From the global top 50 to the top five, Sinarmas World Academy (SWA) has made a striking climb in international IB rankings. The school placed among the world’s top five IB schools in the small-cohort category for 2026, according to IB-Schools.com, after its Class of 2026 recorded an average International Baccalaureate score of 38.1 points – the highest among Indonesian schools listed and alongside leading cohorts from Asia and Europe.
The latest result extends a rapid rise for SWA. In February 2025, the school entered Education Advisers’ global top 50 IB schools; its newest cohort has now moved that standing considerably higher, securing a place in IB-Schools.com’s top five small-cohort ranking. Such a jump is difficult to dismiss as a one-off result, as 44 per cent of the Class of 2026 scored above 40 points, while one student achieved the maximum score of 45.
Against a global IB average of 30.9, SWA’s 38.1 average puts the scale of the result into perspective. That momentum has continued into university admissions, with more than 80 per cent of the cohort receiving offers from universities ranked among the world’s top 50, including Imperial College London, Cornell University, UC Berkeley and Zhejiang University. Another 55 per cent received scholarship offers, recognising not only their academic performance but also leadership and achievements outside the classroom.
Behind those results are two programmes that carry students through different stages of their academic journey: BEST Foundations® and BEST Pathways®.
BEST Foundations® begins in Elementary School, combining the Cambridge curriculum and IB framework to build academic skills, confidence and independence early on. Then, students move into BEST Pathways®, where the focus becomes more individual, allowing them to build an academic route around their strengths, goals and intended university destinations from grade 9.
That flexibility is the foundation of the programme, “One of the keys to the success of our unique BEST Pathways® programme is that no two pathways are the same and every student’s journey is unique,” said Stanislav Sousek, SWA’s Middle School and High School Co-Principal. “Each pathway is carefully adapted and tailored to the individual student’s needs, goals, strengths, and context, helping them discover and pursue the best possible path for them.”
“This recognition belongs to every student who stayed up late perfecting their essay, every teacher who encouraged the class to think critically and globally, and every parent who trusted Sinarmas World Academy with their child’s future,” said Deddy Djaja Ria, General Manager of Sinarmas World Academy. “To be named among the top five IB schools in the world is a proud moment not just for the school but for Indonesia as a country.”
Beyond the numbers, this is a milestone worth celebrating well beyond Sinarmas World Academy’s own campus. It reflects what is possible when world-class teaching and a supportive community come together, as well as what students in Indonesia are capable of achieving on the global stage.
Ranking refers to IB-Schools.com’s 2026 Top Global – Top IB Schools Small Cohort category.
