A new study by researchers from the Australian Council for Educational Research compares the university outcomes of students who completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) DP in Australia compared to non-DP students nationally.
Researchers used population-level data for all students who entered universities in Australia between 2013 and 2018. To address differences in DP and non-DP student characteristics, the researchers further examined outcomes by groups within the populations that are more alike, for example, by gender and socio-economic status (SES).
The findings from the study demonstrate that DP students consistently and significantly outperform non-DP students in offers of university admission, persistence to the second year of study, and university completion rates. Positive post-secondary outcomes are evident across gender and SES, with DP students from low-SES backgrounds showing similar success to higher-SES peers.
The Diploma Programme is a two-year assessed programme for students aged 16 to 19. It is respected by leading universities across the globe and considered a world-class preparation for university. The DP helps students to flourish intellectually and develops and nurtures broader skills, producing curious, confident, motivated and multilingual young people.
 DP in Australia compared to non-DP students nationally. ){kind=icon}