ALMERIMAR, 10 October 2026. SEK International School Alborán, on the coast of Almería, has been ranked first in Europe in the 2026 small cohort table published by IB Schools, after its 13 IB Diploma candidates averaged 37 points out of 45. The school announced the result on 18 September.
The table, called Europe Top IB Schools, Small Cohort, is compiled by IB Schools, the portal of the education consultancy Education Advisers, and ranks schools with smaller graduating classes by the average IB Diploma score of their 2026 cohort. It is an independent league table and is not produced by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
The school's 37-point average compares with a global average of 30.88 points for the May 2026 session, as reported by the IB. SEK Alborán also said it placed among the ten highest-scoring schools worldwide in the same small cohort category, and that it was the only school in Spain in that world top ten.
The IB Diploma is marked out of 45 points: up to seven in each of six subjects, plus up to three for the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge, and 24 points are needed to pass. An average of 37 therefore means that a typical Alborán graduate finished well clear of the pass mark and in the range that selective universities usually ask for.
Small cohorts can make averages swing from year to year, which makes a strong all-round result more telling. Earlier this year the school also reported a 100% pass rate in the IB Diploma for the class of 2026.
About SEK International School Alborán
SEK International School Alborán is part of the SEK Education Group, a Spanish education group with more than 130 years of history. The school sits in the Almerimar residential area of El Ejido, in the province of Almería, on a 28,000 square metre campus.
It teaches children from four months to 18 years, from nursery through to Bachillerato. The school says it is the only school in Almería that offers all three IB programmes, the Primary Years Programme, the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme, and it combines English immersion with bilingual English and Spanish teaching.
What this means for families
For families relocating to the Almería coast, the result is a reminder that a full IB continuum is available outside Spain's big cities. A small Diploma cohort usually means smaller classes and closer follow up from teachers, and a 37-point average puts graduates in a strong position for competitive universities in Spain and abroad.
Families comparing options across the country can see how other schools perform in the International School Advisor ranking of the best international schools in Spain.
