Boarding education is very popular in Switzerland. This is because boarding Schools do not only educate students to have excellent academic results, but it also allows them to develop other important characteristics.
So, to help you make your selection amid the many options, we’ve compiled the best Swiss boarding schools for students in 2024.
Swiss boarding schools are famous in the world for their high academic standards and international focus.
In fact, Swiss education is ranked among the best in the world by many education ranking bodies.
While the public schools in Switzerland have a good reputation, Swiss private boarding schools and international day schools are exceptional and rank in the top levels internationally.
So, this article has been written to ensure that your child or ward benefits from this topnotch education system at an early stage.
Here, you get to know about the best boarding schools in Switzerland. You will also see why you should send your child or ward to a Swiss boarding school.
What is a Boarding School?
A Boarding School is a college preparatory institution where students and teachers live and study together in a safe and secure campus environment.
Basically, boarding schools provide education for pupils who live on the premises, unlike a day school.
Why Choose a Swiss Boarding School?
You should consider sending your child to a Swiss boarding school for several reasons.
Firstly, Switzerland is the home of some of the world’s finest and most prestigious boarding schools. Although Swiss boarding schools are expensive compared to other countries, they are renowned for their very high reputation and academic excellence.
Secondly, Switzerland’s location in the heart of Europe makes it the ideal place to learn about different cultures and study languages.
With four national languages; shared borders with Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein; and a highly international population, Switzerland typically helps students develop into world citizens.
Also, Swiss boarding school students get to enjoy many outdoor adventures. Reason being that mountains, rivers, and lakes surround Switzerland and as such, offers unlimited opportunities for students to engage with the outdoors.
So, whether they are into hiking, trail running, rock climbing, canyoning, kayaking, rafting, or cycling, students will definitely emerge from their time at a Swiss boarding school with a heightened appreciation for the outdoors and a better understanding for what it takes to succeed in challenging environments.
In summary, parents whose children study in Switzerland appreciate the safe learning environment, the high academic standards, the international and cultural diversity, the language focus, and the top extracurricular program.
What is the Best Age for Boarding Schools In Switzerland?
In Switzerland, the ideal age for studying in boarding schools is 9 years. Experts here believe that at 9, a child is mentally developed enough to look out for himself.
How Much Does Boarding School Cost In Switzerland?
Regardless of having the highest-ranked education system in the world, boarding Schools in Switzerland are quite expensive when compared to other countries.
According to SCMP, on a list of the most expensive schools in the world, the top ones – ranging from number six at US$88,000 up to number one at US$150,000 annually – are all located in Switzerland.
Some schools, however charge lower. For example, Ecole d’Humanité’s tuition is about $68,077, while College et Lycee Saint-Charles is $77,000.
Nevertheless, there are still a lot of affordable boarding schools for students in Switzerland among public schools.
As a parent, you should look up the financial page of your preferred school for the exact cost.
What are the Best Switzerland Boarding School For Students?
There are several Swiss boarding schools for boys and girls. So, to effectively rank them, we used the following ranking factors:
This looks into the approval and recognition of the programs and existence of these boarding schools in Switzerland by the right accreditation body.
Basically, the grades a boarding school offers can determine the level of facility it’s operating with. That is if it has a low or high facility.
It is often said that students in lower grade usually have more facilities and hands than others.
This refers to the number of students the Switzerland boarding school has in each class. A lower number means that the teacher gets to give the students the required attention they need.
This means the fee parents are to pay each year for their child. Tuition shows how affordable the school is.
Here are the best boarding schools in Switzerland for students:
- Institut auf dem Rosenberg
- TASIS The American School In Switzerland
- College Alpin Beau Soleil
- Aiglon College
- Collège du Léman Sàrl
- Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS)
- Brillantmont International School
- College et Lycee Saint-Charles
- Ecole d’Humanité
- International School of Schaffhausen (ISSH)
#1 Institut auf dem Rosenberg
Tuition: $150,000
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 9-12, PG
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#2 TASIS The American School In Switzerland
Tuition: $87,550
Average class size: 14 students
Grades: 6-12, PG
Founded in 1956, TASIS The American School In Switzerland is a private American international boarding and day school in Switzerland. It is the oldest of the four TASIS Schools.
It is accredited by the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Here, the academic programs provide a rich and varied curriculum that encourages students to find their own voice no matter what the discipline.
TASIS also seeks to balance the pursuit of knowledge with the love of wisdom, and promoting the skills of lifelong learning, an appreciation for beauty, and the development of character, each school combines a challenging academic program with opportunities for artistic endeavor, physical activity, and service to others.
Believing in the worth of each individual and the importance of enduring relationships, TASIS also seeks to embody and instill the values of personal responsibility, civility, compassion, justice, and truth.
TASIS campus includes 25 buildings dating from the 17th century Villa De Nobili to the state-of-the-art Campo Science Center, which opened in 2014.
#3 College Alpin Beau Soleil
Tuition: $140,000
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 6-12, PG
Founded in 1910, Beau Soleil is one of the oldest private boarding schools in Switzerland. Located in a beautiful and safe alpine location and offering a genuinely international education experience, College Alpin Beau Soleil has long been regarded as one of Switzerland’s finest schools.
They provide a full boarding education for students aged 11-18 years old and from around the world.
At Beau Soleil, the educational philosophy encourages students to be their best. Firstly, outstanding academic results are ensured by the passionate teaching staff who inspire and support the students to be their best.
Also, with a capacity of only 260 students, they create a family atmosphere where each student is offered individual attention and a home from home boarding experience.
This includes exciting experiences both inside and outside of the classroom that helps the students to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the world around them and to develop skills including teamwork, collaboration, and resilience, important for their future.
Such as extended curriculum days to educational trips worldwide, full-school challenges, and their winter ski program.
#4 Aiglon College
Tuition: $116,394
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 6-12, PG
Founded in 1949, Aiglon College is a private co-educational boarding school in Switzerland, broadly modeled on British boarding school lines. It is one of the best and most expensive boarding schools in Switzerland.
Aiglon College is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
At Aiglon, they believe in inquiry-based learning. Here, students are challenged to go beyond the accumulation of factual knowledge and to address the greater questions that frame our world.
They celebrate creativity and originality as vital qualities that equip individuals to reach new knowledge, appreciation, and understanding horizons.
Through the balanced development of mind, body and spirit, they foster an appetite for a responsible life, well-led, in the quest for self-fulfillment and the service of others.
As a boarding school, Aiglon’s unique boarding house culture is designed to empower the diversity of the student body.
With over 60 nationalities represented at the school, your house becomes a home where you can live and learn alongside friends you could never otherwise meet.
#5 Collège du Léman Sàrl
Tuition: $92,500
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 6-12
Opened in 1960, Collège du Léman is a Swiss boarding and day school, for boys and girls from 2 to 18 years old, currently based in Versoix, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It is one of the best boarding schools in Switzerland.
Collège du Léman Sàrl is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). It is also an authorized IB World School.
As a Swiss international school, they set the highest standards of excellence in everything we do and tailor an exceptional range of learning choices to bring out the best in your child.
At Collège du Léman, they nurture students to become confident, compassionate, and enthusiastic about opportunities everywhere in the world. Basically, they shape their students to be globally dedicated citizens, eager to make a deep and long-lasting contribution to society.
Also, the boarding school at Collège du Léman offers the support that students need to achieve and be happy, and the freedom they require to become independent and confident. So, when your child joins their safe and welcoming boarding school, they become part of the family community.
#6 Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS)
Tuition: $83,500
Average class size: 12 students
Grades: 7-12, PG
Founded in 1960, Leysin American School is a co-educational independent Swiss boarding school focusing on university preparation for grades 7–12.
Leysin American School is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
LAS is committed to providing students with the experiences and resources they need to make the most of their time living and learning in the Alps.
From practical, engaging in-class academics to experiential learning on international cultural trips, they believe in bringing together students from around the world and providing them with an education that sparks their curiosity and encourages them to be the best global citizens they can be.
#7 Brillantmont International School
Tuition: $96,146
Average class size: 15 students
Grades: 8-12
Founded in 1882, Brillantmont International School is a coeducational international school. It is one of the oldest boarding schools in Switzerland being owned by the same family for five generations.
Brillantmont International School is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Brillantmont is a special place to live and learn; it prides itself on offering a unique, home from home environment in which everyone is seen as an individual, with unique talents and interests, inspiring them to achieve their full potential.
The school’s academic program is internationally recognized and addresses the individual needs of each of their students. The classes are engaging and their inspiring teachers use many different sources and media to enrich their lessons.
Regarding the boarding school, Brillantmontoutstanding boarding staff always have the students’ physical, mental and emotional well-being at the heart of all they do. Students here live alongside others from many cultures and develop cultural sensitivity and openness to others.
In fact, the cultural diversity of the student body enhances learning and promotes intercultural understanding.
#8 College et Lycee Saint-Charles
Tuition: $77,000
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 6-12, PG
Founded in 1897, the Collège et Lycée Saint-Charles is one of the best Swiss boarding schools located in outstanding settings in Ajoie, in the Swiss Jura Canton.
Collège et Lycée Saint-Charles aims to provide students with a high-quality education while developing the attributes of kindness, respect, and responsibility towards others and the environment.
Basically, the friendly and mixed boarding school at the Collège et Lycée Saint-Charles enables several dozen students to be accommodated in a conducive environment.
This environment allows students to live together in a pleasant, safe atmosphere. This is with supervision being provided by prefects and team leaders.
#9 Ecole d’Humanité
Tuition: $68,077
Average class size: 6 students
Grades: 8-12, PG
Founded in 1934, the Ecole d’Humanité is an international, German, and English boarding school. It is in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland.
The Ecole d’Humanité program is certified by AdvancED. However, its outdoor program by Safety in Adventures and is currently one of the best boarding schools in Switzerland.
Basically, the Ecole d’Humanité offers training in accordance with the Swiss and the US school system.
These, however can be combined with each other so that access to secondary schools is possible in both countries and in Europe.
Here, learning is done in small groups with four to twelve students. Also, Ecole d’Humanité encourages individual talent promotion among their students.
They get to learn at their own pace without fear of failure, participate in creative work, sports, and outdoor activities in the stunning mountains.
#10 International School of Schaffhausen (ISSH)
Tuition: $63,600
Average class size: 10 students
Grades: 9-12, PG
Founded in 1999, the International School of Schaffhausen offers a high-quality international education for students of all ages, including a childcare centre. It offers a boarding program for students aged 15-18 as part of its Junior College.
The International School of Schaffhausen is an authorized IB World School.
At ISSH, they provide quality primary and secondary education to the international community in the Schaffhausen and Zurich area.
ISSH basically offers the three prestigious IB programs (Primary Years, Middle Years, and Diploma), a comprehensive bilingual childcare service (0-3 years), and a residential program for international students ages 16-18. Currently, there are over 270 students in these programs with 47 nationalities.
The Junior College residential program at ISSH is different from the classic boarding school model. The age limitation to 16-18-year-old students allows them to target the development of independence in our boarders genuinely.
Here, the students have clearly boundaries for behavior, but are expected to develop skills of self-management.
FAQs- Boarding Schools in Switzerland
All in all, boarding school costs can be up to CHF 60,000 in some of the cheapest options, while the more expensive ones can cost from CHF 90,000 to CHF 140,000
Private Swiss boarding schools are often known for providing extraordinary facilities and a world class education to the children of the privileged elite. Unlike international day schools, these organisations provide a full-time home for students from around the globe.
Conclusion
The article above provides vital information on the best boarding schools in Switzerland for students.
We hope this helps you in your decision making process.
Good Luck And Success!!!
Reference
- BoardingSchoolReview – Top Boarding Schools in Switzerland
- WorldSchools – The Best Boarding Schools in Switzerland
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