2023 Best International Baccalaureate Schools in the Seattle Area

• Tacoma, WA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.37 out of 5  113 reviews

Senior: Annie Wright has been such an amazing institution to study at for my high school career. As a full IB Diploma student, I found the courses challenging, thought-provoking, and fascinating! The small community and class sizes are very beneficial to creating the best learning environment. Additionally, community events and traditions build long-lasting connections and memories that you can carry with you through life. Lastly, as a 5-day boarding student, I can confidently say that the dorms added so much to my high school experience, being able to live with your friends across the grade levels.... Read 113 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 749

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  407 reviews

Senior: The IB program adds lots of competition to this school. There is a lot of competition for being the best. Students are very exhausted because of IB and AP classes, especially the AP and IB tests in May. There are a couple teachers I really like, their personalities are friendly, but some have good personalities but not the best qualities in a teacher. They get easily distracted with other students and it is hard to stay focused in that learning environment. One of my favorite parts of Interlake High School is the Horticulture program. We host plant sales 3 times a year and students get the opportunity to have work experience by picking up shifts at the plant sales. We complete work orders every week, and it is a great way to contribute to our community and learn about our earth and gardening, especially the business side of the horticulture industry. Our teacher is supportive and she makes the learning environment enjoyable.... Read 407 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,654

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  500 reviews

Senior: Skyline High School has provided a mostly well-rounded education. The teachers at this school are passionate about the content that they discuss, and they make sure that students at the institution care just as much as them. Overall, the school provides an excellent system of preparation for college. Most classes center around being "future ready," as well as enthusiastic about your career choice. As someone in Skyline's IB Career Path program, I value this experience heavily, as it teaches me how to be ready for any turns my future may take. The school's culture can sometimes prove overwhelming, with competition as a high value. This competition is exciting in terms of extracurriculars, like sports. But sometimes it promotes unhealthy habits to its students like pulling all-nighters or studying the least for a test. At the end of the day, my experience at Skyline was very nice.... Read 500 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,202

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  501 reviews

Junior: Overall, Garfield High School is great! I like how the school is in a community of supporting people. It has many programs to prepare you for college and many afterschool clubs and organizations. What I would like to see change is how the school lays out our schedule.... Read 501 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,729

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Poulsbo, WA•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.53 out of 5  17 reviews

Parent: Amazing before, during, and coming out of covid. This school knows how to talk the talk by leading with their hearts and heads and adapting to lead, not follow, excellence in education standards. This year has been off to a great start. West Sound is as magical in person as it has been remote. I have faith that West Sound will continue to lead and bring us back to a new normal. I would highly recommend considering West Sound. Academy. Our experience continues to exceed expectations.... Read 17 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 85

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.66 out of 5  215 reviews

Senior: Ingraham is extremely strong academically, especially with the IB program, and is widely regarded as one of the best in the city, but the school does not put much effort into including underrepresented groups in the program and, because of that, the school can feel very segregated at times. Students who are in the general education classes never get to interact with those in IB classes, and those from minority groups are never encouraged to take harder classes, while white students are. The school can be an incredibly enriching environment if you are willing to take the hardest classes offered and be very involved in the school, but for students who may not have the resources to take those hard classes and aren't encouraged to now, the experience feels very unfulfilling.... Read 215 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,483

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  477 reviews

Senior: Inglemoor is one of the only public high schools in Washington offering the International Baccalaureate program. In addition, it has other great academic and career-readiness resources such as AP, WANIC, and technical electives. I consider the school environment to be academically rigorous, and it's highly likely to meet many self-motivated and talented students there. The yearbook and newspaper staff often win awards on their graphic design and journalism respectively. Additionally, the arts and music programs, while generally underfunded, felt quite extensive there. There's even a darkroom accessible in the photography classroom. Furthermore, there's lots of help available through student-led study groups, teacher meetings, site resources, calculator and technology loans, etc. One just has to be willing to put the work in when looking for it.... Read 477 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,616

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  399 reviews

Junior: This school has many inclusion programs and is constantly creating more clubs and activities for students to be a part of. There is a designated time during regular school days for students to be involved in clubs. This is amazing because many students do not have transportation abilities outside of school or extra time to be in clubs. This designated time helps students be involved in the community. There are also great things like free school food. Without this, many students go hungry throughout the day and cant focus on schoolwork. Food is an essential part of learning and retaining new information being taught. The school has great administration that is constantly trying to do more things do better our school.... Read 399 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,726

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  231 reviews

Junior: Overall, Cleveland has a very close and connected community. The teachers and staff members are very caring and genuinely interested in seeing students succeed. Furthermore, the students at Cleveland are very hardworking and take charge of their actions and grades. We are very involved in our community and ensure everyone is treated fairly and with respect. Some notable examples are the student-led food and hygiene drives. I definitely recommend Cleveland if you are looking for a wonderful and engaging high school experience.... Read 231 reviews

• grade A

• Students 921

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Edmonds School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  356 reviews

Junior: Overall, I'd say the school has a good atmosphere: the majority of staff are kind and respectful, as are most of the students. I've had a good experience with the counselors, and the IB coordinators (current and future) are excellent! However, I've had a very mixed experience with the teachers. Especially in freshman and sophomore years, there are some teachers who I feel do not push their students enough, leaving them feeling bored, frustrated, and unprepared. However, most of the junior and senior teachers I know are talented and passionate (the IB teachers in particular). I wish that the school would take greater efforts to make sure that all teachers are giving their students the best education and experience possible. Letting some teachers continue running classes as they do is frankly unfair to the students who truly want to learn. I think that an anonymous survey at the end of the year would be an excellent way to let students share their thoughts on how teachers are doing.... Read 356 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,485

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  137 reviews

Senior: I like how it’s a connected diverse group of kids, and nobody dislikes that. The teachers are my favourite part. I’m 100% sure that everyone at our school has a friendship to at least one of their teachers. They’re very connected to their students and it feels good. Every year I make new friends with people, although with my one and a half years absence because of COVID it was a little hard in general. I’ve been in the band all four years of high school and I’ve been involved in the drama department. It’s a a big group of motivated motivated and inspired kids in those academics. Some go to state competitions. Speaking of which, I attended my first sport, bowling, which is new to our school. Our coach was very good at teaching us traditional ways and telling us about himself. We have cool sports like bowling, curling, wrestling, softball, and sailing at our school. It’s very nice to be able to pick a sport that matches with who you are.... Read 137 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,143

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  336 reviews

Senior: Attending Franklin High School has shown me how a diverse community can help one another out. I have been going to this school for 4 years and have good teachers and resources. I take advantage of getting mental health counseling and academic help. What I like about Franklin is that everyone has something to bring. Everyone is allowed to share their opinions and feelings in classroom. I’m glad that students have the opportunity to have a safe space where they can talk about issues that matter to them. I do believe that Franklin can be improved by adding more security and enjoyable core classes. There have been safety threats directed at students and this makes my classmates and I feel upset. If there was more security staff, non police officers, it would be much better. Also, with adding fun GEN ED classes, students will be engaged in academic participation and learning. Overall, I do love being a part of Franklin and I’m glad I got to attend this school.... Read 336 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,239

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Clover Park School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  90 reviews

Junior: I've been at Harrison for 6 Years, 6-11th, and I plan to stay to complete the IB DP Program. At this school, it has been amazing! The teachers are really nice because you get to know them over the course of the IB Programs the school offers. Staff are supportive and give great, understandable lessons. Harrison Prep. definitely makes sure you are ready for college life, if you are interested, or anything you want to do in the future. With high diversity, great statistics, and great teachers, it is definitely a school to look into!... Read 90 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 741

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Edmonds School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  337 reviews

Senior: Meadowdale High School is an excellent school for me! From the school staff, to the classes offered, to the activities and clubs it supports, up to all the other support it offers to students… they sure all helped me who I have become and what I envision myself to be in the future. Thank you, Meadowdale HS.... Read 337 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,500

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  289 reviews

Senior: My experience at Sumner High School has been absolutely amazing! This year (senior year) I came in a new student and I expected to have issues making friends but I have made friends so easily. The staff is absolutely amazing! It is a very welcoming environment and I have had nothing but a positive experience at Sumner!... Read 289 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,685

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  28 reviews

Senior: Nova High school is one of the best high schools I have gone to because of the classes, being accepted there, having great friends, and the structure of the school and how it works. The classes are different because you talk more about climate change, justice and racial based classes and also LGBTQ+ classes and that makes the students feel more accepted. We use pronouns at are school meaning that if you want to change your gender we will accept that 100% and support you. My friends are amazing there since they understand what I have gone through and my struggles and we have great deep conversations about real life issues. All my friends understand when I have a bad day and support me no matter what. Are school runs similar to a college we have three classes per day and there longer. Monday and Wednesday classes are the same and Tuesday and Thursday classes are the same. On friday it switches off between those days of classes. We also have no grades only credits which relieves stress.... Read 28 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 227

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  230 reviews

Alum: Chief Sealth was a diverse learning environment. While some teachers may have struggled slightly dealing with a somewhat rambunctious student body, all of the staff had deep consideration for the students' health and wellbeing. In my own experience, I found a strong connection to music through learning with the music department staff. The classes I took challenged me in different ways. Overall I had a positive, well-rounded experience.... Read 230 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,135

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Federal Way Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  324 reviews

Alum: I really liked that it felt like a welcoming environment. The teachers were helpful and supported students in their ambitions. There were multiple after school clubs and sports that students could join the get to know one another as well. The only downside was that the building was really old and during winters heaters would not work. However there is a new building now and those issues are long gone. Otherwise, the education itself is very challenging and worthwhile!... Read 324 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,695

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Highline School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  280 reviews

Senior: The main thing I enjoyed about being a student at Mount Rainier is the building itself is spacious and never felt crowded. I also really enjoyed having the choice to have lunch outside, beside windows and the fields. Having a view of the outside makes me personally feel less anxious as someone who has to deal with anxiety. I can say lots enjoy this free will as well. Mount Ranier High School provides security to monitor the school and student at all times during school hours. I've felt safe and comfortable enough to go and get to school safely. The diversity Mount Ranier has is high I could find the school and student very accepting to all races and ethnicity it was easy to get along with anyone you would like with just being yourself and being respectful. Although I would've appreciated receiving a better relationship with the teachers, the school staff association with students is short and straightforward. This could bring anxiety towards teachers or expressing themselves freely.... Read 280 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,767

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Renton School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  296 reviews

Senior: Renton is very diverse! I love the community. The staff members try their best for their students. Renton High School always had negative misconceptions but, being in Renton High school with the staff members and other peers makes me happy to be part of that school.... Read 296 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,194

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Kent School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  372 reviews

Alum: The teachers, staff and students were all extremely welcoming. With high diversity, comes a great environment where empathy is something that can be found wherever you look. I'm glad I attended this school, rather than any other school. The funding for this school was quite low when I went there, but there was many fundraising and community efforts that I can't fault it for what the district decided it's budget is. Everyone who works/worked there deserved a pay raise. Though many of the programs such as sports, music and arts may be lacking due to the aforementioned lack of funds, the experiences made there were priceless to me. Working hard can get you anywhere, such as myself going to UW Seattle, no matter what the reputation of this school is. I recommend the KMTA (if it's still around), and IB; the teachers who teach those programs create one of the best communities in the school, especially the KMTA. Band was fun, and many memories were made in sports as well.... Read 372 reviews

• grade B

• Students 2,043

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  223 reviews

Junior: Tacoma School of the Arts is an incredible school with amazing resources and teachers with a passion for teaching and helping their students realize their full potential. The schools location and set up helps students build independence and confidence as they head toward adulthood. It is also very friendly and supportive of gay and lesbian students. Their Anti-Racist Library is a wonderful recourse and opportunity to read and learn from a diverse array of authors. Some improvements that could be made is better communication between the school, students, and families, and for more follow-through with discipline. Overall though, it is a great school.... Read 223 reviews

• grade B

• Students 633

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• South Kitsap School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.44 out of 5  461 reviews

Alum: I graduated in 2020. I had lots of great teachers, and some really bad ones. I did the ladies bowling team, which was always fun. I did Running Start during my senior year before the pandemic sent everyone home. It is a crowded school but it's easy to make friends. The student population can be a little chaotic but football games, basketball games, and dances were very fun. The workload was manageable. I never tried the cafeteria food.... Read 461 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 2,474

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  288 reviews

Sophomore: I love how I feel like they will do anything to help students succeed. I believe I can go to my teachers, knowing that I have someone looking out for me. I'm a student that my teacher knows about, it feels good knowing that my teachers can watch my progress, and embrace it! And just overall Lincoln High School is different in my ways, my schools brings something really special to contribute to the all their the Lincoln family, which makes it so unique.... Read 288 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,686

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  96 reviews

Senior: I love the diversity at Rainier Beach High School and we have great teachers who support and understand us. We get outside college readiness support and advice from our teachers and counselors. We also the IB program which looks good on our college resumes.What could improve is the facility itself, It has been renovated in decades. Our administration could improve in terms of being more involved with student feedback.... Read 96 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 781

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1