Copenhagen International School

From Diplomatic Community to Global IB Pioneer

Copenhagen International School was established in 1963 to serve the growing international expatriate and diplomatic community in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the time, few educational options existed for non-Danish families relocating to the city, and CIS emerged as a direct response to that need.

What sets CIS apart historically is its role as one of the original five schools worldwide to pilot the International Baccalaureate programme. Long before the IB became a global phenomenon adopted by thousands of schools in over 150 countries, CIS educators were helping to design and refine the very curriculum that would define international education for generations. This founding relationship with the IB is not merely a historical footnote — it is central to the school's identity and ongoing approach to learning.

Key Milestones

• 1963 — Founded to serve Copenhagen's international community
• 1960s–1970s — Participated as a founding pilot school in developing the IB curriculum
• Accredited by CIS — Joined the Council of International Schools network in the 1970s
• Late 2010s — Relocated to a purpose-built, award-winning campus in Nordhavn
• 2018 — Campus wins CIJ Sustainable Design Award; LEED certification achieved

Nordhavn: A Campus Built for the Future

The move to the Nordhavn harbour district represented a transformational moment for the school. Designed by Danish architects C.F. Møller, the new campus spans 25,000 m² across four interconnected towers, each housing students at different developmental stages. The building was conceived around sustainability and inquiry-based learning, featuring rooftop greenhouses, a 600-seat theatre, three sports halls, and cutting-edge arts and design studios.

The campus itself embodies the school's philosophy: a physical environment that reflects intellectual curiosity, environmental responsibility, and global community.

A Continuing Legacy

Today, CIS educates approximately 900 students from over 80 nationalities, making it one of the most internationally diverse schools in Scandinavia. Its 60-year heritage as a founding IB institution gives it a depth of pedagogical expertise and an alumni network that spans the globe. For families seeking an IB education with genuine historical roots and a forward-looking campus, CIS remains a landmark choice in Northern Europe.

Architecture as Pedagogy

The Copenhagen International School campus in Nordhavn is not simply a place to study — it is a physical embodiment of the school's educational philosophy. Designed by award-winning Danish firm C.F. Møller Architects and completed in the late 2010s, the campus has become one of the most architecturally recognised international school buildings in Europe.

Spanning 25,000 m², the main building rises across four interconnected towers of five to seven storeys each. Each tower is dedicated to a different age group and developmental stage, creating distinct communities within a unified campus. This structure ensures that young children, middle school students, and diploma-level learners each have spaces tailored to their needs, while still benefiting from shared resources.

Facilities Highlights

• 600-seat theatre — A professional-grade performing arts venue supporting drama productions, concerts, and community events
• Three sports halls (gyms) — Enabling team sports including basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics year-round
• Two rooftop greenhouses — Unique science and sustainability learning spaces used for biology, environmental projects, and the school's sustainability curriculum
• Multiple music rooms and art studios — Supporting a rich performing and visual arts programme
• Design and ceramics labs — Fully equipped for hands-on creative learning
• Libraries and cafeterias — Integrated learning and social spaces across the building

Sustainability by Design

The building is LEED-certified, reflecting the school's deep commitment to environmental responsibility. It won the CIJ Sustainable Design Award in 2018, recognising its innovative approach to energy efficiency, natural light, and ecological footprint. For a school that describes its mission as "educating champions of a just and sustainable world," the campus serves as a daily, lived reminder of those values.

Location in Nordhavn

Nordhavn is one of Copenhagen's most dynamic urban development districts — a former industrial harbour now home to innovation, culture, and community. CIS's presence here places students in a modern, walkable neighbourhood with excellent public transport links and a strong sense of place. The nearest train station is Nordhavn S-train Station, approximately 10 minutes' walk from the school.

The combination of architectural excellence, environmental credentials, and world-class learning facilities makes the CIS campus one of the most compelling physical environments in international education today.

An IB Education from Foundation to Diploma

Copenhagen International School offers the complete International Baccalaureate continuum — from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students aged 3–11, through the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for ages 11–16, to the Diploma Programme (DP) for students in Grades 11 and 12. As one of the five schools that helped found the IB, CIS has an unparalleled depth of experience in delivering the programme with fidelity and innovation.

Inquiry-Based Learning

At every level, CIS's pedagogy is grounded in inquiry, critical thinking, and international-mindedness. Rather than rote memorisation, students are encouraged to ask questions, make connections across disciplines, and develop as reflective, principled learners. This approach is embedded in the IB's Learner Profile and is reflected in how classrooms are organised and how assessments are designed.

The campus structure reinforces this philosophy: four towers dedicated to different developmental stages mean that teaching teams are deeply attuned to age-appropriate learning needs, while shared spaces promote cross-stage collaboration and community.

Academic Standards and Class Sizes

• Average class size: ~20 students; maximum 22
• Graduation rate: ~95% of students progress to further education
• Student-teacher ratio: Approximately 9:1 (estimated)

These figures reflect a school environment where individual attention is possible and academic expectations are high.

Diploma Scholarships

For exceptional students entering Grade 11, CIS offers three categories of merit scholarship:

• Academic Excellence Scholarship — Awarded to students with outstanding academic records across all subjects
• Arts Scholarship — For students demonstrating exceptional talent in visual art, music, theatre, or other creative disciplines
• Sustainability Scholarship — Recognising students with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability leadership

All scholarships are partial tuition waivers, renewable across both Diploma years (Grades 11–12), awarded through an application process involving exams and/or interviews.

University Preparation

While CIS does not publish detailed university destination data publicly, the IB Diploma is widely recognised as one of the most rigorous pre-university qualifications in the world, opening doors to leading universities across the US, UK, Europe, and beyond. The breadth of the curriculum — combining six subject groups with Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) — prepares students comprehensively for the demands of higher education.

One of the Most International School Communities in Europe

Copenhagen International School is home to approximately 900 students representing more than 80 nationalities, making it one of the most internationally diverse schools in Northern Europe. Around 80% of students are international, with the remaining 20% Danish, creating a genuinely multicultural environment where cross-cultural learning happens naturally, every day.

This diversity is not incidental — it is central to the school's identity and educational model. The IB framework, with its emphasis on international-mindedness, global citizenship, and multiple perspectives, is the ideal pedagogical vessel for a community this varied.

Student-Led Inclusion Initiatives

CIS students themselves drive many of the community-building and equity-focused initiatives on campus:

• Racial & Social Justice Union — A student-led group advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the school community
• GSA (Gender & Sexuality Alliance) — Providing support and community for LGBTQ+ students
• YANA ("You Are Not Alone") — A multicultural student club fostering cross-cultural understanding and belonging
• Student Council — Elected student representatives who engage in school governance and community planning
• Mother Tongue Programme — After-school support for students to maintain and develop their native languages, honouring linguistic diversity

EAL and Learning Support

Recognising that many students arrive with varying levels of English proficiency, CIS offers a dedicated English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme. Additionally, Learning Support services are available for students with special educational needs, including push-in and pull-out support and modified programmes, ensuring that the school's high academic standards are accessible to all learners.

A Community Beyond the Classroom

The school's commitment to community extends to its performing arts programme, which stages two major theatrical productions each year, and its robust sports programme which competes in Danish national leagues. These shared experiences — whether on stage, on the pitch, or in the cafeteria — are what transform a diverse collection of families into a genuine school community.

For expatriate and international families choosing Copenhagen, CIS offers not just world-class education but a ready-made network of like-minded families from across the globe.

When Sustainability Is Built Into the Walls

For many schools, sustainability is a policy statement or an optional club. At Copenhagen International School, it is built into the architecture, embedded in the curriculum, and rewarded in admissions.

The Physical Environment

The campus's two rooftop greenhouses are among the most distinctive features of any international school in Europe. These are not decorative — they are active learning spaces used for biology, environmental science, food systems education, and student sustainability projects. Standing on the roof of a harbour-district school, growing plants above the Copenhagen skyline, is a daily reminder that environmental responsibility is not abstract.

The entire building is LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), one of the world's most recognised standards for green building design. It won the CIJ Sustainable Design Award in 2018, and the architects — C.F. Møller — are known for their commitment to ecological design principles. The school explicitly states its aim to "tread lightly on the surrounding environment."

Sustainability in the Curriculum

The IB framework itself integrates global issues and sustainability across all subject areas. The Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) components of the Diploma Programme all offer natural pathways to engage with environmental and social sustainability challenges. The school's founding mission — "Educating champions of a just and sustainable world" — makes clear that this is not a peripheral concern but a central purpose.

The Sustainability Scholarship

Perhaps most distinctively, CIS offers a dedicated Sustainability Scholarship for exceptional Grade 11 applicants who have demonstrated a strong track record in environmental stewardship, sustainability projects, or community leadership around ecological issues. This is rare among international schools and signals that CIS is actively recruiting the next generation of environmental champions, not just educating them incidentally.

Why This Matters for Families

For families who prioritise environmental values, CIS offers something exceptional: a school where sustainability is not an elective or an after-school club, but is woven into the physical fabric, the daily curriculum, the admissions culture, and the school's very founding mission. In a world where students increasingly demand that their education address the climate and justice challenges of their generation, CIS has been building this culture since 1963.