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College Info

College Credit

Many universities around the world offer either credit hours or course credit for satisfactory scores on IB exams. It's always best practice to check with the school, but by law all public universities in Illinois accept IB scores of a 4 or higher. This is true in several other states, including but not limited to California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. There are also numerous private universities who offer credit, scholarships, and other perks to IB graduates.

Learn more about the IB Diploma's impact on acceptance rates at the Top 25 universities in the United States at this link. 

Learn more about how IB compares to general acceptance rates at over 150 of the most commonly attended American universities at this link.

 

Section Guide

 

For more information

Libby Day
IB Diploma Coordinator
(708) 335-5799 
LDay@hf233.org 

 

 

What does the research say about the Diploma Programme?

  • In the US, 85% of IB students enrolled in a university immediately after high school, compared to 66% of all high school graduates. Of those IB students, 90% returned to the same university in their second year. (Pilchen, Caspary, Woodworth, 2020).

  • Qualitative data found that IB graduates in the US  were better able to adjust to the rigors of university coursework; students specifically highlighted a number of skills gained through participation in the DP, including critical-thinking, time management and research skills (Conley, McGaughy, Davis-Molin, Farkas, and Fukuda, 2014). 

  • Low-income IB students in US Title 1 schools enrolled students in college at similar rates to all IB students in US public schools.  They also had much higher rates than the national average for low-income students.  This was particularly true for African-American students in the study (Gordon, VanderKamp and Halic 2015).

  • US IB graduates are significantly more likely to persist and to complete college than their non-IB counterparts (Conley, McGaughy, Davis-Molin, Farkas, and Fukuda, 2014). 

  • IB students had a higher university graduation rate (83%) compared to the US national average (56%) (Bergeron 2015).

 

What Colleges Are Saying

Duke logo
Duke
“One of the advantages of an IB curriculum is its structure and quality.  It is a coordinated programme, well-established, well-known and well-respected.  We know the quality of IB courses, and we think the IB curriculum is terrific.”

Christoph Guttentag, Director of Undergraduate Admission

Harvard University crest
Harvard
“Success in an IB program correlates well with success at Harvard. We are always pleased to see the credentials of the IB Diploma Programme on the transcript.”

Marilyn McGrath Lewis, Director of Admissions

MIT logo
MIT
“It is the best high school prep curriculum an American school can offer.”

Marilee Jones, Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Princeton U logo
Princeton
“The IB is a first-rate programme, one we are familiar with, and it prepares students well for a university like ours.”

Fred Hargadon, Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Vanderbilt logo
Vanderbilt
"There is no other curriculum anywhere that does a superior job of both educating students and inspiring a true and broad based love of learning.”

William Shain,  Dean of Admissions

William and Mary Logo
W&M
“The rigor.. meets our recommendation for the strongest high school preparation possible. In sum, the IB Diploma candidate who has met the challenge successfully receives strong consideration from the William & Mary admission committee.”

Allison Jesse, Associate Dean of Admissions

10 Reasons Why the IB Diploma Programme is ideal preparation for university

  1. It offers academic breadth and depth
    IB Diploma Programme students are 21% more likely to be admitted into 10 of the most prestigious universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford.
  2. Colleges value students with meaningful experiences beyond the classroom
    Creativity, action, service (CAS) encourages learning through direct experience.
  3. It's a qualification recognized by universities around the world.
    The IB Diploma Programme is internationally benchmarked, allowing graduates to continue their studies anywhere in the world.
  4. It creates independent learners and strong writers.
    The extended essay requires independent research through an in-depth study and a 4,000 word essay.
  5. It cultivates an international mindset.
    An international mindset is a key 21st-century learning skill. Second language learning--an IB requirement--has been linked to higher achievement in school and university.
  6. It assesses more than examination techniques.
    IB never teaches to the test--exams are externally assessed with no grade inflation for more than 30 years.
  7. IB students have proven time management skills.
    Research has found that IB students develop strong study habits and critical time management skills, key indicators of college readiness.
  8. The IB encourages critical thinking.
    Inquisitiveness and interpretation are among the key cognitive properties of an IB education.
  9. Subjects aren't taught in isolation.
    Theory of knowledge classes encourage students to make connections between subjects and gain the skills they need to be critical thinkers.
  10. IB learner profiles gives 10 more reasons.
    The IB learner profile offers 10 qualities underpinning the Diploma Programme -- from open-minded to risk-taker to balanced the form a framework for an international education that meets the needs of a changing world.