The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and the associated subject-level assessments are one of the ways students in the Bellevue School District (BSD) can earn college credit. BSD has a a guide to dual credit to help parents and students to better understand the different ways students earn college credit.
The IB Diploma Program provides an excellent education model for the end of secondary school (US high school grades 11 and 12), including externally-assessed, standardized exams, essays, investigations, and portfolios. In the last 20 years, US universities that want to draw IB Diploma students have added incentives like scholarships for IB Diploma students and credit for scoring well on IB subject assessments. These credits can have varying actual value for students attending a university. At Interlake, we encourage students to take on the IB Diploma for a variety of reasons; more important than credit is admission to the university they aspire to attend and success at that university.
For the May 2024 session, IB assessments are $119 per subject.
IB Credit at Washington State Public Universities
In the 2017-2018 session the Washington State Legislature passed senate bill SB 5917 which required a systemwide credit policy for IB assessments (this senate bill followed house bill HB 2252). Public universities in Washington have their credit policies posted on their websites. See examples for:
US Private Colleges and US Public Universities
Schools around the US establish their own IB credit policies (unless otherwise organized at the state level or required by law). A simple internet search with the school name and “IB credit” will bring parents and students straight to this information. Example credit policies are:
Colorado Colleges and Universities – This is another state-wide credit system!
Georgia Tech – Good scores on HL and SL subjects earn between 3 to 9 hours of credit at Georgia Tech
Harvard University – The IB Diploma (and AP exams) are not recognized for Harvard College credit.
Stanford University – Stanford grants credit for a limited set of IB subjects at HL only. A 5 or higher on any Language B subject assessment fulfills Stanford’s language requirement.
University of California Schools – IB Diploma students who score 30 and above earn 6 quarter units (or 4 semester units); HL assessments earn additional units.
University of Oregon – U of O has an extensive transfer credit database which includes IB as well as published IB scholarships.
International Universities
Earning college credit during high school (secondary school) is pretty much a US phenomenon. Universities outside the US will use the IB Diploma as a credential for admissions and many publish a minimum IB Diploma score to be considered for admissions. Depending on the competitiveness of university, entrance to international schools may be unconditional or conditional on earning a specific IB Diploma total score. Some universities will require specific subjects and scores in those subjects.
However, Canadian schools do give credit for IB subject assessments. For example:
University of British Columbia – UBC admissions prizes IB Diploma students. UBC conducts research on the performance of their IB Diploma students. The UBC IB credit policy grants 3 to 6 credits for 5 and above in HL assessments. Credits for SL assessments are limited.
McGill University – IB credit at McGill is dependent on the major (program) a student pursues.