← Back to homeMenntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð
Reykjavik, Iceland · est. 1966 · State
Illustration · Reykjavik
State upper secondary school (framhaldsskóli) in Reykjavík, founded in 1966; in autumn 2026 the school celebrated its 60th anniversary. It was the first in Iceland to introduce the course system (áfangakerfi), in 1972. Most students follow national tracks towards the Icelandic stúdentspróf, taught in Icelandic: social sciences, languages, natural sciences, open, dance, arts and interdisciplinary. A separate IB track: the school has been an IB school since 1997, the first IB Diploma graduates finished in summer 2000. The IB track consists of a preparatory Pre-IB year and the two-year IB Diploma, both in English; "the language of instruction in the IB programme is English with the exception of Icelandic A and some Language B courses". The school states that the IB Diploma gives the same access to higher education as the stúdentspróf. The school teaches 10 foreign languages, has a large school choir and an elite sports option (afreksíþróttaval). Language of instruction stated by the school: national tracks in Icelandic, IB in English.
Key facts
Programmes
IB · DP · National programme
Languages of instruction
Icelandic, English
Languages taught
Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, German, French, Spanish
About the fees The school is a state school. Its price list from autumn 2026 shows no tuition, only a fee of 15000 ISK per semester (registration 6000 and materials 9000). Students on the IB line also pay IB fees, see fees.
Admissions For the national tracks the school admits pupils finishing Icelandic 10th grade; the general requirement is a grade of B, B+ or A in English, Icelandic and mathematics, and places are allocated by grades when demand is high. IB applicants apply through the national portal with an additional IB form, transcripts for at least the last year (two preferred) legally translated into English, and a letter of recommendation. The IB Diploma requires "B1 level or higher in English according to the Common European Framework" and completion of Pre-IB or equivalent (IGCSE, IB MYP); Pre-IB admits students after 10th grade or equivalent with good grades in mathematics and English. New IB DP students are admitted only in June for the autumn term. The school admits foreigners subject to a residence permit: "As a public school in Iceland, MH gives preference to applicants who currently reside in the country or who have been issued a visa to do so. The Icelandic immigration authorities insist that residency issues be settled before students are enrolled in schools so MH cannot enrol students who do not have residence permits in Iceland." In 2024-2025 the IB cohort counted 28 nationalities, Icelandic citizens being about one third.
Stages and year groups Two parallel tracks. National tracks lead to the Icelandic stúdentspróf, taught in Icelandic. IB track: a preparatory Pre-IB year (mostly 16-year-olds) and the two-year IB Diploma, taught and examined in English except Icelandic A and some Language B courses. In autumn 2024, 43 students started Pre-IB, 41 were in the first IB year and 28 in the second, 112 in total. IB Diploma: six subjects, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, plus Theory of Knowledge, CAS and the Extended Essay. The school states that the IB Diploma gives the same access to higher education as the stúdentspróf; individual IB courses can be credited towards the stúdentspróf.
Address Hamrahlíð 10, 105 Reykjavík
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · DP · authorised programmeThe IB register lists the Diploma Programme at the school. It is an Icelandic state upper-secondary school: the IB Diploma line is taught in English alongside the Icelandic programmes leading to the stúdentspróf, preceded by a Pre-IB year.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →National programme
The state school programme of the country the school stands in: it is set by that country's ministry of education, which also licenses the school and awards the leaving certificate. That certificate is used for entry to local universities, and abroad it is matched to the local one.
What this means for this school. This entry does not count towards the score, and that is deliberate. Every lawful school in a country works to the national programme, so on its own it tells one school apart from no other - unlike the French, German or Russian programmes, which are carried abroad and confirmed by the register of their organisation. We show it because a parent needs to know what programme their child is taught and what certificate the child will get. Counting it would lift the whole ranking at once and still tell nobody apart.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
Average IB score
28.7 (world average 30.88)
Exam results In May 2025, 21 students obtained the IB Diploma (two of them retake candidates), 8 students and 3 retake candidates did not; the average of diploma holders was 28.7 out of 45 against a world average of 30.5. In May 2023 the average was 26.9 against a world average of 30.2.
Where leavers go: University of Iceland (Háskóli Íslands) · Iceland University of the Arts (Listaháskóli Íslands)
According to the school's report, in 2024-2025 the University of Iceland had 1210 enrolled students holding a stúdentspróf from MH. The school states that many of its graduates go on to the Iceland University of the Arts. Universities of IB graduates are not listed separately.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
·Laboratoriesnot stated on the website
·Theatre or assembly hallnot stated on the website
✓Library
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Campus: One of the country's largest upper secondary school libraries, with nearly 13000 titles; a fitness room, a yoga room and a large sports hall; the Sómalía cafeteria serving hot lunches; a new building opened in 2007.
Clubs and activities: Kór Menntaskólans við Hamrahlíð (school choir, since 1967) · Hamrahlíðarkórinn (senior students' choir, since 1982) · NFMH (student union) · afreksíþróttaval (programme for high-performance athletes)
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
✓Teacher qualifications
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
·Students per teacher or class sizenot stated
What the listings show: "Subject teachers all attend special workshops on the curriculum and teaching and assessment methods of the IBO."
The school usually employs 80-90 teachers each semester and about 110 staff in total. The IB track has more than 30 staff: the IB Diploma coordinator, the CAS coordinator, Theory of Knowledge teachers and subject teachers in all IB groups.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
✓Nurse or medical room
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
A plan against bullying, sexual violence, sexual harassment and violence (EKKO) with its own team: a communications counsellor, the IB coordinator, a teacher and a staff member; reports can be made in person or through the official complaint button on the website. The school psychologist counsels students and, where needed, parents three days a week. The school's services include a nurse, study and career counsellors and an equality adviser.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)82 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data80 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data75 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)85 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data75 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data70 Value for money (6%) scored at the median90 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 7 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country