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What Is A Good IB Score For Top Universities?
02/05/2025•29 minute read
Is it your dream to study overseas? If your answer is ‘yes’, it’s time to choose the right curriculum. If you’re considering top universities in the US or UK, understanding where the IB is valued and what scores you need to gain admission to world-leading universities is crucial.
What Is the IB Diploma Programme?
The IB is a global standard academic programme run by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO), an independent non-profit based in Switzerland.
They offer four programmes that cater to students aged 3 to 19, but the IB Diploma Programme (DP) is the most popular. It is a two-year "pre-university" course that students start in their second-to-last year of secondary school.
Depending on your location, you can take the IB Diploma as an alternative to your high school qualification. However, you need to be an Australian student at an IB accredited school–schools that have teachers specially trained to deliver the DP.
There are about 4,000 IB accredited schools across 148 countries.
Why Choose the IB Diploma?
IB diploma courses are designed to provide an excellent foundation for further studies. Aussie students who wish to pursue higher education or professional fields such as medicine, engineering, law, business management, nursing, teaching, and psychology benefit from these courses.
The IB Diploma Programme offers students a unique educational experience as they can learn about themselves, others, and the world through rigorous academics, cultural immersion, and personal development. They also develop skills in leadership, teamwork, communication, and creativity.
The IB diploma is well known internationally for its high-quality education, and many universities from around the world accept Australian students who complete the IB programme. Your IB diploma is recognised worldwide, which means employers across the globe will be impressed when they see your diploma.
Do IB Scores Matter to US Universities?
The IB Diploma Programme is well-known in the US and unofficially accepted as a "university standard" curriculum.
Universities tend to admit IB students at a higher rate than their non-IB counterparts. An IBO survey showed that the acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League universities is up to 18% higher than the total acceptance rate.
The gap is even more significant for top-ranked universities outside the Ivy League. Australian students who took the IB aren't necessarily given preference over non-IB students in the university selection process, but their IB education indicates they are stronger candidates.
Most of the top US universities will even give you credits for your Diploma Programme subjects if you score higher than a particular score:
- University of Pennsylvania - A score of six in most "higher level" (HL) IB subjects will earn you credits towards your degree.
- Stanford University - Specified HL IB exams with scores of five or higher in the subjects listed here are eligible for credit.
- New York University - Typically awards eight hours of course credits for each HL subject in which you've scored at least a six.
- State university system (UC Berkeley, UCLA, etc.) - Generous when it comes to the IB. As a policy, DP recipients will earn a minimum of 30 credit hours and up to 45 credit hours of advanced credit.
Strong IB performance can also benefit you when you fill out university scholarship and financial aid assessments.
Do IB Scores Matter to UK Universities?
While the IB is also highly regarded by UK universities, they don't value it quite the same way.
Universities in the US and UK have very different ideas of education. The US encourages diversity, experimentation, and breadth of study, and the UK encourages specialisation and focus on a particular subject.
UK universities like to see that you're involved in activities related to what you want to study. If you apply for an English degree, admissions officers will look for evidence of your knowledge in this subject area. You can still talk about activities outside the classroom, but they should be English-related.
US and UK universities understand it takes blood, sweat and tears to complete the IBDP, and they have massive respect for IB students! It just doesn't necessarily add value in the same way as it does in the US.
Instead of the IB, taking the A-Levels is the best way to increase your chances of gaining admission to Oxbridge and other top UK universities. The A-Levels focus on depth of knowledge, as opposed to breadth.
What IB Scores Do Universities Accept?
US Universities
Universities in the US don’t release specific IB Diploma Program cut-off scores.
If you want to apply to the Ivy League and more selective universities, you’ll need a healthy mix of sixes and sevens (no less than six) in your subjects for a chance at admission.
A total score in the 40s will make you a more competitive candidate academically (note: a lot of non-academic factors are at play), but a 38+ is considered a good IB score.
If you’re aiming for the Ivies, you certainly don’t want to be dropping below the 36 mark. If your score is any lower than 36, the rest of your application must be exceptional to compensate for a score on the lower end.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), expects students to achieve a score of at least five in each HL subject. However, given the competitiveness of admissions (UCLA receives the most applications of any university in the US), most admitted students typically score 38+ points.
The table shows IB scores from Crimson students who got into top US universities.
IB Scores for Top US Universities
| University | Minimum IB Score Required for Admission |
|---|---|
| Harvard | 42 |
| Princeton | 42 |
| Yale | 40 |
| Columbia | 40 |
| Brown | 40 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 38 |
| Cornell | 38 |
| Dartmouth | 37 |
| Stanford | 40 |
| Duke | 40 |
| MIT | 40 |
| Northwestern | 37 |
| University of Chicago | 36 |
| University of California, Berkeley | 37 |
| UCLA | 37 |
| NYU | 37 |
UK Universities
Most universities will not only consider your overall IB DP score but also your grades in specific HL subjects.
For example, to apply for English Language and Literature at Christchurch College, University of Oxford, an applicant needs a total DP grade of 38 points and at least a six in three HL subjects.
Here’s a look at some UK universities’ IB score requirements for their most competitive courses:
University of Cambridge:
- Course: Natural Sciences
- IB cut-off: 40 points + 7/7/6 at higher level
University College London:
- Course: History
- IB cut-off: 39 points + 19 at higher level
University of Oxford:
- Course: English
- IB cut-off: 38 points + 6/6/6 at higher level
Bristol University:
- Course: Maths
- IB cut-off: 38 points + 6/6 at higher level
Durham University:
- Course: Law
- IB cut-off: 36 points + 6/6/6 at higher level
It’s quite common for UK universities to change their IB score requirements depending on the degree, but usually, these stay within a pretty small range.
Check out the table below for a summary of IB scores of Crimson students who got admitted at top UK Universities.
IB Scores for Top UK Universities
| University | Minimum IB Score Required for Admission |
|---|---|
| Oxford | 38 |
| Cambridge | 40 |
| UCL | 35 |
| Imperial | 38 |
| Edinburgh | 37 |
| King's College | 40 |
| LSE | 37 |
| Manchester | 32 |
| Warwick | 34 |
| St Andrews | 34 |
Why Do Universities Prefer the IB Diploma Programme?
The Diploma Programme can be up to double the coursework of your school’s standard curriculum and requires a lot of independent study and self-discipline. You need to score well in all subjects – not just the arts, humanities, or sciences – everything, including one foreign language!
It also requires involvement in activities outside the classroom, such as sports and community service.
If you do well, an IB qualification is the best way to demonstrate your strength as a candidate for universities.
There are three reasons for this:
1. It Shows That You Challenge Yourself
When admissions officers see the IB DP qualification on your application, they know that you’ve worked hard and are not afraid of a challenge.
If you apply with your country’s high school qualification, it’s not as easy for these schools to interpret your academic journey. You might have achieved good marks throughout high school, but it’s hard for them to know what was required of you to achieve those grades when they aren’t able to compare like with like.
Universities understand the IB’s rigour, and they know what it takes to come out of the DP with good scores: consistent hard work and dedication. These are the kind of qualities they look for in candidates.
Some universities even say they hold IB applicants in higher regard.
“Students who take advantage of HL IB courses are more competitive candidates for admission and more qualified to succeed in university.”
- Purdue University
2. It Shows That You Have a Breadth of Knowledge
The IB offers a broad education by requiring Aussie students to select subjects from a range of academic disciplines, unlike many in-state curricula, which allow students to focus on a specific field(s). This, in turn, provides Australian students with a well-rounded perspective, which is highly valued in the US university admissions process.
This is because US colleges encourage “intellectual exploration”, meaning that for the first two years, you’ll study a variety of subjects before deciding on a specialisation, or major.
“Students who undertake an IB curriculum are well-prepared for the rigours of university academic life, and IB courses are considered in the admission evaluation process because USC recognises the significant rigour of such a curriculum.”
- University of Southern California
3. It Shows That You Are a Well-Rounded Applicant
This is no surprise considering the IBO aims to create well-rounded students with all of its programmes. They do this by ensuring students demonstrate achievement not only academically, but also non-academically.
This works in favour of US universities, who look for things like community involvement, leadership, research, and impactful projects – all of which are built into the IB curriculum.
Is The IB Right For You?
If you want to study in the US:
Take the IB.
It helps you excel both inside and outside the classroom, which is crucial for US admissions.
It produces students who have developed strong self-study habits and excellent reading and analytical skills, which are particularly important for university-level courses.
And best of all, the IB allows you to explore a range of subjects, including Maths, Chemistry, Physics, and more, which is also what you'll do in your first two years of university in the US.
If you want to study in the UK:
Take the A Levels.
It's their national curriculum and prepares you for the depth of study required at UK universities. If you love history, take A Levels in history, art history, and classics.
Then when you go on to study history at university, you'll already be accustomed to the extensive amounts of reading and writing and skilled at source analysis and critical appraisal. This specialised knowledge is highly desirable by UK universities.
The IB's range doesn't translate well to the depth the UK expects. It requires you to perform well across a range of disciplines, which means you can't possibly delve into the same depth of study.
Final Thoughts
While taking the DP can be an advantage if you perform well, it’s not an automatic ticket to acceptance into a US university. Admissions officers will be looking at the overall calibre of the candidate. Your US college application relies on more than just your grades.
Students with all types of high school qualifications get into Ivy League universities. Some students gain admission before they've even received their qualification!
If you're aiming for a top university in the US and doing the IB isn't an option, the most important thing is to exceed the expectations of your curriculum. Take extra subjects to improve your time management, or more challenging subjects that push you to work harder to achieve a good result.
Ultimately, that is what will make you stand out in the eyes of admissions officers.
If you need help choosing your curriculum or putting together the perfect university application, our expert strategists can help! Students working with Crimson are up to 7 times more likely to gain admission to their dream university!
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