IB releases 2026 diploma and career-related results for 104,132 U.S. students

The International Baccalaureate released May 2026 results for more than 209,000 students worldwide, including 104,132 in the U.S., up 4% from a year earlier. The results underscore continued growth for IB programs in the U.S. and come as the organization prepares an interim statistical bulletin in the coming weeks.

Why it matters: - The International Baccalaureate’s latest results show continued U.S. demand for the Diploma Program and Career-related Program. - More than 104,000 students in the U.S. received results, a 4.0% increase from the prior year. - The release also reflects how IB schools are navigating exam access, grading and fairness in a difficult global environment.

What happened: - The International Baccalaureate released May 2026 Diploma Program and Career-related Program results for 209,607 students worldwide. - In the U.S., 104,132 students received DP and CP results. - The U.S. average Diploma Program score for the May 2026 session was 26.59 points. - Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the International Baccalaureate, congratulated students on the achievement.

The details: - The Diploma Program is offered in 933 IB World Schools across the U.S. - The Career-related Program is offered in 207 IB World Schools across the U.S. - IB says the DP is designed to prepare students for university and beyond through a balanced, inquiry-based curriculum. - The organization says the DP supports academic achievement, critical thinking, language development and personal growth. - IB says the CP serves students ages 16-19 who want to combine academic studies with career-related learning. - IB says the CP is designed to build transferable skills including confidence, responsibility and a sense of purpose. - A series of 11 studies compared DP courses with equivalent courses in high-performing education systems including the U.S., Brazil, France, South Korea and Australia. - IB says those studies provide evidence that DP courses consistently meet and often exceed international comparisons. - IB says the research also shows the DP delivers both depth and breadth of learning and adapts across different educational settings. - For the May 2026 session, most DP and CP students worldwide completed all assessment components for each subject. - Where exams could not be safely conducted in parts of the Middle East, IB awarded grades through its Non-Exam Contingency Measure. - The NECM used externally assessed coursework, teacher-predicted grades and additional supporting evidence reviewed by IB. - IB said the process was used to preserve comparability and fairness. - IB said it will publish an interim statistical bulletin in the next few weeks. - More information is available on the Getting Results page.

Between the lines: - The U.S. growth suggests IB programs continue to expand their footprint in American schools. - The repeated emphasis on research, skills and fairness signals IB is positioning the programs as both academically rigorous and adaptable. - The conflict-related grading provision shows how the organization is adjusting assessment rules when standard exams are not possible.

What’s next: - IB plans to publish an interim statistical bulletin in the coming weeks. - Students and schools can access results through the organization’s results guidance page. - The next results cycle will likely be watched for continued U.S. enrollment growth and changes in average performance.

The bottom line: - IB’s May 2026 results point to steady U.S. momentum for its diploma and career-related pathways, with more students, more schools and continued emphasis on global-standard assessment.