Do colleges take IB credit? The answer may surprise you! It’s common knowledge that Advanced Placement (AP) credits can be used to supplement entry-level courses at many colleges and universities. But is the same true for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program? 

The IB program is an international secondary school diploma-granting nonprofit that mimics many of the pedagogical goals of the AP program while adding a few additional ones of its own. The IB curriculum is considered to be just as rigorous as its AP counterpart, and so it comes as no surprise that more and more elite colleges are taking notice and factoring IB exam scores into their high school credit-granting calculations. This means that if a student scores well on their IB exams, they may be able to skip certain entry-level courses in college, saving time and money.

Ivy Coach has compiled a (non-exhaustive!) list of the highly selective schools across the country that take IB exam credit in one form or another. These schools only recognize Higher Level (HL) exam scores, so prospective applicants should note that Standard Level (SL) likely won’t cut it!

The Highly Selective Colleges That Take IB Credit

Four-Year Institution	IB Credit Policy
UC System	“UC awards students who complete the IB diploma with a score of 30 or above with 6 quarter (4 semester) units toward their UC degree, in addition to the units earned for individual Higher Level exams (usually 24 quarter/16 semester units). Students who receive IB certificates with scores of 5, 6 or 7 on Higher Level exams will receive 8 quarter (5.3 semester) units per exam.”
University of Chicago	“Credit earned for courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme may be applied to certain general education requirements or to electives as described below. Credit will not be granted for other exams. Course credit is only granted for grades of 7 on Higher-Level IB Examinations (HL). The Language Competency Requirement may be satisfied with grades of 5, 6, or 7 on Standard-Level or Higher-Level IB Examinations in languages other than English.”
Columbia University	“Students can earn up to a maximum of 16 points of academic credit toward the Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College for Higher Level International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations with scores of 6 or 7, if the academic discipline of the examination is represented in the academic offerings of Columbia College. Credit earned through IB scores cannot be used toward exemption from any of the shared Core Curriculum courses, the Global Core Requirement, or the Science Requirement.”
University of Michigan	“The Office of Undergraduate Admissions only awards credit for IB Higher Level examinations.”
New York University	“Maximum amount of 8 credits per Higher Level exam score of 6 or 7Exams must be taken prior to graduation”
Northwestern University	“Northwestern grants credit for sufficiently high scores on most HL (Higher Level) IB exams.”
University of Pennsylvania	“Students can receive waivers or credits for certain Higher Level IB examination scores.”
Stanford University	“Stanford awards credit only for certain higher level (HL) IB exams with a score of 5 or higher.”

When we look at the select few schools that recognize the IB program, it’s hard to miss the absence of most Ivy League schools. Institutions like Harvard University typically don’t award credit for IB participation or any other secondary school credentials. These prestigious (and some might say, a tad snobbish!) schools prefer students to take their version of the general education courses. But remember, the credit policies of these schools shouldn’t dictate your high school choices.

Why Ivy Coach’s Clients Don’t Take IB Courses For College Credit

For Ivy Coach’s clients, the focus is not on IB credit policies at their prospective schools. Instead, they view IB and AP courses as a means to secure admission to top schools, not just a way to earn course credit once on campus. If your high IB exam scores lead to admission to a top school, that’s a significant achievement in itself. And why rush? Wouldn’t you prefer to learn the fundamentals of your discipline or receive your general education from a college faculty member rather than your high school teacher? 

High school course credit is a major concern for prospective first years, but once these eager students step onto campus, the desire to graduate early tends to fade. So, don’t stress over your future school’s IB credit policy. More often than not, you’ll find yourself forgetting about it before you know it!