Bilkent Laboratory and International School

What Bilkent Laboratory and International School does

Bilkent Laboratory and International School (BLIS), legally Bilkent Laboratory School, is a private K-12 educational institution located on the Doğu Kampüs of Bilkent University in Ankara, Türkiye. It was established in the 1990s and operates under the Ihsan Doğramacı Foundation, delivering a unified K-12 pipeline across three divisions: Elementary School (Grades K-5) implementing the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Middle School (Grades 6-8) running the IB Middle Years Programme, and High School (Grades 9-12) offering IGCSE through the University of Cambridge International Examinations followed by the IB Diploma Programme. The school holds dual accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS), and is fully compliant with the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) curriculum. It has been a Cambridge IGCSE examination centre continuously for over 25 years.

BLIS generates revenue through recurring tuition and enrollment fees paid by families across the three academic divisions, with the academic year running from August/September to June. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer: prospective families apply through the school's website admissions portal, complete admissions assessments and enroll for the academic year. The institution employs 186 staff in total, of which 53 are faculty, and supplements its core academic programs with student-led activities (TEDx, MUNESCO, JMUNESCO), athletics across football, basketball, volleyball and swimming, the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, counseling services, and after-school activities. Its technology stack consists of conventional third-party EdTech platforms — K12net for parent/student communication and Toddle for IB portfolio management — with no proprietary technology or AI systems disclosed in the source material. The school is single-campus, serving families primarily in the Ankara metropolitan area, and operates as an independent foundation-affiliated institution with no parent company, holding structure or external private-equity ownership indicated.

Name

Bilkent Laboratory and International School

Legal name

Bilkent Laboratory School

Website

https://blisankara.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bilkent Laboratory and International School (BLIS) is a private K-12 institution in Ankara, Türkiye, affiliated with Bilkent University and the Ihsan Doğramacı Foundation, delivering the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) plus IGCSE to Turkish and international families under dual NEASC and CIS accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Private School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• K-12 international education
• IB diploma program
• Cambridge IGCSE curriculum
• Primary years programme
• Private school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ankara

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: As a K-12 educational institution, the school generates revenue through student tuition and enrollment fees. Parents pay for their children's education across Elementary, Middle, and High School programs. The academic year runs from August/September to June.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bilkent Laboratory and International School (BLIS) is a private K-12 school delivering International Baccalaureate programmes (PYP, MYP, and DP) alongside Cambridge IGCSE for Grades 9-10, fully authorized by the IBO and accredited by NEASC and CIS. The school provides continuous education from Elementary through High School on a single Ankara campus affiliated with Bilkent University, combining the Turkish MEB curriculum with international qualifications to prepare students for global university admissions.

Product overview

Bilkent Laboratory and International School (BLIS) is an educational institution offering a unified K-12 school program with three academic divisions: Elementary School (IB PYP), Middle School (IB MYP), and High School (IGCSE + IBDP). The school's core educational products are structured by grade level, with the elementary program serving as the foundation, middle school as the transition phase, and high school providing internationally recognized secondary qualifications. Supplementary programs including counseling services, athletics, student-led activities (TEDx, MUNESCO, JMUNESCO), Duke of Edinburgh Award, and after-school activities complement the academic curriculum, creating a holistic educational experience. The school holds dual accreditation from NEASC and CIS, implementing both IB programmes and Turkish Ministry of National Education curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elementary School Program (IB PYP) K-5 educational program delivering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) through a learner-centered, inquiry-based, team-teaching approach, focused on developing lifelong learning skills and international-mindedness. Designed for elementary-age children of families seeking internationally accredited foundational education in Ankara.
• Middle School Program (IB MYP) Grades 6-8 program at a fully authorized IB MYP school, designed to nurture intellectual, physical, psychological, aesthetic, and social development during the transition from childhood to adolescence, with Grade 5 designated as the MYP transition year. Integrated curriculum supports students as they shift from concrete to abstract levels of thinking.
• High School Program (IGCSE + IB Diploma) Grades 9-12 college-preparatory program offering IGCSE (University of Cambridge International Examinations) in Grades 9-10 and the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) in Grades 11-12, with the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component at the core of the Diploma Program. Aimed at students pursuing global university admissions.
• Athletics Program Competitive athletics program in which BLIS student-athletes represent the school in football, basketball, volleyball, and swimming tournaments across multiple disciplines.
• Duke of Edinburgh International Award Voluntary, non-competitive international award program for young people aged 14-24, involving service, skills, physical recreation, and adventurous journeys as a structured framework for personal development.
• Counseling Services Professional psychological and counseling support services delivered with a student-centered approach, with counselors collaborating with administrators, teachers, and parents to address student needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Full IB authorization for PYP, MYP, and Diploma Programme
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)coreOthersBLIS is a fully authorized IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). This partnership provides the curriculum framework and assessment standards for the school's international programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Robert College: Long-established American-founded international school in Istanbul offering IB programmes. Comparable to BLIS as a heritage international K-12 school serving affluent Turkish and expat families seeking globally recognized credentials.
• MEF International School: Istanbul-based IB World School offering PYP, MYP, and DP. Comparable to BLIS as a Turkish IB continuum school serving internationally minded families with a similar curricular model.
• Enka Schools: Istanbul private K-12 network with IB programmes and corporate/industrial backing. Comparable to BLIS in scale of operations, IB authorization scope, and premium positioning in the Turkish private school market.
• Koç School: Elite private K-12 school in Istanbul offering the full IB continuum alongside national curriculum. Highly comparable to BLIS as a premium, foundation/company-backed Turkish school competing on international credentials and holistic programming.
• British International School Istanbul: Istanbul private school offering international curricula including IB. Comparable to BLIS as a Turkish international school competing for the same expat and globally-oriented domestic families.
• Üsküdar American Academy: Istanbul-based private international school with IB authorization. Directly comparable to BLIS in offering IGCSE/IB tracks to Turkish families targeting overseas university admission.
• Istanbul International School: Private international school in Istanbul offering IB programmes. Comparable to BLIS in serving internationally minded families seeking IGCSE/IB credentials in Türkiye.

Broad incumbents

• Bahçeşehir Koleji: Nationwide Turkish K-12 private school chain with international program elements. Comparable as a broad private-school incumbent competing for mid-to-premium tier families, though it operates at significantly greater scale than BLIS.
• Doğa Schools: Large Turkish private K-12 chain with multiple campuses. Comparable to BLIS as a private-school competitor in the broader Turkish market, though more nationally scaled and less focused on full IB continuum.

Regional players

• TED Ankara College: Anchored in Ankara as part of the Turkish Education Association (TED) network. Regionally relevant peer to BLIS within the Ankara private-school market, though historically more national-curriculum oriented.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bilkent-laboratory-and-international-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Bilkent Laboratory and International School