Verde Valley School

The International Baccalaureate is one of the most rigorous academic programs in the world. At VVS, we do it with dirt under our fingernails.

2007An authorized IB World School since April 2007
6 of 6IB subject groups offered, from languages to the arts
11IB subjects examined in May 2026, across 9 higher level and 10 standard level courses
12 of 15Years above the worldwide IB diploma pass rate, 2012 to 2026

The Diploma

VVS students can elect to earn two diplomas — the Verde Valley School diploma and the internationally recognized IB diploma. Candidates choose three higher-level and three standard-level courses across six areas of study, building the critical thinking, communication skills, and global perspective that define an IB education.

Diploma candidates also complete the IB core: a theory of knowledge (TOK) course, an extended essay (EE) of up to 4,000 words, and a program of creativity, activity and service (CAS). Theory of knowledge is the course where students examine how knowledge is built and how we can be sure of what we claim to know. It is assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600-word essay.

Students who pursue only the VVS diploma choose from the same six areas, with the same expectation of rigor and engagement.

Verde Valley School is an authorized IB World School.
About the IB Diploma Programme at ibo.org

Seven graduates in white caps holding their hands out together, with Cathedral Rock behind them

IB Subjects at VVS

The IB organizes its curriculum into six subject groups, and VVS teaches in all six. In the May 2026 exam session, VVS students sat IB exams in these subjects:

Group 1Language and literatureEnglish A: Language and Literature
Group 2Language acquisitionSpanish B, Spanish ab initio
Group 3Individuals and societiesEnvironmental Systems and Societies*, History, Social and Cultural Anthropology
Group 4SciencesBiology, Physics, Environmental Systems and Societies*
Group 5MathematicsAnalysis and Approaches, Applications and Interpretation
Group 6The artsMusic

Subjects examined in May 2026. Offerings can change from year to year.
*Environmental Systems and Societies counts toward either group.

The Dirt

Dirt is what happens when the IB curriculum meets the red rocks, the creek, and the community. Students might catch macro-invertebrates in Oak Creek, take classrooms off the grid, make sandals from yucca fibers, or write persuasive letters that fund real projects. Every assignment has a place in the world beyond the page.

This is learning by doing — and at VVS, it's not a supplement to the IB. It's the point.

Three people outdoors comparing a water sample in a magnifier jar with a macroinvertebrate identification chart

The IB Is a Choice, Not a Requirement

Every graduate receives a Verde Valley School diploma, accredited by Cognia. The full IB diploma is not required. What each student chooses is how much of the IB to take on.

The VVS diplomaEarned by every graduate, with or without IB exams.
Individual IB coursesOne or more IB courses in a student's strongest subjects, with the IB exam in each, without the full diploma load.
The full IB diplomaSix subjects and the IB core across 11th and 12th grade, leading to both diplomas.

Whichever route a student takes, some things are the same:

A school held to an international standard. VVS has been authorized by the International Baccalaureate as an IB World School since 2007.
An international classroom. Students come to VVS from 18 countries, and about a third of the student body is international.
The same Dirt. Field work, service and life in an international community are part of every student's education here.
Room to go deep elsewhere. A student with a serious commitment to the arts, athletics or another pursuit can keep a demanding schedule without the diploma's fixed structure.
An open door. A student who starts without the IB in mind can still take an IB course in a subject they love.

What the IB Means for College

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year course of study recognized by universities around the world. A 2024 study by the National Student Clearinghouse followed 51,609 IB Diploma Programme students who graduated from US high schools in 2016. It found that they enrolled in college, stayed enrolled, and graduated at higher rates than US students overall.

74%enrolled in college right after high school64% of all US high school graduates
88%of those returned to the same college the next year72% of all US students
64%graduated from college within four years49% of US students nationally
86%graduated from college within six years68% of US students nationally

The same study found that IB Diploma Programme students were more likely than the national average to enroll at a four-year college, and at a more selective one. Many colleges and universities also award course credit for IB exam results; policies vary by institution and score.

For families looking beyond the United States: a 2021 study using UK government higher education data compared IB diploma students with similar A-level students. It found the IB students were significantly more likely to attend a top 20 UK university and to graduate with honours.

Sources: Postsecondary outcomes of DP graduates in the United States (2024), National Student Clearinghouse, published by the International Baccalaureate. UK higher education outcomes (2021), published by the International Baccalaureate. These figures describe IB students nationally, not VVS graduates specifically.

IB + Dirt in Action

The combination is intentional. Academic depth and real-world application aren't in tension at VVS — they reinforce each other. Students who study global systems do it while standing in one. Students who write about environmental change are the ones measuring it.

The result is graduates who don't just understand the world. They know how to work in it.

Students with collecting nets and sample bins on red rock ledges under autumn trees, with Cathedral Rock behind them