Swiss state schools vs international schools in Zurich: German support, the Gymi and the fees
Back home, private school is the expensive exception. In Zurich, the free local school is what most families use, including plenty of well-paid ones, and it can work brilliantly for British children too, provided you go in with your eyes open about German.
The short version
- The Volksschule (kindergarten, primary and lower secondary) is free and open to every child living in the canton of Zurich, and lasts eleven years [1].
- Newly arrived children get a year of intensive German as a Second Language (DaZ) in a group or a reception class; in kindergarten it happens within the class [2].
- Entry to the academic Gymnasium is by the central entrance exam (ZAP, "the Gymi") in German and maths. Registration for entry in 2027 runs from 1 January to 10 February 2027 [3].
- International schools in the Zurich area charge about CHF 29,000 to CHF 40,300 a year in 2026/27 (about £26,400 to £36,700) [4][5][6].
- Brits who might move back to the UK before sixth form often choose English; long-stayers often go local.
Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = CHF 1.0976).
How the Zurich state school system works
The FCDO notes that all children aged 4 to 15 must go to school or be home-schooled in Switzerland [7]. In the canton of Zurich, compulsory schooling is the Volksschule, which is free and open to all children living in the canton [1]. It's run by your Gemeinde (in the city, by the school district for your address), so you don't choose a school the way you'd fill in a council admissions form back home; your child is allocated one near where you live.
| Stage | Age (roughly) | Length | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 4 to 6 | 2 years | Compulsory; starts in mid-August for children who are four by 31 July [8] |
| Primarschule | 6 to 12 | 6 years | Primary school; after 6th class, either Sekundarschule or the Langgymnasium [9] |
| Sekundarschule | 12 to 15 | 3 years | Lower secondary, in streams A and B (sometimes C), with A the most demanding [9] |
| Gymnasium or apprenticeship | 15 onwards | 3 to 4 years | Matura at a Kantonsschule, or a vocational apprenticeship (Lehre) [9][10] |
The school board (Schulpflege) can delay kindergarten entry by a year if a child isn't ready [8]. In Sekundarschule, maths, German, French and English can also be taught in ability sets, with level I the most demanding [9].
The biggest cultural shift for British parents is the apprenticeship route. After Sekundarschule, many Swiss teenagers start a Lehre, combining work and college, often with a vocational Matura on top [9]. It's a respected path, not a consolation prize, and preparation starts in the second year of Sekundarschule with careers lessons and an aptitude test called the Stellwerk [9].
German support for newcomers
This is where British families worry most, and where Zurich is well practised. Children arriving with little or no German get a year of intensive German as a Second Language (Deutsch als Zweitsprache, DaZ) [2]:
- Kindergarten: German is taught within the class, alongside everything else [2].
- Primary and secondary: an intensive year of DaZ, either in a small group or in a reception class (Aufnahmeklasse) [2].
The canton publishes an English-language leaflet for parents about DaZ [2]. Remember that playground life happens in Swiss German dialect, which sounds rather different from the standard German taught in lessons and used on paper. Younger children tend to absorb both without noticing. A 13-year-old arriving with GCSE-level German faces a much steeper climb, especially with the Gymi exam ahead.
The Gymi: Zurich's grammar-school exam
Think of it as the eleven-plus with higher stakes. The academic Gymnasium, which leads to the Matura and university, comes in two forms [10]:
- Langgymnasium: six years, straight after 6th class of primary [10].
- Kurzgymnasium: four years, after the 2nd or 3rd year of Sekundarschule [10].
Entry is through the Zentrale Aufnahmeprüfung (ZAP). For the Langgymnasium, the key points for entry in the 2027/28 school year are [3]:
- Who: pupils in 6th class born after 31 July 2012.
- When to register: online, from 1 January to 10 February 2027 (the arts and sport Gymnasium Rämibühl closes on 15 January). Registration costs CHF 50 (about £46), once per school year.
- The exam: written, in German (an essay plus language and comprehension) and maths, with maths counting for half the exam mark.
- Your school mark: for pupils at a public primary, the January report's German and maths marks (the Vorleistungsnote) count for half the overall result.
- The pass mark: at least 4.75 with the school mark, or 4.5 without, on the Swiss scale where 6 is top.
- Then: a pass gives a place on probation (Probezeit) in the following school year.
Most Sekundarschulen offer voluntary prep courses for the Kurzgymnasium route [9], and many families pay for tutoring too. For a child who has only recently learnt German, a German essay against native speakers is a tall order. Pupils coming from a foreign school system can ask the canton's central contact point (ZAS) about entering another way; the school decides whether to admit them [3].
International schools: what you get for the money
International schools solve the language problem and keep a UK-friendly exam route open, at a price. Fees for 2026/27 at three schools, taken from each school's own fee page:
| School | Primary | Secondary | One-off fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich International School (Wädenswil and Adliswil, IB and AP) | CHF 32,800 (about £29,900) | CHF 36,450–39,700 (about £33,200–36,200) | CHF 500 application, CHF 5,000 infrastructure [4] |
| Inter-Community School Zurich (Zumikon, IB) | CHF 33,300 (about £30,300) | CHF 37,500–40,300 (about £34,200–36,700) | CHF 500 application, CHF 5,000 capital fund [5] |
| Academia International School (Oerlikon, IGCSE and A levels) | at its Küsnacht campus | CHF 28,990 (about £26,400) | CHF 600 registration [6] |
Our guide to schools in Zurich covers more British-curriculum options, including the A-level school in Wallisellen and a bilingual primary in Seefeld, plus UK university fee status.
How to choose
There's no wrong answer, but these questions usually settle it:
- How long are you staying? Under three years, with a return to the UK likely, points to English and a British or IB curriculum. Five years or more, and a local school helps your child (and you) put down roots.
- How old is your child? Under-eights usually take to a local kindergarten or primary quickly. Teenagers face the double hurdle of German and the Gymi.
- Who pays? Two children at ZIS or ICS can cost more than CHF 70,000 a year (about £64,000) before lunches and buses. If your employer won't contribute, that's a big slice of even a Zurich salary.
- Where are they heading after school? A levels and the IB suit UK universities. The Swiss Matura opens Swiss universities, which mostly teach undergraduate courses in German, and is recognised abroad too.
Some families mix and match: local kindergarten and primary, then a switch to an international school for the last years before UK university. Others start international and move to the local system once German is sorted.
Weighing it up? Parents who've done both are in our community group for Brits in Switzerland.
Sources
- Kanton Zürich: Volksschule
- Kanton Zürich: Besonderer Bildungsbedarf (Deutsch als Zweitsprache)
- Kanton Zürich: Prüfung für das Langgymnasium (ZAP) (checked 7 November 2026)
- Zurich International School: Fees 2026/27
- Inter-Community School Zurich: Tuition and fees (Financial Regulations 2026-2027)
- Academia International School: Price list Zurich 2026/27
- GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Switzerland (last updated 24 December 2025)
- Kanton Zürich: Kindergarten
- Kanton Zürich: Sekundarschule
- Kanton Zürich: Maturitätsschule