NDP, THE IB AND KEY OUTCOMES

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July 28, 2025

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Notre Dame Prep stands alone in Michigan with full IB continuum, setting students up for success.

Notre Dame Preparatory School, a Catholic, Marist, IB World School, is the only private institution in Michigan, and one of only three Catholic schools in the U.S., offering the full International Baccalaureate continuum: Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma Program (DP). That unique status places NDP in a rare academic elite, offering a unified, international education from age 3 through high school graduation.

Authorized in stages — DP in 2007, MYP in 2009 and PYP in 2010 — Notre Dame Prep has built a seamless educational journey that immerses students in IB pedagogy long before they reach the more-rigorous upper school curriculum.

“Young learners enter Notre Dame Prep's PYP and MYP with an inquiry-based mindset,” said Katrina Sagert, English and social studies teacher and the IB Diploma Program coordinator at NDP. “By junior year they’re already adept at critical thinking, research and global perspectives — the hallmarks of the Diploma Program.”

Higher education outcomes: What IB research says

According to the IB’s key findings from DP research, students who complete the Diploma Program in the U.S. enroll, persist and graduate from college at rates well above national averages. For instance, 82 percent of DP graduates entered higher education immediately compared with 66 percent of all U.S. high school graduates. 

Similarly, persistence into the second year stood at 90.4 percent among all DP candidates and rose to 92.9 percent for diploma earners. By contrast, only 80 percent of all U.S. students returned for a second year of college. Four-year graduation rates were equally impressive: 61.6 percent of DP students finished in four years versus 41.1 percent nationally; diploma earners reached 74.4 percent. 

A broader IB commissioned study found that DP students in the U.S. had university enrollment rates of about 95 percent and graduation rates near 79 percent, versus 60 percent and 39 percent nationally for non DP peers. 

What this means for Notre Dame Prep students

For NDP students, the advantages are clear:
•    Strong college outcomes: NDP’s DP graduates align with the national cohort of DP students who significantly outperform U.S. averages in entry, persistence and graduation.
•    Equity and access: Research shows that even low income DP candidates surpass national averages for similar demographics in graduation rates. 
•    Acquisition of critical competencies: The Diploma Program fosters time management, critical thinking, research, writing and global literacy — skills cited by DP alumni as essential to their university success. 

At Notre Dame Prep, students experience this transformative approach well before grade 11. By the time they enter the Diploma Program, they are steeped in inquiry, reflection and research thanks to their earlier exposure to PYP and MYP frameworks.

Why Notre Dame Prep’s continuum matters

No other private or Catholic school in Michigan offers all three IB programs under one roof. That continuity, from the PYP’s transdisciplinary exploration, through the MYP’s global contexts, to the DP’s rigorous curriculum and core requirements, means that NDP students develop the full range of intellectual, social and ethical skills demanded by top universities worldwide.

As research shows, schools offering the full IB continuum tend to produce students better prepared for collegiate work — and Notre Dame Prep is the only school in the state where that’s possible.

Catholic, Marist values integrated with global education

Alongside its IB offerings, Notre Dame Prep maintains its identity as a Catholic, Marist institution. The school’s emphasis on character formation, community service and moral reflection complements the IB’s focus on international mindedness and ethical leadership.

“It is clear that students who complete Notre Dame Prep’s full IB experience emerge not just college ready, but grounded in empathy, social responsibility and a broader worldview,” Sagert said.

Sources: IB DP research, U.S. studies 2008–2014 and related reports.

Learn more about Notre Dame Prep’s International Baccalaureate programs at ndprep.org.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.