcome to IB-schools.com, an Education Advisers website which showcases the very best private IB schools in the world
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is more than just an academic programme in the world of education. It is a global movement aiming to shape the leaders of tomorrow. Founded in 1968, and overseen by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) in Switzerland*, the IB offers a continuum of international education that challenges students to excel academically, personally, and ethically.
The IB Curriculum
There are four programmes:
- The Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged 16 to 19
- The Career-related Programme (CP) for students aged 16 to 19
- The Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students aged 11 to 16
- The Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students from 3 to 12
Why take the IB Diploma?
The IB Diploma is a rigorous 2-year course for students aged 16-19.
- Recognized by top universities worldwide
- Emphasizes inquiry-based, student-centered learning
- Develops well-rounded, globally minded individuals
- Encourages creativity, service, and leadership
A Global Standard of Excellence
There are currently around 2200 private IB schools in the world which teach in English and offer the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and 108 that offer the Career-related Programme (CP). Around 500 of these schools offer boarding.
The Top IB Schools in the World
In the May 2026 examination session, more than 209,000 students across 159 countries completed the IB Diploma Programme or Career-related Programme — the largest cohort in the programme's history. The global average Diploma Programme score rose to 30.88 points out of a possible 45, continuing three consecutive years of improvement.
Our league tables allow parents to look beyond this global average and explore how individual schools perform, with many private and international schools consistently achieving results well above the worldwide benchmark. IB-schools.com is proud to publish independent, comprehensive league tables of IB World Schools, giving families the data they need to assess and compare options with confidence.
Why do Education Advisers publish League Tables?
Parents investing in their child’s education will want to be confident that they will succeed academically and of course will pay attention to a school’s results. The IBDP is a demanding curriculum and high average scores achieved by a school are a clear demonstration of excellent teaching within a stimulating academic environment.
It should be noted, however, that many private schools that offer the IB are not academically selective and will offer an exceptional education to students of all abilities. Parents looking for a school in a particular area should therefore not discount schools that do not appear in the league tables. The top-performing IB schools are extremely competitive to get into and most are hugely oversubscribed.
Education Advisers are passionate about celebrating educational excellence and recognize the value to parents of having access to accurate and up to date information about schools. Our experienced consultants are available to help you find the right school for your child, whatever their ability or interests. We offer a bespoke school advice and placement service, and invite parents to contact us for a free initial consultation to explore how we can help.
Finding a Private IB School
On this site we list all the private (fee-paying) IB schools in the UK plus most of the European IB schools as well as the higher-achieving schools across the world that feature in our league tables. We currently only feature IB Schools which teach primarily in English. Some cities have no IB schools, in which case we can recommend alternatives, including boarding schools.
For more information or advice please contact us on +44 303 003 2259 or info@educationadvisers.co.uk
If you would like to book a FREE 20-minute consultation you can do so here
*Disclaimer
This website is written and published by Education Advisers Ltd. It is nothing to do with and is neither approved nor endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organisation, which devises and licenses the IB curriculums to IB member schools. The content and opinions belong to Education Advisers Ltd based on its own experience and research in the public domain. The league tables are not based on any information supplied by the IBO. Much of it comes directly from information provided by IB schools. We do not undertake to provide details of all IB schools in our rankings or database. In particular we do not cover state (free) schools or schools which do not teach in English, in which case you are advised to use the IBO’s own website for your search.
