The Brussels IB landscape
Brussels hosts the largest concentration of EU institutions globally and a deep diplomatic and corporate expat community. The city's premier international schools deliver IB Diploma alongside national pathways. International School of Brussels (ISB) is a long-established premium IB school. British School of Brussels (BSB) primarily delivers IGCSE/A-Level but offers IB Diploma as an alternative pathway. St John's International School and BEPS International School complete the credible IB tier. Note: the European Schools network (separate qualification, European Baccalaureate) is also an option for EU-staff families and is covered separately.
The 2026 top 5 IB schools in Brussels
International School of Brussels (ISB)
Brussels' premier IB Continuum school. Three-year average around 35-36 points. Strong faculty across STEM and humanities. Strong destinations to top US, UK and European universities. Default first choice for IB-committed Brussels families with diplomatic or expat employer backing.
British School of Brussels (BSB). IB stream
BSB primarily delivers British curriculum (IGCSE + A-Level) but offers IB Diploma as alternative sixth-form pathway. IB cohort smaller than A-Level cohort but well-resourced. Strong destinations across UK and US universities. Suits British-curriculum families wanting IB optionality at sixth-form.
St John's International School
Long-established IB Continuum school. Strong cohort outcomes. Catholic-foundation. Strong family community. Particularly suited to families based south of Brussels (Waterloo) seeking IB Diploma.
BEPS International School
Smaller, central-Brussels international school with IB Diploma sixth-form. Strong family community. Worth shortlisting for families based in central Brussels seeking smaller IB cohort sizes.
Le College Saint-Pierre (IB stream)
Belgian-foundation school with IB Diploma stream alongside Belgian curriculum. Modest fees relative to ISB or BSB. Particularly attractive for families wanting Belgian-curriculum integration with IB optionality.
The European Schools. separate qualification
The European Schools network in Brussels (Brussels I-V plus Mol/Geel for nuclear staff families) delivers the European Baccalaureate, not IB Diploma. Both qualifications travel internationally but European Bac is distinctively recognised in Continental European universities. EU-staff families have automatic eligibility; non-EU-staff families pay tuition. Cohort outcomes are excellent. Worth investigating separately from IB pathway decisions.
What didn't make the list
Several Brussels schools deliver IB Diploma at smaller scale or have not yet built sufficient three-year cohort track records to warrant ranking. Maple Bear and several smaller bilingual schools offer IB Continuum but cohort outcomes data is limited.
IB vs. European Baccalaureate
For globally mobile families with expectation of multiple onward moves, IB Diploma is the more portable qualification. For families committed to Continental European universities (Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany), European Baccalaureate is the more directly recognised pathway. For US/UK university destinations, IB Diploma is the dominant route among international families.
Fee context
Premium IB places at ISB or BSB Brussels cost EUR 28,000-34,000 per year (USD 30,000-36,500). European Schools fees are heavily subsidised for EU-staff families. See our full Brussels school fees report.