The International School of Brussels vs St. John's International School
🇧🇪 Brussels · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han
Which should you choose?
Both run IB, so the difference is inspection rating, boarding, and fees rather than the curriculum itself; St. John's International School offers boarding while the other is day-only. The choice comes down to target curriculum, whether you need boarding, and budget — verify fees against each school's own figures.
Neither The International School of Brussels nor St. John's 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. One practical difference: St. John's International School offers boarding while the other is day-only — decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| The International School of Brussels | St. John's International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / American | IB |
| Ages | 2.5–18 | 1–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese | English, French |
| Annual fees | Not published | EUR 14,750–46,500 |
| Enrollment | 1,300 | — |
| Boarding | Day only | Yes |
| Accreditations | Council of International Schools (CIS), Middle States Association (MSA-CESS), International Baccalaureate Organization (IB World School) | Council of International Schools (CIS), Middle States Association (MSA), International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) |
Strengths
- ✓Dual international accreditation — Council of International Schools (CIS) and Middle States Association (MSA-CESS) — plus IB World School status.
- ✓Unusually broad range of high-school graduation pathways (IB Diploma, Advanced Placement, BTEC and a US High School Diploma).
- ✓Long institutional history, established in 1951, and a large, diverse community of 1,300+ students from 60+ nationalities.
- ✓Low reported student-to-teacher ratio (7:1) and dedicated Inclusion & Challenge support across all age groups.
- ✓Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) explicitly authorized and delivered from age 3 to 18
- ✓Strong published academic outcomes: 2025 IB Diploma average of 36 points (school-reported as best in Belgium), top score 43
- ✓Both day and boarding options (boarding for ages 11–17)
- ✓Highly international community with 65+ nationalities
- ✓Multiple recognitions displayed (IBO, CIS, MSA, BSA)
Trade-offs
- !Tuition and fees are not published on the publicly accessible pages reviewed, limiting cost transparency for prospective families.
- !No single graded public inspection band exists for international schools in Belgium, so no external Outstanding-style rating is available.
- !PYP and MYP authorization could not be confirmed from official IB or school sources at time of review (only the IB Diploma is verified).
- !Only the IB pathway is offered, with no British or American curriculum track for families seeking those systems
- !High tuition, rising to EUR 46,500 for upper grades
- !Detailed language-support and EAL structure is only partially published on the public site
Best Fit For
- • Internationally mobile families wanting choice among IB, AP, BTEC and US-diploma pathways at one school.
- • Students seeking an accredited English-medium education with structured additional-language and home-language options.
- • Families needing English-language development (EAL) or learning-support services.
- • Expatriate and mobile families wanting a single IB continuum from early years to Grade 12
- • Families needing day or boarding places near Brussels
- • Students targeting the IB Diploma with strong measured results
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
University-destination and IB/AP results data were not published on the pages reviewed (school-reported, unverified). Contact the school for outcome statistics.
IB Diploma results are school-reported: a 2025 average of 36 points (described by the school as the best in Belgium), a top score of 43, and 40% of students scoring 38 or more. Individual university placement destinations are not published in verified detail on the public site (school-reported, unverified).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose The International School of Brussels or St. John's International School?
The International School of Brussels is best for: Internationally mobile families wanting choice among IB, AP, BTEC and US-diploma pathways at one school.. St. John's International School is best for: Expatriate and mobile families wanting a single IB continuum from early years to Grade 12. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between The International School of Brussels and St. John's International School?
The International School of Brussels: Not published. St. John's International School: EUR 14,750–46,500. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do The International School of Brussels and St. John's International School offer?
The International School of Brussels: IB, American. St. John's International School: IB.
Do The International School of Brussels or St. John's International School offer boarding?
The International School of Brussels: day school only. St. John's International School: offers boarding.
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 →