International School of Brooklyn vs United Nations International School
🇺🇸 New York · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither International School of Brooklyn nor United Nations International School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. On cost, International School of Brooklyn has the noticeably lower entry fee — a material difference for budget-conscious families. See the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| International School of Brooklyn | United Nations International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / Blended | IB |
| Ages | 3–14 | 4–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, French, Spanish | English |
| Annual fees | USD 40,206–52,537 | USD 46,856–52,167 |
| Enrollment | 386 | 1,450 |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | NYSAIS, AEFE, Mission Laïque Française, Spanish Ministry of Education | CIS, NYSAIS |
Strengths
- ✓Genuine dual-language immersion — a single French OR Spanish track from Pre-K, with a transparent, published target-language ratio by grade (100%→90%→75%→50%)
- ✓IB World School authorized for BOTH the PYP (Pre-K 3–Grade 5) and MYP (6th–8th) — a continuous IB framework across the whole Pre-K–8 span
- ✓Faculty teach in their native language (school-reported), reinforcing authentic linguistic and cultural fluency
- ✓Documented language and learning support — an English Language Coordinator, extra support for English/French/Spanish acquirers, and grade-band Learning Specialists
- ✓A third language is introduced in Grade 6, extending the multilingual model into Middle School
- ✓Founding IB school (one of the IB's pilot schools) and among the first to award IB diplomas — deep, credible IB pedigree
- ✓Exceptionally international community: roughly 97–109 nationalities among students and 86–91 mother-tongue languages
- ✓CIS accreditation plus NYSAIS membership and long institutional history (since 1947)
- ✓Strong multilingual programme — every student studies French or Spanish from the early years, adding a third language from Grade 7; nine languages offered
- ✓Single continuous PreK–12 pathway (ages ~4–18) on one Manhattan campus culminating in the IB Diploma
Trade-offs
- !Ends at Grade 8 — there is NO high school, no IB Diploma, and no secondary-exit credential; families must transfer for grades 9–12
- !Because it is Pre-K–8, there are no exit-exam results or university-placement data at all — outcomes must be judged on programme quality, not graduating results
- !Does NOT hold US regional accreditation (CIS or MSA); quality assurance runs through NYSAIS and the IB plus French/Spanish national networks
- !Immersion entry is language-gated in the upper primary years — applicants to Grades 1–5 must already speak, read and write French or Spanish at grade level
- !Premium Brooklyn day-school fees (up to $52,537 for Grades 6–8 in 2026–27), plus a $5,000 deposit and ancillary charges; day school only, no boarding
- !Does NOT publish IB Diploma average scores or a verified university-destination list — academic outcomes cannot be independently verified
- !Enrollment figures are inconsistent across the school's own pages (cited variously as ~1,427, ~1,450, ~1,454 and ~1,545), so no single precise number is reliable
- !Only the IB Diploma Programme is evidenced — no PYP or MYP authorization is stated, despite a continuous PreK–12 structure
- !EAL/English-language-support provision is not described on public pages and cannot be confirmed
- !The former Queens (Jamaica Estates) K–8 campus closed in 2022, so the school now serves one Manhattan location only
Best Fit For
- • Families in Brooklyn seeking authentic French OR Spanish dual-language immersion from the early years within an IB framework
- • Internationally mobile or heritage-language families wanting bridges into the French (AEFE/Mlf) or Spanish education systems
- • Households prioritising a strong bilingual Pre-K-through-Grade-8 foundation and comfortable transferring for high school
- • Families who may need substantial need-based financial aid (a real, funded programme reaching about a third of students)
- • UN-affiliated and diplomatic families relocating to New York (who receive admissions priority)
- • Internationally mobile, multilingual families wanting a genuinely global IB community
- • Families seeking a continuous PreK–12 IB pathway culminating in the IB Diploma (including bilingual diplomas)
- • Households prioritising a strong second/third-language programme from the early years
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
Not applicable / not published. ISB is a Pre-K 3–8th Grade school with no high school, so there are no graduating cohorts, exit-exam results, or university destinations to report. Families should assess ISB on its early- and middle-years programme rather than on secondary outcomes, and plan a transfer for grades 9–12.
School-reported, unverified: per third-party summary, nearly all graduates attend four-year colleges, with roughly 75%–85% enrolling at universities in the United States and the remainder at universities in about 13 other countries. UNIS does not publish an IB Diploma average score or a specific university-destination list on its own pages; treat placement claims as school-reported and unverified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose International School of Brooklyn or United Nations International School?
International School of Brooklyn is best for: Families in Brooklyn seeking authentic French OR Spanish dual-language immersion from the early years within an IB framework. United Nations International School is best for: UN-affiliated and diplomatic families relocating to New York (who receive admissions priority). The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between International School of Brooklyn and United Nations International School?
International School of Brooklyn: USD 40,206–52,537. United Nations International School: USD 46,856–52,167. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do International School of Brooklyn and United Nations International School offer?
International School of Brooklyn: IB, Blended. United Nations International School: IB.
Do International School of Brooklyn or United Nations International School offer boarding?
International School of Brooklyn: day school only. United Nations International School: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →