Education
Switzerland attaches great importance to quality education for all: the Swiss education system is characterised by high quality and permeability. It is divided into three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Compulsory, state-paid education lasts eleven years, followed by vocational and professional education and training. Swiss universities usually perform very well in international rankings.
Education in Switzerland is mainly the responsibility of the cantons. Their education systems differ despite the harmonisation concordat in place.The Confederation and the communes take on tasks that it would not make sense for the cantons to perform. The education system thus reflects Switzerland's federalist state structure; there is no federal ministry of education.
The three-tier education system in Switzerland begins with compulsory school (eleven years), usually in a public kindergarten where the child is living. Compulsory schooling is dispensed at the primary and lower-secondary levels. Beginning at the age of 4, it is usually completed at 15.
The second level of the education system, referred to as the upper-secondary level, sees young people either pursuing a general academic route or entering a basic vocational education and training (VET) programme. Around 90% of them complete a two or three to four-year vocational training programme of their choice. Two thirds of young people opt for an apprenticeship, i.e. an applied education and training programme comprised of both classes at a vocational school and work at a company that trains them. The other third attends a baccalaureate school or an upper-secondary specialised school, readying themselves for tertiary education.
After completing their programme, the young adults either enter the job market or attend a tertiary-level educational institution: a university, a higher education institution, or a professional education institution. Professional education institutions prepare students directly for a profession and also offer courses of study for experienced professionals who wish to pursue further education or a specialisation. Universities of applied sciences, those that provide teacher education, federal institutes of technology, and universities offer a wide range of programmes.
An important characteristic of the Swiss education system is its permeability: it enables apprentices and students to switch direction, transfer to, and pursue different training programmes and levels. This ensures equal opportunities and supports the individual development of each person's own educational interests.
Switzerland's education system
EDK chart (pdf) depicting the Swiss education system, including the corresponding International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) codes/colours.
Facts and figures on education in Switzerland
- Switzerland's constitution prescribes compulsory, state-paid primary education. Public schools are attended by 95% of children, which is far higher than the OECD average.
- Around 740,000 school-age children attend primary school each year. This schooling level begins with kindergarten or a first learning cycle. Around 280,000 young people are schooled at the lower-secondary level, after which they have completed their compulsory schooling.
- A further 365,000 continue into the upper-secondary level, with around two-thirds of them opting for a basic vocational education and training programme – an apprenticeship. The others pursue the general academic route, attending either a baccalaureate or an upper-secondary specialised school.
- Around 276,000 students enrol at a higher education institution each year: 61% at a university or federal institute of technology, 30% at a university of applied sciences, and 9% at a university of teacher education.
- The two federal institutes of technology in Zurich (ETH) and Lausanne (EFPL) are both ranked top among the world's renowned universities. Other Swiss universities also stand out in international comparisons. Switzerland's global leadership in research was attested to in the QS World University Rankings for the year 2024.
- Currently, 45% of people aged between 25 and 64 have obtained a tertiary-level qualification (from a professional education institution or a higher education institution).
- The number of students at higher education institutions has more than doubled since 2000, and the proportion of the population with a degree from a higher education institution has tripled since then.
- In Switzerland, the public sector spends CHF 41 billion on education every year, which corresponds to 5.6% of the country's GDP (2021 figures). Spending on education has risen steadily in recent decades and is now twice as high per capita as it was in 1990.
- The productive output of VET students exceeds the annual costs of CHF 5 billion that companies spend on them.
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Compulsory education
Children's compulsory education starts at the age of four and lasts 11 years. It consists of primary and lower-secondary education.
Secondary schooling
Baccalaureate schools and upper-secondary specialised schools are general secondary schools that prepare young people for universities, other higher education institutions, or professional education institutions.
Vocational education and training
The dual system, which combines learning in the workplace and in a vocational school, produces skilled workers with vocational qualifications that are actually in demand.
Universities and other higher education institutions
Higher education institutions in Switzerland follow the internationally recognised structure of degrees at bachelor, master and doctorate levels.
Professional education
A Swiss speciality – training courses for the specialisation and continuing education and training of professionals.