What NIST International School does

NIST International School is a not-for-profit international school in Bangkok, Thailand, founded on 13 August 1992 as Thailand's first full International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. Governed by the NIST Foundation Board, it operates a single 25-rai campus on Sukhumvit Soi 15 (ten buildings, 90+ classrooms, sports complex, theatre, libraries, science labs, design studios) and serves 1,800+ students aged 3-18 from more than 75 nationalities, supported by 500+ educators, administrators, and operational staff. The school delivers the complete IB continuum — Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) — and supplements it with the Global Citizen Diploma (via a nine-school consortium), the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, the NIST Diploma, a World Languages programme covering 12 home languages, and a 45-group Service Learning programme aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The school's product surface integrates five interconnected learning domains — Academics (IB programmes), Wellbeing, Activities (300+ offerings), Service Learning (45 student-led groups), and Expeditions (1,900+ trips annually) — coordinated through a "NIST Learning Programme" framework. Underlying technology is standard educational infrastructure: Veracross student information system, Finalsite website platform, computer science labs, makerspaces, design studios, and robotics programmes. Academic outcomes are strong, with 97% IB Diploma pass rate versus 81% worldwide, 27% of students achieving 40+ IB points (versus 9% worldwide), 62% graduating with a bilingual diploma, and 96% matriculating abroad — including placements at 20 of the world's top 50 universities for the Class of 2025.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition and fees on a subscription/recurring basis, with ancillary income from uniform sales, cafeteria services, and activity fees. As a not-for-profit foundation, surpluses are reinvested in facilities and programmes rather than distributed — a model evidenced by the multi-phase campus build-out (Phase 1 Innovation Building 2023, Phase 2 Pavilion and Elementary Buildings 2025, Phase 3 running through 2028). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer admissions targeting internationally mobile families, diplomatic and UN families, and IB-focused families in Bangkok, supported by a multi-channel digital presence (website, social, podcast, blog) and on-campus tours.

Name

NIST International School

Legal name

NIST International School

Website

https://nist.ac.th

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Founded in 1992 as Thailand's first full IB World School, NIST is a Bangkok-based not-for-profit international school serving 1,800+ students aged 3-18 from 75+ nationalities through the complete IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) and a UN SDG-aligned learning programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 International Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK)

Keywords

• International baccalaureate education
• Primary years programme
• Middle years programme
• IB diploma programme
• International school Bangkok

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangkok

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: NIST generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to enrolled students. As a not-for-profit school, any surplus is reinvested into the school's educational programmes, facilities, and campus development. The school also generates revenue through ancillary services including uniform sales, cafeteria services, and activity fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NIST International School delivers a full IB continuum (Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes) for students aged 3-18 on its Bangkok campus, supplemented by the Global Citizen Diploma, the NIST Diploma, and the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. The school sells annual tuition and fees to enrolled students, bundling academic instruction with wellbeing, 300+ activities, service learning, expeditions, world languages and sports. As a not-for-profit institution, revenue is reinvested into the educational programme, facilities and campus development.

Product overview

NIST International School offers a unified, full IB Continuum educational programme (PYP, MYP, DP) for students aged 3-18, supplemented by the Global Citizen Diploma, NIST Diploma, and International Award. The learning ecosystem integrates five interconnected elements: Academics (IB programmes and concept-based curriculum), Wellbeing, Activities (300+ offerings), Service Learning (45 student-led groups), and Expeditions. Early Years and Elementary students follow the PYP framework, Secondary students progress through MYP into DP or NIST Diploma, with all programmes underpinned by UN Sustainable Development Goals alignment and the NIST Attributes for developing global citizens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Years Programme (PYP) An IB-authorised inquiry-based framework for students aged 3-11 (Early Years to Year 6) that supports holistic development through concept-based learning, wellbeing-focused environments and transdisciplinary themes across six units of inquiry.
• Middle Years Programme (MYP) An IB programme for students aged 11-16 that builds on PYP foundations through eight core subject areas, global themes and a personal project in the final year, preparing students for the Diploma Programme.
• Diploma Programme (DP) A university-preparatory IB programme for students aged 16-19 offering six subject areas, extended essay, theory of knowledge course and CAS activities, leading to the full IB Diploma or individual course certificates.
• Global Citizen Diploma (GCD) A credential offered through a nine-school consortium that recognises students' comprehensive education including experiences outside the classroom, emphasising metacognition, passion development and global awareness.
• Early Years Programme A programme for students aged 3-5 that fosters learning through play and inquiry, promoting development of intellect, identity, wellbeing, character and social connection within IB PYP principles.
• NIST Diploma A high school diploma requiring 24 credits over four years with distribution requirements across English, humanities, sciences, mathematics, languages, arts, health and electives, offered alongside the IB Diploma pathway.
• Duke of Edinburgh's International Award The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award programme offered to students from Year 10 to Year 12, promoting personal development through outdoor expeditions, skill-building, physical recreation and community service.
• Falcons Sports Programme A school sports programme with core sports (golf, gymnastics, swimming, football, fencing, tennis) and seasonal sports, emphasising student wellbeing, skill development and competitive excellence through the Falcons identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% IB Diploma pass rate (vs 81% worldwide average)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Duke of Edinburgh's International AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST offers the globally-recognized Duke of Edinburgh's International Award to students from Year 10 onwards. The award promotes personal development and recognition for students' efforts, fostering character building, leadership skills, and a sense of responsibility. More advanced expeditions are aligned with this award programme.
• Global Citizen Diploma ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST is part of a nine-school consortium offering the Global Citizen Diploma (GCD), a credential that highlights the qualities of global citizenship and provides opportunity for students to reflect on and describe their whole education qualitatively through learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.
• Big Trees Project (Bangkok)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Bangkok's Big Trees Project to transform the campus into an oasis of learning. The partnership focused on preserving and protecting indigenous trees, introducing new green spaces and play areas, and expanding rooftop greenery, ensuring nature remains integral to learning at NIST.
• United Nations Sustainable Development GoalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST's learning goals are strategically linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Service Learning at NIST is directly aligned with the SDGs, with students embracing these goals from early years through graduation to make meaningful impact on people and the planet.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC): Leading IB international school in Ho Chi Minh City competing in the same Southeast Asian premium expat market that feeds Bangkok-bound families.
• Tanglin Trust School: Established British international school in Singapore serving a similar demographic of internationally mobile families with a comparable IB continuum and premium pricing.
• Singapore American School: Premier K-12 international school in Singapore with comparable Western-curriculum depth and premium positioning; relevant for benchmarking outcomes, though it operates in a different country market.
• United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA): Large IB-Continuum K-12 school in Singapore with strong global-citizenship focus that mirrors NIST's UN SDG alignment and IB continuum model.

Direct peers

• Bangkok Patana School: One of Thailand's largest not-for-profit British-curriculum international schools, serving students aged 2-18 with similar premium positioning and expat-family target market.
• Harrow International School Bangkok: Premium British-curriculum international school in Bangkok targeting the same affluent family segment with boarding and day options overlapping NIST's Diploma Programme demographic.
• International School Bangkok (ISB): Long-established premium international school in Bangkok offering IB and AP pathways to a similarly diverse expat cohort; competes head-to-head with NIST for diplomatic and expatriate families.
• KIS International School Bangkok: IB-only international school in central Bangkok offering PYP through DP; directly comparable curriculum model and mid-size premium positioning to NIST.
• Raffles American School Bangkok: Premium K-12 international school in Bangkok providing American and IB pathways, targeting similar expatriate and Thai affluent families.
• Shrewsbury International School Bangkok: Premium UK-branded international school in central Bangkok competing for affluent Thai and expatriate families with the same IB and IGCSE offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nistschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nistschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/NISTschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nistschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/nistschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NIST International School