The International Baccalaureate (IB) has released a new report, The International Baccalaureate in the United Kingdom: Growth, access and outcomes.
The UK is home to 128 IB World Schools, serving nearly 100,000 students. The majority are located in England, particularly in the South East region.
Drawing on recent data, the report explores IB participation and access, student achievement, and higher education pathways, offering new insights into students’ progression and success.
Key findings from the report include:
- In 2024, nearly 4,000 students in the UK received the IB diploma (fifth globally) and an additional 435 students received the Career-related Programme (CP) certificate (third globally).
- IB World Schools in England achieved more than double the proportion of ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted ratings compared with all schools in England (29.8% versus 13.5%) and none were rated ‘Inadequate’ or ‘Requires improvement’.
- In England, 67% of IB World Schools have non-selective admissions policies and serve student populations with similar rates of eligibility for Free School Meals as schools nationally.
- In 2023–2024, IB students in the UK sent over 7,000 transcripts to more than 660 higher education institutions globally, with University College London and King's College London among the most common destinations for students accepting offers through UCAS.
- Research on higher education outcomes in the UK found that DP students had greater odds of achieving a range of positive outcomes. Compared with matched A level students, they were three times more likely to enrol in a top 20 UK higher education institution and 40% more likely to obtain a first- or upper second-class honours degree.
 has released a new report, The International Baccalaureate in the United Kingdom: Growth, access and outcomes. ){kind=icon}