The International School of Brussels vs St. John's International School
🇧🇪 Brussels · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
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 →