Academia International School Zurich vs International School of Central Switzerland
Academia International School Zurich and International School of Central Switzerland are both in Zug, about 26 km apart. Both schools offer Cambridge (Secondary) and Cambridge IGCSE programmes. Academia International School Zurich also offers Bespoke, Cambridge International AS Levels and Cambridge A Levels, and International School of Central Switzerland also offers Cambridge (Primary). Published annual fees are close, at CHF 28,800 - 32,800 for Academia International School Zurich and CHF 27,200 - 32,800 for International School of Central Switzerland. Academia International School Zurich takes pupils from 12 to 18, and International School of Central Switzerland from 3 to 18. International School of Central Switzerland is the larger school, with around 150 pupils to Academia International School Zurich's 100.
The Zurich Campus is located at Binzmühlestrasse 15, 8050 Zurich, centrally located and easily accessible, just steps from Oerlikon train station. Kindergarten & Primary are hosted at Terra Nova campus in Küsnacht. Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary are part of the Zurich campus, offering bilingual instruction in the lower years and English-language programmes in the upper years. Academia International School Zürich is part of Academia International School, which operates across Basel, Zurich and Winterthur.
Location
The school is located in Cham, Canton of Zug, Switzerland, at Lorzenparkstrasse 8 (CH-6330 Cham). The Lorzenpark area is adjacent to the school grounds.
Stages
Stages
Kindergarten & Primary (Pre-K to Year 6) at Terra Nova in Küsnacht; Lower Secondary (Year 7–8) bilingual; Upper Secondary (Year 9–12) English-language, with IGCSE & A Level pathways.
Stages
Primary School, Middle School, and High School (Private Gymnasium).
School type
School type
International school
School type
Private international day school.
Pupil nationality mix
Pupil nationality mix
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Pupil nationality mix
More than 35 nationalities are represented at ISCS.
Additional learning support
Additional learning support
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Additional learning support
The Guidance Counselor provides learning support with Individualised Educational Plans (IEPs) to support students' needs.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation
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Country affiliation
Switzerland.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
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Religious affiliation
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School day structure
School day structure
Opening hours Monday–Friday 8:00–17:00.
School day structure
The school day typically starts around 8:15–8:30 and ends at 15:30; after-school clubs run 15:30–16:30 and after-school care is available 15:30–18:00.
Bus service details
Bus service details
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Bus service details
The school offers a school bus service for local routes within the canton of Zug.
Fees
Fees
Fee details
Fee details
Application / Registration Fee
- Registration (one-time): CHF 500.
Tuition fees (per student)
- Tuition fee per school year: CHF 28,800. - Tuition fee per semester: CHF 14,400. - Tuition fee per quarterly instalment: CHF 7,200. - Monthly instalment plan (10 monthly payments, includes an administrative surcharge of 3%): CHF 2,965 per month. - Tuition including the German Booster programme: CHF 32,800 (annual).
Billing schedule and payment terms
- School fees are invoiced in advance. - Payment may be made as a one-off payment in advance or by instalments; instalment options shown include semester, quarterly and a 10-month plan which carries an administrative surcharge. The time allowed for payment on invoices is 30 days unless otherwise specified. - If one or more instalments are not paid by the agreed deadline after lessons have started, the student can be excluded from the school programme until outstanding instalments are paid; continued non-payment after reminders may lead to contract withdrawal and fees due as described under cancellation. Interest and collection costs apply to overdue amounts.
Boarding fees
- Boarding is not listed as part of the Zurich campus fee schedule; no boarding fees are included in the published fees for the Zurich campus.
Other costs and optional charges
- Teaching materials and most electives and extra-curricular activities are included in the school fees. Examination fees, school trips and camps are charged separately. If a pupil joins during the school year, school fees are calculated pro rata temporis. - Private lessons (optional, charged separately): CHF 140 per 60 minutes. - Sibling discount: For self-financing families with more than one child enrolled at the same time, a 10% sibling discount is available on the youngest child's school fee.
Refund, cancellation and deposit conditions
- If an entire course of study is definitely cancelled, fees already paid shall be refunded; reimbursement of further costs is excluded. - If the student does not attend despite a concluded school contract, the school is entitled to an administrative fee and a cancellation fee equal to three months' school fees. In the event of withdrawal following payment reminders and non-payment, the school is entitled to an administrative fee and a cancellation fee of three months' school fees in addition to the fee for tuition provided; deposits may be forfeited in specified circumstances. Notice and probationary-period provisions in the contract affect refund and termination outcomes.
Fee payment options (as published)
- Invoices are issued and the school fee payment deadlines and instalment options are set out in the billing; published materials do not specify a detailed list of accepted payment methods (for example, specific card types or bank details are not shown in the publicly available price summary and terms). Payment is expected within the stated invoice terms.
Note on the available published information
- The published price information provides the fee amounts, instalment variants, optional extra charges and the school's contractual payment and cancellation rules. Published materials do not list separate boarding fees for the Zurich campus and do not specify the exact payment channels on the publicly available fee documents.
Fee details
Application / Registration Fees
- Early Years and Primary (Ages 3–12): CHF 3,000 one-time non-refundable registration fee per student. - Middle School and all High School years (IGCSE / A-Levels; Ages 12–18): CHF 4,000 one-time non-refundable registration fee per student.
Tuition fees by year group (annual, per-term and per-month breakdown)
For the 2025–2026 academic year the annual tuition and the calculated billing breakdowns are:
Notes on these amounts: the annual tuition figures above are the published year-group tuition fees; term and monthly figures are the annual tuition divided into 3 or 10 equal instalments to match the school's available billing options (3-term or 10-month plans).
Sibling discounts and other fee reductions
- First sibling discount: 25% off tuition for the first sibling. - Additional siblings: 50% off tuition for each additional sibling. - Early payment discounts: 5% discount for annual payment by 30 May (Early Bird); 4% discount for annual payment between 1 June and 1 December; 2% discount applied for termly payments (3 payments on the dates shown by the school).
Billing schedule and payment terms
- An invoice for the annual fees is issued before the start of the new school year; annual fees are due on August 15 and payment must be received before the student attends school. - The full annual year-group fee is payable in advance unless an alternative instalment arrangement has been agreed in writing. - Payment options published by the school include: annual payment, termly payment (three instalments), or monthly instalments (ten instalments, August–May). Families seeking payment plans must sign a formalised payment schedule agreement. - Overdue balances may incur an annual interest charge of 5% plus collection fees. - If a new student is enrolled but does not take up the confirmed place on the agreed start date, 25% of the annual tuition fee becomes immediately due.
- School transport (Cham routes): - 1 instalment: CHF 1,995.00. - 3 instalments: CHF 686.00. - 10 instalments: CHF 210.00.
- School transport (wider Kanton Zug): - 1 instalment: CHF 2,850.00. - 3 instalments: CHF 980.00. - 10 instalments: CHF 300.00.
- School transport (Kanton Luzern and Sins): - 1 instalment: CHF 3,135.00. - 3 instalments: CHF 1,078.00. - 10 instalments: CHF 330.00.
- Corporate fee packages (annual tuition + lunch + transport) are published as fixed annual amounts by year group and by catchment (Cham, Kanton Zug, Kanton Luzern & Sins). Examples: Early Years corporate fee (Cham) CHF 30,210.00; A-Level corporate fee (Kanton Luzern & Sins) CHF 36,195.00.
Items expressly not included in tuition
- Textbooks (where indicated on book lists), official IGCSE/AS/A-Level external exam fees, school and PE uniforms, school lunch and transport (when not included in a corporate package), after-school care / academy fees, replacement cost for lost/stolen/damaged school materials (including laptops), and one-to-one exam, language or music lessons. Tuition does include exercise books, laboratory practicals, school laptop provision, classroom educational resources, SEN support, career advice and internal clubs as published.
Uniforms
- School uniforms are not included in tuition and are handled through the school's uniform supplier arrangement; uniform purchase is an additional cost and is not covered by the tuition fee.
Boarding
- The school does not operate a regular boarding provision in Switzerland. ISCS publishes an international boarding experience through SAGE College in Spain (an exchange/boarding opportunity) rather than a Swiss on-site boarding house; therefore ongoing boarding fees are not applicable to standard ISCS enrolment in Zug.
Refunds and withdrawal charges
- Notice requirement: a minimum of three months' written notice is required to withdraw a student unless the signed contract specifies otherwise; failure to provide the required notice may result in the school charging one term's tuition in lieu of notice. - Refunds for prepaid fees beyond the withdrawal date will only be considered when the required notice period has been observed. No refunds are given for short-term absences or withdrawal without proper notice. - Any overpayment will be refunded within 30 days following the student's final day of attendance once financial clearance is completed.
Fee payment options and practical notes
- The school issues invoices for registration and annual fees; the published due date for annual invoices is August 15 and payment must be received before the student's first day. - The school states that alternative payment methods may be available and that families wishing to use instalment plans must enter a signed payment agreement; the school may apply interest and collection fees to overdue accounts. Specific accepted instruments (for example, which credit cards or bank account details) are not listed in the published fee documents.
Brief note on completeness of published fee information
- The school's 2025–2026 published fee schedule provides annual tuition by year group, registration fees, payment schedule options (annual, termly, monthly), early-payment and term-payment discounts, additional service pricing for lunch and transport, corporate-package figures, and the school's withdrawal/refund rules. The published materials do not list specific payment instrument details (for example explicit credit-card acceptance or IBAN/BIC for bank transfers) nor a Swiss on-site boarding tariff because standard ISCS enrolment in Zug is day-school only; an international boarding experience is offered via SAGE in Spain.
Diving deeper
Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements
Boarding arrangements
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Boarding arrangements
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Uniform requirement
Uniform requirement
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Uniform requirement
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Food options
Food options
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Food options
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House system
House system
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House system
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Governance and ownership
Governance and ownership
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Governance and ownership
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Academics
Academics
Curriculum details
Curriculum details
The Zurich campus offers Pre-K to Year 6 at the Terra Nova campus in Küsnacht, with Year 7 to Year 12 on the Zurich campus. Lower Secondary is bilingual and provides a direct, exam-free entry to the IGCSE/A-Level stream after Year 8. Upper Secondary / College delivers IGCSE and A Level courses in English, with a focus on individual strengths and university readiness for higher education in Switzerland and abroad. The learning approach emphasizes Voice and Ownership, with design thinking and active student participation, supported by regular reflection sessions and personalised tutoring to foster self-efficacy, responsibility and personal growth. Campus life includes clubs such as Model United Nations, Cooking and Business, and the campus is centrally located near Oerlikon train station with modern classrooms and a rooftop terrace. The campus hosts over 100 students with about 22 teachers.
Curriculum details
The school provides a broad and balanced Cambridge International Curriculum as part of British International Education. It promotes development across the academic, social, cultural, physical and moral dimensions and prepares children for adult life while encouraging them to become good citizens with a global mindset and respect for others. The school enables proficiency in both English and German for all students, regardless of their mother tongue.
Student teacher ratio
Student teacher ratio
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Student teacher ratio
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Exam results
Exam results
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Exam results
IGCSE and A‑Level exam results reflect student and teacher effort, with a 100% A-Level pass rate in Year 13. These results support university access in many countries around the world.
Higher education progression
Higher education progression
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Higher education progression
Students are prepared for university in the USA, UK, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Spain, and many other countries.
Gifted and talented
Gifted and talented
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Gifted and talented
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Academic calendar
Academic calendar
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Academic calendar
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Wellbeing & support
Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning
Social & emotional learning
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Social & emotional learning
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Special educational needs (SEN)
Special educational needs (SEN)
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Special educational needs (SEN)
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English as an additional language
English as an additional language
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English as an additional language
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Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing
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Mental wellbeing
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Safeguarding
Safeguarding
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Safeguarding
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Safeguarding policy
Safeguarding policy
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Safeguarding policy
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Facilities
Facilities
Facilities overview
Facilities overview
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Facilities overview
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Sports facilities
Sports facilities
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Sports facilities
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Academic facilities
Academic facilities
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Academic facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
Extra curricular facilities
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Extra curricular facilities
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Parent experience
Parent experience
History
History
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History
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Community
Community
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Community
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Parent teacher association
Parent teacher association
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Parent teacher association
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Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual
Academic & intellectual
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Academic & intellectual
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Arts & creative
Arts & creative
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Arts & creative
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Cultural & language
Cultural & language
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Cultural & language
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Social & hobbies
Social & hobbies
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Social & hobbies
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Community & service
Community & service
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Community & service
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Leadership & professional
Leadership & professional
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Leadership & professional
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Lifestyle & wellbeing
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Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
Language provision
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Language provision
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Bilingual teaching
Bilingual teaching
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Bilingual teaching
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Immersion programs
Immersion programs
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Immersion programs
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Reputation
Reputation
Awards
Awards
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Awards
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Accreditations
Accreditations
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Accreditations
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Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Admissions
Zurich campus hosts over 100 students (Year 7 to Year 12). Head of School is Celina Steiner. Founded in 2019; the campus has 22 teachers. Kindergarten and Primary are taught at the Terra Nova campus in Küsnacht. Lower Secondary is bilingual and offers direct, exam-free entry to the IGCSE/A-Level stream after Year 8. Upper Secondary School/College offers English-language IGCSE and A Level programs focused on university readiness. The campus is centrally located, steps from Oerlikon train station, with modern classrooms, a welcoming common room with a rooftop terrace, and a dedicated team. Learning emphasizes student voice and ownership through design thinking, regular reflection, and personalized tutoring. Campus life includes clubs such as Model United Nations, Cooking, and Business.
Admissions
Initial Enquiry form registers interest; admissions team will contact you promptly.
Scholarships
Scholarships
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Scholarships
Bursaries and scholarships for sporting, performance or academic excellence are offered and can be discussed during your application.