A full International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, NIST welcomes more than 1,800 students of over 75 nationalities.

[14] NIST is also the home of Top Flight Basketball Academy, run by ex-NBA player Ike Nwankwo, and Chelsea F.C.

As of 2014, it has expanded its physical facilities and now possesses dedicated buildings for the early years, elementary and secondary sections.

A fourth multi-purpose building, the Hub, was completed in June 2014, while renovation of the older facilities began.

In line with the IB philosophy and learner profile, the school adopts an academic approach that emphasizes collaboration, hands-on learning and exploration.

In 2014 NIST partnered with Yokohama International School and Zurich International School in offering the Global Citizen Diploma (GCD), an optional, additive certificate that reflects graduates' leadership, service and community engagement.

Current members of the GCD consortium include NIST, ACS International Schools, Hong Kong Academy, Le Jardin Academy, Nanjing International School and Yokohama International School[18] The GCD aims to identify "the diversity of gifts students may have, rather than assuming the importance of any particular set of skills or knowledge, based on any cultural bias.

All NIST teams are the Falcons, named for the school mascot, and wear blue uniforms highlighted with silver, grey and/or white.