Swiss Together

Education & Child Care

Bilingual schools German English

March 5, 2026

In the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, there is a continually growing range of schools offering bilingual education in German and English. Because a large proportion of the students enrolled are Swiss, the German language used in class often combines elements of both standard High German and Swiss German, particularly in the lower grades.

Below is an overview of bilingual institutions, grouped into three main types (note that some schools appear in more than one group):

  1. Early childhood education: nurseries and kindergartens
  2. Comprehensive schools: covering all levels from kindergarten through secondary education
  3. Montessori institutions

1. Day care and kindergarten

a. Cantons Zurich, Aargau, and Schaffhausen)

b. Cantons Zug, Schwyz, and Lucerne

2. Full program: Kindergarten to high school

a. Cantons Zurich, Aargau, and Schaffhausen

  • SIS Swiss International School
    Programs: Kindergarten to High School
    Location: Zurich
    🌐 www.swissinternationalschool.ch
  • Lakeside School
    Programs: Early Years to Primary School (ages 3 to 12)
    Locations: Horgen and Küsnacht
    🌐 www.lakesideschool.ch
  • Tandem International Multilingual School
    Programs: Early Years to Primary School (ages 6 months to 12)
    Locations: Zurich Seefeld, Zollikon, and Uetikon am See
    Note: French introduced as a third language starting in Primary School
    🌐 www.tandem-ims.ch
  • Academia International School Bilingual / Terra Nova
    Programs: Pre-School to Secondary School (ages 4 to 15)
    Locations: Küsnacht and Feldmeilen
    🌐 www.terra-nova.ch
  • Academia International School (College/Gymnasium)
    Programs: College and Gymnasium
    Location: Zurich
    🌐 www.academia-international.ch
  • Freies Gymnasium Zürich
    Programs: Lower to Upper School (Gymnasium)
    Location: Zurich City
    Note: Programs offered in German only or bilingual German–English
    🌐 www.fgz.ch
  • International School Rheinfelden
    Programs: Early Years to Secondary School
    Location: Rheinfelden (Canton Aargau), near Basel
    🌐 www.isrh.ch

b. Cantons Zug, Schwyz and Lucerne

  • SIS Swiss International School
    Programs: Kindergarten to Secondary School
    Locations: Rotkreuz (Canton Zug) and Pfäffikon (Canton Schwyz); Kindergarten to High School at multiple campuses in the Zurich area
    🌐 www.swissinternationalschool.ch
  • Four-Forest Bilingual International School
    Programs: Pre-school to Secondary School (ages 3 to 12)
    Locations: Zug and Lucerne
    🌐 www.four-forestschool.ch
  • Obersee Bilingual School
    Programs: Early Years to Upper School
    Locations: Two campuses in Pfäffikon (Canton Schwyz)
    🌐 www.obs.schule
  • Institut Montana Zugerberg
    Programs: Day and Boarding School, offering bilingual education from Primary to Upper School (Gymnasium)
    Location: Zug
    🌐 www.montana-zug.ch
  • Tagesschule Elementa
    Programs: Primary School
    Location: Neuheim (Canton Zug)
    🌐 www.tagesschule-elementa.ch

3. Montessori schools

Most Montessori schools offer bilingual German English education.

Canton Zurich

Cantons Zug, Schwyz and Lucerne