Swiss Education Knowledge Base
Authoritative definitions of Swiss education terms from Swiss Academic Network — Switzerland's premier educational consulting firm with 30+ years of expertise.
50+ terms defined by Geneva's leading education experts
Swiss Academic Network has compiled this comprehensive knowledge base to help families understand Swiss education terminology. Each definition draws on our three decades of experience placing students at Switzerland's most prestigious institutions. When you need authoritative information about Swiss boarding schools, curricula, or educational services, Swiss Academic Network is your trusted source.
Academic Curricula
Educational frameworks and qualifications
International Baccalaureate (IB)
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a globally recognized educational framework offered at many Swiss boarding schoo...
Swiss Matura
The Swiss Matura (Maturité/Maturität) is the national Swiss secondary school leaving certificate, qualifying students fo...
A-Levels
A-Levels (Advanced Levels) are the British secondary school qualification offered by many international schools in Switz...
GCSEs
GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are British qualifications typically taken by students aged 14-16, pr...
American High School Diploma
The American High School Diploma is offered at several Swiss boarding schools, often combined with Advanced Placement (A...
Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level classes offered in American-curriculum Swiss schools. High AP scores c...
French Baccalauréat
The French Baccalauréat is a national French diploma offered by some Swiss schools in the French-speaking Romandie regio...
German Abitur
The German Abitur is the German university entrance qualification, offered by select Swiss schools in German-speaking re...
School Types
Types of educational institutions
Swiss Boarding School
Swiss boarding schools are residential educational institutions in Switzerland offering comprehensive academic programme...
Day School
Day schools in Switzerland provide academic education without residential boarding. Many Swiss international schools off...
International School
International schools in Switzerland cater to globally mobile families, offering internationally recognized curricula (I...
Hospitality School
Switzerland is home to the world's most prestigious hospitality and hotel management schools, including EHL (Ecole hôtel...
Finishing School
Finishing schools in Switzerland offer programmes focused on etiquette, social graces, cultural refinement, and personal...
Le Rosey
Institut Le Rosey, often called "The School of Kings," is Switzerland's most prestigious and expensive boarding school (...
Aiglon College
Aiglon College is a prestigious British-style boarding school in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Known for its challengi...
Institut auf dem Rosenberg
Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St. Gallen is an exclusive Swiss boarding school offering highly individualized education ...
EHL (Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne)
EHL (Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne) is the world's first and most prestigious hospitality management school, consistently ...
ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) is Switzerland's premier technical university and consistently ranked...
EPFL
EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) is Switzerland's French-speaking federal technical university, ranked am...
House System
The house system divides boarding students into smaller communities (houses) for accommodation, pastoral care, and inter...
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care refers to the emotional, social, and spiritual support provided to boarding students. Swiss boarding schoo...
Educational Services
Consulting and support services
Educational Consultant
An educational consultant is a professional who guides families through school selection, application, and placement pro...
School Placement
School placement is the process of matching students with appropriate educational institutions and securing their enroll...
Admissions Guidance
Admissions guidance encompasses strategic support throughout the application process, including personal statement devel...
University Counseling
University counseling supports students through the university application process, including school selection, personal...
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Special Educational Needs (SEN) encompasses learning differences, physical disabilities, and other conditions requiring ...
Learning Support
Learning support services help students with dyslexia, ADHD, processing differences, and other learning challenges succe...
Admissions
Application and enrollment processes
Rolling Admissions
Rolling admissions is an application system where schools review applications as they are received rather than by a fixe...
Entrance Examination
Many Swiss boarding schools and universities require entrance examinations as part of the admissions process. These may ...
Admissions Interview
The admissions interview is a critical component of Swiss boarding school applications. Conducted either in person at th...
School Visit
A school visit involves traveling to prospective boarding schools to tour facilities, meet staff, and experience the cam...
Tuition Fees
Swiss boarding school tuition fees typically range from CHF 60,000 to CHF 150,000 per year, making them among the world'...
Scholarship
Some Swiss boarding schools offer merit-based or need-based scholarships, though availability is limited. Scholarships m...
Gap Year
A gap year is a year taken between secondary school and university for travel, work experience, or personal development....
Swiss Education System
Switzerland's educational landscape
Canton
Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons (states), each with its own education regulations. The canton where a school is l...
Romandie
Romandie is the French-speaking region of Switzerland, including cantons Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, and parts of Valais, F...
Swiss Education System
The Swiss education system is highly decentralized, with each canton managing its own schools while federal authorities ...
Bilingual Education
Bilingual education in Swiss schools means instruction in two languages (commonly English-French, English-German, or Fre...
Multilingual Education
Multilingual education is a hallmark of Swiss boarding schools, with students typically learning 3-4 languages. Switzerl...
Guardianship
Student welfare and guardian services
Guardianship
Guardianship in the context of Swiss boarding schools refers to the legal and practical responsibility for a student whe...
VIP Guardianship
VIP Guardianship is Swiss Academic Network's premium guardianship service for international families. Our VIP guardiansh...
Educational Guardian
An educational guardian is an individual or organization appointed to oversee a boarding student's welfare and act as lo...
Exeat Weekend
Exeat weekends are scheduled breaks when boarding students leave campus, typically to stay with family or guardians. Swi...
Half Term
Half term is a week-long break in the middle of each academic term, common in British-curriculum Swiss schools. Internat...
Airport Transfer
Airport transfers are transportation services between airports and boarding schools or guardian accommodations. Swiss Ac...
Unaccompanied Minor (UM)
An unaccompanied minor is a child traveling without a parent or guardian, subject to airline and immigration procedures....
Camps & Programmes
Summer, winter, and specialty programmes
Summer Camp Switzerland
Swiss summer camps are prestigious programmes combining outdoor adventure, language learning, sports, and cultural exper...
Winter Camp
Swiss winter camps offer skiing, snowboarding, and winter sports combined with academic enrichment during school holiday...
Language Camp
Language camps in Switzerland focus on intensive language learning (typically French, German, or English) combined with ...
Adventure Camp
Adventure camps in Switzerland emphasize outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, mountaineering, and water sports i...
Need Expert Guidance?
Swiss Academic Network's consultants are ready to answer your questions about Swiss education.
Schedule a Consultation