International Baccalaureate

What International Baccalaureate does

International Baccalaureate (IB), founded in 1968 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a non-profit educational foundation operating under Swiss law. It delivers a continuum of four internationally recognized programmes — Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 3-12), Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11-16), Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16-19), and Career-related Programme (CP, ages 16-19) — to approximately 1.95 million students across 6,200 authorized IB World Schools in 163 countries. Its core technology stack comprises the IB Information System (IBIS) for school-side assessment administration, the My IB portal, the Programme Resource Centre (PRC), and the candidate portal for examination results, supplemented by AI policy frameworks and a digital blueprint for its ecosystem.

IB monetizes through four primary streams: recurring school authorization and annual fees (the core recurring revenue base), transactional examination and assessment fees per student, fee-based professional development workshops delivered globally to educators, and curriculum publishing/licensing via the Follett-operated IB Store. Distribution runs through five global offices (Geneva, Cardiff, Singapore, The Hague, Washington DC) and regional development teams conducting enterprise sales to schools and governments. The organization is increasingly pursuing public-sector adoption (Bahrain, South Korea, Pakistan, ICESCO's 52 member states) and tier-2 city expansion in India, where school count grew 43.6% over five years to 280. Recent strategic moves include the February 2025 acquisition of Generation Global from the Tony Blair Institute, release of IB AI Principles in March 2026, and Board-approved expansion of a Systems Transformation course in May 2026. As a non-profit, IB does not disclose revenue and reinvests surpluses into programme development and global expansion.

Name

International Baccalaureate

Legal name

International Baccalaureate Organization

Website

http://www.ibo.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation founded in 1968 that delivers four internationally recognized educational programmes (PYP, MYP, DP, CP) to 1.95 million students aged 3-19 across 6,200 authorized IB World Schools in 163 countries, monetizing through school authorization/annual fees, examination fees, professional development, and curriculum publishing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education (K-12 Curriculum and Assessment)

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Certificate & Micro-Credential Programs (International) (EDAIAIAI), International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD), IB Program Tutoring (PYP/MYP/DP; HL/SL) (EDANAKAB)

Keywords

• International education programmes
• K-12 curriculum framework
• IB World School authorization
• Educator professional development
• Student assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. School Authorization and Annual Fees: Schools pay authorization fees to become IB World Schools and annual fees to maintain their authorization. This is the primary revenue stream supporting the organization's global operations.
2. Professional Development Workshops: IB offers face-to-face, online, and blended professional development workshops for educators throughout the year. Schools pay for these training opportunities.
3. Examination and Assessment Fees: Students taking DP and CP examinations pay assessment fees as part of their programme registration.
4. IB Publishing and Store: The IB Store sells educational resources, curriculum materials, and official IB publications to schools and educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Baccalaureate offers a continuum of four interconnected educational programmes — Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 3-12), Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11-16), Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16-19), and Career-related Programme (CP, ages 16-19) — delivered exclusively through authorized IB World Schools. Revenue-generating activities include school authorization and annual fees, externally administered examinations and assessment, paid professional development workshops and micro-credentials for educators, and curriculum/resource sales through IB Publishing and the Follett-operated IB Store.

Product overview

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers a comprehensive continuum of four educational programmes spanning students aged 3-19: Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP). These programmes are delivered exclusively through authorized IB World Schools and share a unified educational philosophy centered on inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and intercultural understanding. Beyond the core programmes, IB provides supplementary services including professional development workshops, the IB Exchange knowledge platform, IB Publishing curriculum materials, micro-credentials for educators, and the IB Information System (IBIS) for school administration. Recent offerings include the Global Youth Action Fund grants for student social impact projects, the Community Inspiration Award, and IB Launchpad. The IB also acquired Generation Global to expand youth engagement globally. The organization operates the IB Store through Follett for educational materials and hosts annual Global Conferences for the educator community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Primary Years Programme (PYP): Programme for students aged 3-12, developing caring and culturally aware children as active participants in their own learning.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP)
• Diploma Programme (DP)
• Career-related Programme (CP)
• Generation Global

Products and services

• Primary Years Programme (PYP) An educational programme for students aged 3-12 that develops caring and culturally aware children to become active participants in their own learning through inquiry-based pedagogy. Delivered by IB World Schools that have been formally authorized by the IB to offer the programme.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP) An educational programme for students aged 11-16 that builds a solid academic foundation, develops students' confidence in managing their own learning, and creates connections between classroom learning and the real world. Delivered by authorized IB World Schools.
• Diploma Programme (DP) A pre-university educational programme for students aged 16-19 that builds an inquiring mindset, fosters the desire to learn, and prepares students to excel at careers and lead meaningful lives. Includes IB external examinations, internal assessment, and the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course; recognized by universities worldwide.
• Career-related Programme (CP) An educational programme for students in their final school years that equips them with future-ready skills and prepares them for career pathways by combining academic subjects with their own professional interests. Delivered by authorized IB World Schools.
• IB Micro-credentials Professional certification offerings enabling IB educators to earn recognized credentials in teaching, learning, and leadership through competency-based assessments. Used by teachers seeking recognized professional development tied to IB programmes.
• IB Exchange A professional development platform enabling IB educators to share knowledge, resources, and experiences across the global IB community. Used by teachers in IB World Schools to collaborate and access teaching resources.
• IB Publishing Publishing services providing curriculum materials, assessment resources, and educational content for IB World Schools and educators. Provides official IB curriculum and assessment resources to schools and teachers.
• IB Store (Follett-operated) E-commerce platform operated by Follett providing IB curriculum materials, resources, and merchandise for IB World Schools. The third-party storefront distributes official and supporting educational materials to schools and teachers.
• IB Information System (IBIS) Online portal through which IB World Schools manage student registration, assessment data, and examination administration for the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme. Used by school administrators and IB staff to administer examinations at scale.
• Generation Global Youth engagement and intercultural dialogue programme acquired from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, providing IB students with guided dialogue and critical-thinking experiences across more than 50 countries. Used by teachers and students in IB World Schools to develop global communication and intercultural understanding.

Quantifiable outcome

• IB diploma graduates are 3x more likely to enroll in top-20 universities than matched A-level students (UK study)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Pakistan Higher Education Commission and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026New partnerships strengthen CP pathways for students in Pakistan, with university representatives confirming growing recognition of IB Career-related Programme across UK, USA, Australia, and India.
• ICESCO (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026IB and ICESCO strengthened partnership to enhance education across member states, supporting educational development and quality assurance in ICESCO's 52 member countries.
• South Korean Offices of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026IB strengthened partnership with South Korean Offices of Education, supporting IB programme implementation and recognition across South Korean educational institutions.
• Bahrain Ministry of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026New agreement brings IB programmes to Bahrain's public schools for the first time, marking significant government partnership expansion in the Middle East.
• Generation Global (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2025IB acquired Generation Global, a programme of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, to expand youth engagement and intercultural understanding. The acquisition aims to help young people develop key competencies like critical thinking and global communication, benefiting millions of students across more than 50 countries.
• University of the PeoplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIB partnership offering scholarships for IB graduates to attend University of the People. The 2026 scholarship applications are now open, expanding access to higher education for IB students.
• IB World Schools Associations (AIBWS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of Associations of IB World Schools providing mutual support, professional development delivery, best practice sharing, and advocacy at district, state, and government level. Includes regional associations across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Jacobs FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith Jacobs Foundation support, IB launched a project to explore, study and measure student wellbeing in primary through secondary schools internationally.
• Goldman Sachs ResearchminorOthersGoldman Sachs Research provides market data on India's affluent population projected to reach 100 million by 2027, informing IB's expansion strategy in India.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Round Square: An international network of schools built around a shared educational philosophy emphasizing character, international understanding, and experiential learning. Round Square is a peer to IB in offering a values-driven, internationally oriented curriculum framework adopted by premium private and international schools worldwide.
• College Board: Operates the AP (Advanced Placement) program, the most direct US-based comparator to the IB Diploma Programme, and is a large non-profit education organization delivering standardized assessments, curriculum frameworks, and university-recognized credentials adopted by both public and private schools globally.
• Pearson Edexcel: Pearson's Edexcel arm delivers international GCSEs, A-Levels, and BTEC vocational qualifications, directly competing with IB at the pre-university level. Comparable in offering internationally recognized secondary credentials, school authorization, examination administration, and teacher training to international and private schools.
• Council of International Schools (CIS): CIS is a global accreditation and membership organization for international schools, providing school evaluation, governance, and quality standards. It is a peer in the broader international education ecosystem and often co-accredits schools alongside IB authorization, making the two complementary but also in some senses competitive in the school-quality-assurance space.
• Cambridge Assessment International Education: Cambridge's international education arm is the most direct competitor to IB, offering IGCSE and A-Level qualifications adopted by international schools worldwide. Both organizations provide globally recognized curricula, school authorization, teacher professional development, and high-stakes external assessments targeting the same private-international and premium school segment.
• OxfordAQA: A joint venture between Oxford University Press and AQA, OxfordAQA provides international GCSEs, A-Levels, and academic qualifications targeting international schools. Like IB, it combines academic credentials with school-level support and assessment, and is gaining traction in markets such as the Middle East and Asia where IB is also expanding.

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO: As the United Nations agency for education, UNESCO sets global education norms and policy frameworks, including ESD and citizenship education. It is a broad incumbent in the international education ecosystem that interacts with IB through initiatives such as the ICESCO partnership, and shapes the policy environment in which IB operates.

Emerging players

• Nord Anglia Education: A large for-profit premium international school operator that offers IB programmes across its network and competes for the same affluent international-school families as IB World Schools. Nord Anglia is a peer as both a customer of IB's DP curriculum and a competitor in the premium K-12 international education market.
• Cognita Schools: A global for-profit K-12 school group operating IB and other international curricula across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Cognita is a peer as both a customer of IB programmes and a competitor in the premium international school segment, and a useful comparator on school-level economics.
• GEMS Education: GEMS is one of the world's largest private K-12 school operators and a major IB World School network, with schools across the UAE reporting 99% IB pass rates. It is a peer in the sense that it both consumes IB programmes and competes for the same affluent international-school family demographic, making it a key customer and a benchmark operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iborganization
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ibcommunications
• Facebookfacebook.com/IBO.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibo
• Instagraminstagram.com/iborganization

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A1 record

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Baccalaureate