The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a nonprofit educational foundation that offers programs of education for students at all grade levels at schools around the world. Schools must be authorized by the IB to offer these programs. At the high school level, the IB offers a challenging and demanding diploma program for students in grades 11-12. Students at San Diego and Mission Bay High Schools have the opportunity to earn the IB diploma.

IB courses are usually offered at two levels: SL (standard level) and HL (higher level). The HL courses generally form a two-year sequence. The district awards grade points on a weighted, or five-point, scale (A=5, B=4, C=3, D=1, and F=0) for some but not all IB courses, in line with the University of California's weighting of these courses. Note that honors prep courses '(HP)' are weighted.

The following is a list of the IB courses offered in the current school year.

Biology HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)Math Analysis and Approaches SL IB 1-2 (HP)
Biology HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)Mathematical Studies SL 1-2 IB (P)
Chemistry HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)Mathematics HL1 IB 1-2 (P)
Chemistry HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)Mathematics HL2 IB 1-2 (HP)
Computer Science IB SL 1,2Mathematics SL IB 1-2 (P)
Design Technology HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation IB SL 1,2 (HP)
Economics HL2 IB 1,2Music HL1 IB 1,2 (P)
English HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)Music HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)
English HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)Physics HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)
Environmental Systems and Societies SL IB 1,2 (HP)Physics HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)
Film HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)Psychology HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)
Film HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)Psychology HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)
French HL1 IB 1-2 (HP)Psychology SL 1,2 IB (HP)
French HL2 IB 1-2 (HP)Science and Technology 6th IB
French SL IB 1-2 (HP)Science and Technology 7th IB
German HL1 IB 1-2 (HP)Science and Technology 8th IB
German HL2 IB 1-2 (HP)Spanish HL1 IB 1-2 (HP)
German SL IB 1-2 (HP)Spanish HL2 IB 1-2 (HP)
History HL1 1,2 IB (HP)Spanish SL IB 1-2 (HP)
History of the Americas HL1 IB 1,2Theatre Arts HL1 IB 1,2 (P)
History of the Americas HL2 1,2 IB (HP)Theatre Arts SL IB 1-2 (P)
Mandarin ABI 1-2 IBTheory of Knowledge IB 1,2 (HP)
IB Mandarin SL 1,2Visual Arts HL1 IB 1,2 (HP)
Marine Science SL (SBC) IB 1,2 (HP)Visual Arts HL2 IB 1,2 (HP)
Math Analysis and Approaches HL1 IB 1-2 (HP)Visual Arts SL IB 3,4
Math Analysis and Approaches HL2 IB 1-2 (HP)Visual Arts SL IB 1,2 (HP)
Math Analysis and Approaches IB SL1/Preparation Course