Research shows IB Diploma students are 57% more likely to attend a Top 20 UK university. How does the IB compare to A levels?
IB vs A Levels: What Does the Research Say About University Outcomes?
When families begin thinking about sixth form, the question inevitably comes:
How does the IB compare to A levels when it comes to university?
There is plenty of opinion around this, often quite strong opinions. What I find really helpful is looking at the evidence. The evidence is why at Liberty Woodland School we deliver the International Baccalaureate.
A study using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), compared IB Diploma students and A level students enrolled at UK universities. It focused on first-year undergraduates studying full-time degrees and analysed outcomes carefully, including controlling for prior academic ability.
The findings are worth understanding.
Entry to Top Universities
After accounting for prior attainment, students who had completed the IB Diploma were 57% more likely to attend a Top 20 UK university than comparable A level students.
In the matched samples:
- 45.7% of IB students attended a Top 20 UK university
- 32.9% of A level students did
That difference suggests something beyond raw grades may be at play.
Degree Outcomes
The same study found that IB students were:
- More likely to achieve a First-class honours degree
- More likely to achieve at least a 2:1
Continuation rates from first to second year were similarly high for both pathways (over 94%), which is reassuring. Both routes can clearly prepare students for university life.
However, IB students were statistically more likely to graduate with higher classifications.
Why Might That Be?
The IB Diploma is academically demanding, but it is structured differently from A levels.
Students study six subjects across disciplines. Alongside this, they complete:
- An Extended Essay - a 4,000-word independent research project
- Theory of Knowledge
- Creativity, Activity and Service
They are expected to manage breadth and depth simultaneously. They write extended analytical essays. They reflect. They evaluate sources. They learn to think independently.
Those habits mirror university expectations closely.
What type of learner does the IB suit?
This is not about declaring one pathway “better” than another. A levels remain a respected and well-established route.
But for families weighing up options, it is important to know that research suggests IB Diploma students compare very favourably in UK higher education outcomes, particularly in entry to top universities and final degree results.
At Liberty Woodland School, the IB is not simply something students begin at 16.
Our young people start developing the habits of inquiry, reflection and intellectual courage from age 11 through the IB Middle Years Programme. By the time they reach the Diploma, those skills are deeply embedded.
For some students, that continuity, small classes, strong relationships, close mentoring, positive well-being plus academic rigour combined with perspective, creates a different kind of confidence.
And ultimately, that confidence is what carries them well beyond school.
Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), 2016. International Baccalaureate students studying at UK higher education institutions: How do they perform in comparison with A level students?
