The Top 13 Elite Boarding Schools in Switzerland...
When it Comes to Education, Only The Best Counts

Despite these exorbitant prices, they are usually fully booked well in advance. Of the 12 most prominent boarding schools of Switzerland, eight are located on Lake Geneva.

The reason of this is that the Orient Express travelled through the town of Lausanne. During that time, it became practical for the parents to accommodate their children in this region.

Today, Switzerland undertakes a lot of effort to represent Swiss Elite Boarding Schools on special events in many emerging countries like Brazil, China, India or Russia. But what are the parents from Bangkok, Moscow or Catar really searching for their children?

For sure not a Club Med and for many that may be a completely false picture. No, together with security for their children, they also find that good care, discipline and structure is very important. And of course an excellent education with International recognized qualification. All this is the trust to a very high degree that the parents demand in private boarding schools.

In addition, there is something else very important. The boarding schools in Switzerland aiming at the International clientele insist on strict quotas. That means that no more that 10% of the students may be Russian or Italian, American, English or Chinese.

Because of this, together with the multilingualism, this International mix is a great advantage that Swiss boarding schools have in compare to the cheaper competitors such as for example England.

In England, 90% of the students of these schools are English and only about 10% are foreigners. This means that it is exactly the opposite in Switzerland. The International network that a child builds in Switzerland for the future of his life is really the unique selling proposition of High-End boarding schools in Switzerland.

International Baccalaureate

Most boarding schools in Switzerland offer the International Baccalaureate (IB). This includes the PYP, MYP and Diploma to the British GCSE and GCE examination systems.

The English Schools here have to satisfy the requirements of the Swiss national system. All American Schools in Switzerland run courses to prepare students for the SATs.

The International Baccalaureate is a demanding Pre-university course that leads to examinations. It serves perfectly for highly motivated secondary school students aged 16 to 19. Any student holding an IB diploma is well prepared and has access to the best Universities in Switzerland or anywhere else in the world. That means the students are either armed with the certificate of the...

• Swiss Matura

• American High School Diploma

• German Abitur (after 12 years at school)

• International Baccalaureate (IB)

• French Baccalaureate.

The Top Elite Boarding Schools in Switzerland

Aiglon College - Chesières-Villars

The Aiglon College is an international British school located in the Alpine village of Villars Switzerland. It is one of the top boarding schools in Switzerland. There are many British students as well as some royalties attending.

The school aims to educate young men and women for integrity and developing the qualities of uprightness as well as…

• Self discipline

• Honesty

• Tenacity

• Good health in body and mind

• Thoughtfulness and service to others.

The Aiglon College is ideally located close to the town of Montreux and Lausanne Switzerland – the city of wine. The top ski resorts of Verbier and Gstaad are within an hour from this excellent boarding school.

College du Leman - Versoix-Geneva

Founded in 1959, the college du Leman is a co-educational boarding and day school. It is also a university preparatory school located in Versoix. Most boarding schools in Switzerland are located on Lake Geneva, but the Collge du leman is just 9 km (5,5 miles) from the city centre of Geneva.

The instructional program prepares students from Kindergarten to the highest classes for four national examinations like…

• College Board tests

• Tests for students intending to enter US colleges and universities

• IGCSE and GCE A level examinations

• The French Baccalaureate

• The Swiss Matura (bilingual English and French).

Seven boarding houses provide accommodation for about 200 boys and girls grouped by age and gender. The teachers are mainly from Great Britain, France, the USA and Switzerland. All hold university level degrees and teaching certificates. More than half are with the school for more than ten years.

During the Christmas and the Easter holiday season, the boarding students may go home or may join ski or other trips organized by the College. There is a full skiing week trip organized for each grade level as well as other interesting activities during the ski season.

The Brillantmont is a day and boarding school for 13–19 year old boys and girls. The same family since five generations founded the school in 1882. It is located in Lausanne and fully accredited by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and ECIS (European Council of International Schools.

The teaching for the students of more than 35 nationalities is in English, but everybody also learns French, the local language. Like most boarding schools in Switzerland, the Brillantmont offers a wide choice of programs like the…

• American Section: High School classes are from Grades 9–13. An American counsellor advises the students for preparation for SAT I and II, PSAT and TOEFL.

• Swiss Section: All the way, up to the 10th year

• British Section: AS and A levels, IGCSE (Cambridge International Examinations)

• Business Section: Cambridge skills and Career Awards

• Language Section.

Many international students undergo an intensive English and French program and up to two or more languages. There are other language examinations on offer if desired.

The school also offers summer courses with intense English and French combined with sports. The city of Lausanne offers excellent sports facilities and the students compete regularly with other boarding schools.

Institute Monte Rosa

The Institute Monte Rosa is an international co-educational private boarding school. The main aim of the institute is to prepare the students for university entrance. This is why the academic program of the Anglo-American section is strongly college preparatory.

Choosing the Institute Monte Rosa makes sense if you are planning to place your child to an American university. Here, they get prepared for College Board examinations and receive the high school diploma on successful completion of 12th grade.

The postgraduate year offers mature students intensive language study with business, economics and computer studies. Many students that have recently completed their secondary education at the Institute have proceeded to universities in Europe and the USA.

So, if you plan to relocate to the Geneva area, you may want to place your child to the Institute Monte Rosa, one of the top boarding schools in Switzerland. The annual fees including boarding are CHF 57,200.

Leysin American School - Leysin

As an international university-preparatory high school, the Leysin American School ranks among the top private boarding schools in the world. The location of the school is in the small town of Leysin, a 90-minute car ride from Geneva Switzerland – the Smallest Metropolis in The World.

The academic program follows on the college-preparatory curriculum as required by US universities. For non-native English language students, there is intensive English as a second language provided. After a while, gradual integration into regular courses begins.

The students have the choice to take individual certificates or the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a full diploma program.

Leysin American School represents more than 51 nationalities. About one third of the students are indeed Americans who prefer boarding schools in Switzerland.

There are many recreational activities including tennis, swimming, ice-skating, skiing and two sport centres. Besides all the classrooms and dormitories, the campus has an art centre that includes a music performance hall, a black box theatre, art studio area and individual music practice rooms. The nearest larger city is Lausanne, which is only about 40 minutes away.

The American School - Lugano

The American School is located on a hillside overlooking beautiful Lake Lugano and the city of Lugano Switzerland. The school enrols 35 day and more than 240 boarding students.

The campus main building is in the historic Villa de Nobili. All the other campus facilities include…

• Classrooms

• Four science laboratories

• Music rooms

• Art and photography studios

• Library

… and a new sports and activities centre. The students house in eight different dormitories.

The Graduates prepare for the School’s American College Preparatory and International Baccalaureate curriculums. It is an ideal way to proceed to the best British and American or other universities in the world.

In the summer, the college offers language programs available for students aged 6–18. The students are involved in…

• Extensive travel program

• Competitive and recreational sports

• A full range of extra curricular activities

• A two week ski vacation in Crans-Montana.

Colleges in the United States and the New England Association of Schools as well as the European Council of International Schools accredit the School. It is the only elite school of all the boarding schools in Switzerland that is located in the Ticino region.

St. George’s School - Montreux

One of the best British-style boarding schools in Switzerland for boys and girls is St. George’s School. It is small but provides a complete educational program in English for children aged 3 to 19.

The school lies in a park of 45,000 square meters with magnificent uninterrupted views of the mountains and Lake Geneva.

The International Junior Department offers primary education for boys and girls from pre-reception through year 6. The Senior School prepares students for the IB Diploma Program and for American High school graduation.

St. George’s location is between Vevey and Montreux close to the city of Lausanne. More than 400 pupils represent more than 40 different nationalities.

Institute Le Rosey - Rolle

The oldest and certainly one of the best boarding schools in Switzerland is the legendary "Institute Le Rosey". It caries prestige and yes it is very difficult to enrol this private institut.

Le Rosey’s 380 students are all boarders and share life on two campuses. The main campus is an attractive manorial estate in Rolle on Lake Geneva. This prestigious school also owns a campus at the exclusive Swiss ski resort of Gstaad. During the winter months, the students stay at this pretty town in the Bernese Oberland.

The media called Le Rosey as the "School of Kings" because many European royals attended the school during most of the 20th century. However, today it is more the educational choice of the celebrities and the wealthy.

The Le Rosey educated many generations of well-known families like the…

• The Rothschild’s

• The Hohenlohe’s

• The Metternich’s

• The Hohenzollern

• The Radziwills and Borghese’s.

They also educated several monarchs like the Kings Albert II and Baudouin I of Belgium, King Fuad II of Egypt, Aga Khan IV, King Ntare V of Burundi, Prince Rainier III of Monaco and the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran.

But also people like Dodi al-Fayad - Lover of Lady Diana, Sean Lennon - son of John Lennon or Nicolas Negroponte - Founder MIT.

The school offers a bilingual education in either English or French. This depends on the chosen academic program to receive the International or French Baccalaureate.

Over 400 students from over 60 different countries study at Le Rosey. The age ranges from 7 through 18. However, most of the students are between the ages of 14 to 18 and 60% are from European countries.

The Institute Le Rosey with its 28 hectares (70 acres) of landscape is the largest of all private boarding schools in Switzerland. Besides an intense academic program, they offer a wide range of sports.

Institute auf dem Rosenberg - St. Gallen

Located in the hills overlooking the city of St. Gallen Switzerland, the Institute auf dem Rosenberg offers a picturesque setting.

The students live in houses according to gender and age in a verdant residential area. Unlike most other boarding schools in Switzerland, the Institut auf dem Rosenberg is located in the north-east of the country.

The school offers various international programs and divides them into sections. The different programs are…

The International Section
The International section bases its studies on the American school program to attain a high school diploma. In addition, it prepares students for later studies at American colleges and universities.

On offer is also the British school program for IGCSE, GCE A levels to complete AS and A2 level courses and examinations. The fountain program is a special program for students whose mother tongue is not English. In my opinion, those special programs belong to all Swiss private schools.

The Swiss Section
If you are planning to stay in Switzerland for longer than just a few years, you may look into the Swiss school program. The children commence at the primary school and prepare for the Swiss Matura. After graduating from the Swiss Matura, the students can choose to study at any Swiss university.

The German Section
The German section is similar to the Swiss starting with gymnasium leading to the German Abitur. The emphasis is on languages or mathematics and science subjects.

There are also special programs in addition to their regular studies. The students from all sections have the opportunity preparing for various language certificates.

College Beau Soleil - Villars-sur-Ollon

Many foreign nationals attend in all the best boarding schools in Switzerland. That is also true for the College Beau Soleil, which has approximately 180 boys and girls from more than 30 nations.

The school is located in the alpine village of Villars and divided into two sections…

• the Anglo-American section for grades 6-12 (High School Diploma)

• the French Lyceum from grade 6 up to the French Baccalaureate.

Besides having a top boarding school, the ski resort of Villars offers excellent skiing facilities as well as other outdoor sports.

Institute Montana Zugerberg - Zug

The Institute Montana auf dem Zugerberg (on top of the mountain of Zug) is not selling itself as a school for the super wealthy. Outward appearances count for little and most houses are actually a bit old.

You also do not find students dressed in a suit walking through the corridors like at the Institute auf dem Rosenberg. There were no famous people ever at this school.

With two exceptions of one is John Kerry who entered the US election campaign in 2004. Mr. Kerry stayed at the Rosenberg Institute in the 50’s and film director Marc Forster during the 80’s.

When you want to send your children to the Institute Montana, you have a choice of three education systems. The bilingual primary school is in English and German.

The gymnasium has classes in English and is in preparation for the International Baccalaureate. The students that prefer to enter the gymnasium with classes in the German language prepare for the Matura.

Almost 250 students from 30 different countries are studying here. Besides the private boarding school, the Institute Montana offers also a day school with 150 students. The classes are very small and the school has on average a teacher or 2 co-workers for every fifth student.

This reflects in the costs where the parents for internal students pay 46,300 Swiss Francs (US$ 41,000) and for externals 25,550 Francs. It is still cheap in compare to the Lyceum Alpinum in Zuoz.

Lyceum Alpinum - Zuoz

The Lyceum launched a challenging two-year program in English, which will lead to an International Baccalaureate Diploma. A diploma recognized by the best universities in the world. In order to facilitate admittance, the Lyceum Alpinum offers a Pre-IB course.

The admissions for boarders are quite strict. The Lyceum Alpinum accepts only young people who are willing and able to meet the academic demands and to identify with its philosophy.

In order to meet its educational and pastoral obligations, the school must have certain necessary information. It shows that the lyceum cares for the child’s education when they ask a family about a student’s…

• Character

• School records

• Family situation – relevant to the personal, academic and physical development of the student.

Admission is possible into school from Grades 7 to 11, but not into Grade 12.

Like in all other private boarding schools, the students can study to receive the…

• The International Baccalaureate Diploma

• The German Abitur or

• The Swiss Matura

The younger boys and girls live in family-like surroundings. The older students have more privileges and greater responsibilities. Despite that, the boarding life is not boring as there are evening and weekend sport programs and many other activities to try out.

The Lyceum Alpinum is more expensive than most boarding schools in Switzerland. Depending on the course, the costs for boarding fees plus tuition are between 60,000 – 70,000 Swiss Francs (US$53,100 – 62,000).

College Champittet – Lausanne

The College Champittet was founded in 1903 and therefore has a long history of educational experience. The students are from all over the world and have the possibility to attend from nursery school until reaching university studies.

It’s location is in a wooded 40,000m2 campus in the city centre of Lausanne, near beautiful Lake Geneva, Switzerland.

Besides the day school, the College Champittet also provides a small but international boarding school with a family atmosphere. The students attending the boarding school are supervised on an individual basis, which helps to develop their personal and academic talents.

It is a lively place where social life, friendship and mutual encouragement are key elements. This is so important for a genuine school of life, especially when they are away from home and therefore proves to be an asset to academic success.

The boarding students are divided into two sections. The rules applied depend on their age group and academic requirements.

• The older boarding students are regrouped from years 10, 11 and 12• The younger boarding students are regrouped from 7,8 and 9

Home away from home

The students are away from home, sometimes even from far away. That is why the College Campittet offers many different weekend activities under the leadership of their supervisors.

The school organizes trips to Zermatt in the winter or trips to a European city such as Munich, Rome or Prague for instance in the event of a long weekend.

Cultural visits are combined with a variety of sport activities to encourage a balance between a healthy lifestyle and friendship. In the winter they offer tobogganing activities, movies, attending theatre productions, bowling or going to the museum. In the summer they go rowing, mountain biking, wake-boarding or barbecues.

And every year in October, an exciting trip to an exotic and faraway destination is also organised for all boarding students.

In the past, they have visited Mexico, Greece, Thailand, Kenya and Tanzania on safari. So, if you are searching for a school where your child gets a top education, look no further than at the College Champittet. After all, it is one of the best elite boarding schools in Switzerland.

So, these are the top 12 boarding schools in Switzerland and to many, it feels an honor to have their child in such an elite school. These schools are expensive but it is well worth it. If you would like to place your child to one of these private schools, please so fill out the contact form.

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