Academic Gateway vs Lycée Français International de Zurich

	A Academic Gateway Zug, Switzerland	L Lycée Français International de Zurich Zug, Switzerland
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year CHF 19,000 - 68,000	Fees / year CHF 8,311 - 26,889
Age range	Age range 16 - 19 years	Age range 3 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), Swiss Curriculum	Curriculum French Curriculum, Swiss Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils 1,135
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 21
Instruction language	Instruction language English, German	Instruction language French, German, English
Opened	Opened —	Opened 1956
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location The modern schoolhouse at Löwenstrasse 17 in the heart of Zurich was opened in August 2021. It is 500 meters from Zurich Hauptbahnhof and easily reachable from nearby stations (Zurich Enge, Wiedikon, Selnau and Stadeln). The campus features 14 rooms, state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology, lecture rooms, science rooms, a canteen, a library and a terrace.	Location The school is located at Zukunftstrasse 1, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
Stages	Stages Offers Matura full-time (1 year and 2 years), Matura preparatory course, Matura in self-study, Matura part-time; IB Diploma Programme; BMS full-time with three orientations (Business & Services, Health and Social Care, Technology, Architecture, Life Sciences); Passerelle (1 year); Self-study options for Matura and BMS.	Stages Kindergarten from ages 3 to 6; Elementary school from ages 6 to 11; Middle school from ages 11 to 15; High school from ages 15 to 18.
School type	School type The Academic Gateway is a full private school.	School type French international school
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Highly qualified teaching staff, central location, personal support with integrated free tutoring, and a comprehensive e-learning platform with the entire curriculum digitized, including HD lecture videos, prepared exercises and short explanations across subjects.	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Switzerland	Country affiliation AEFE network
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application / Enrollment fee - A non-refundable enrollment (registration) fee of CHF 500 is payable on contract signature for all main on‑site courses. Tuition fees by programme and year group (amounts and payment options as shown) - Full‑time Matura (1 year) - Payment in advance: CHF 35,000. - 2 installments: CHF 17,700 (per installment). - 12 installments: CHF 2,950 per month. - Included: E‑Learning access and Office365 package. - Excluded: federal examination fees and teaching aids. - Full‑time Matura (2 years / four semesters) - Total / first‑year listing on the programme page: Payment in advance: CHF 65,000; 2 installments: CHF 34,000; 12 installments: CHF 2,950 per month. - Included: E‑Learning access and Office365 package. - Excluded: federal examination fees and teaching aids. - Matura (part‑time / berufsbegleitend, online and self‑study options) - Berufsbegleitend (4 semesters) — total examples shown: Payment in advance: CHF 35,000; 4 installments: CHF 8,850; 24 installments: CHF 1,665 per month. - Online / self‑study Matura — examples shown: CHF 34,000 (online) and CHF 17,000 (self‑study), with installment options available. - Preparatory course (Matura Vorkurs, 1 semester): Payment in advance: CHF 6,000. - BMS – vocational baccalaureate (full‑time, one year / two semesters) - Total cost examples shown: Payment in advance: CHF 19,000; 2 installments: CHF 9,700; 12 installments: CHF 1,700 per month; 24 installments: CHF 900 per month. - Included: E‑Learning access and Office365 package. - Excluded: examination fees and teaching aids. - Passerelle (full‑time, one year) - Total cost examples shown (full‑time): Payment in advance: CHF 22,500; 2 installments: CHF 11,650; 12 installments: CHF 1,950 per month. - Self‑study Passerelle example: Payment in advance: CHF 11,250; 2 installments: CHF 6,025; 24 installments: CHF 570 per month. - Included: E‑Learning access and Office365 package. - Excluded: examination fees and teaching aids. - IB Diploma Programme (two‑year DP) - Payment in advance: CHF 68,000. - 2 installments: CHF 35,000. - 4 installments: CHF 17,700 (per installment as listed). - 24 installments: CHF 2,950 per month. - Included: E‑Learning access and Office365 package. - Excluded: IB/exam fees and teaching materials. Billing schedule and payment terms - The enrollment fee (CHF 500) is due on contract signature for main on‑site courses. Full tuition or the first instalment is due by the deadlines specified in the contract; if the contract is concluded more than 30 days before course start the full fee (or first instalment when a payment plan is agreed) is due by 30 days before course start. If the contract is concluded 30 days or less before course start, the full fee (or first instalment) is immediately due. Monthly instalments, when agreed, are billed monthly. - All standard payments are to be made by bank transfer to the accounts stated by Academic Gateway. In individual cases the school may allow other means, in particular cash, at the school management's discretion. - Payment plan options regularly offered: prepayment, 2 instalments, 12 instalments (monthly) and 24 instalments (monthly), depending on the course. - Late payment consequences: interest on arrears of 5% plus reminder fees (CHF 25 for first reminder, CHF 200 for second reminder). If two instalments are in arrears the full outstanding tuition becomes due; the school may suspend services until payment and may charge a CHF 500 re‑activation / Wiederaufnahme fee. Boarding / accommodation fees - Academic Gateway operates a day‑school campus in central Zurich (Löwenstrasse 17) with classrooms, canteen and library; the school does not list boarding or on‑campus residential accommodation as an offered service. No boarding fees apply. Other costs and common additional fees - School supplies / teaching materials not included: a typical school‑materials estimate is listed as CHF 900 (paper, stationery, textbooks and related items), paid by the family. Examination fees (federal and external exam fees) and specific teaching aids are not included in the tuition and must be paid externally. - Administrations and incidental fees shown in policy documents: - Course‑change / administration fee for moving a course to a later semester: CHF 500. - Compensation for missed individually booked lessons (if an agreed individual lesson is missed without timely notification): CHF 100 per missed unit. - Re‑activation / Wiederaufnahme fee charged when services are suspended and later reactivated: CHF 500. Refund and cancellation rules - The school reserves the right to cancel a course up to seven days before course start; in that case already paid course fees are refunded in full. - If a student or contracting party cancels the contract, the general rule in the school terms is that the full tuition remains due and refunds or reductions for reasons not caused by the school are generally excluded. For cancellations made up to 30 days before course start a processing fee of 10% of the tuition may be charged and remaining paid amounts refunded; later cancellations are subject to the full‑fee rule in the terms. Self‑study courses have specific semester‑based cancellation dates. Detailed contractual cancellation deadlines and any differing rules for multi‑year or self‑study courses are set out in the school contract and terms. How tuition billing is presented and what is included - Tuition listings for each programme show the payment alternatives (prepayment or instalment plans) and specify which standard school services are included (E‑Learning access, Office365 package) and which are excluded (external examination fees, textbooks and certain teaching aids). Families are expected to budget separately for exam fees and teaching materials. Summary of key practical points for parents - Expect an enrollment fee of CHF 500 due on contract signature for main courses; choose between prepayment and instalment schedules as shown for each programme. - Budget separately for school supplies (approx. CHF 900), external exam fees and teaching materials. - No boarding accommodation is offered by the school; boarding fees do not apply. - Payment is normally by bank transfer; late or missed payments trigger interest, reminder fees and possible suspension of services.	Fee details Application fees and deposits - Application fee for new applicants: CHF 1,000 (non-refundable). - Entry (admission) fee for newcomers: CHF 1,250. - Application fee for students already enrolled (re-enrolment administrative fee): CHF 275. - Initial Deposit at enrolment / re-enrolment: CHF 1,500 per pupil, non-refundable; capped at CHF 3,000 per family with multiple enrolled children. This deposit secures the place and must be paid before specified deadlines. - Security deposit (refundable on departure after deductions): CHF 4,000 (invoiced before the start of the school year or on the date indicated for mid-year arrivals). Tuition fees (annual amounts by fee band and school level; per-term when paid in three equal instalments = one third of the annual amount) - Fee bands used by the school (examples of annual tuition by band): - Regular rate (assisted by employer): Kindergarten CHF 18,469; Elementary CHF 17,074; Middle School CHF 22,935; High School CHF 26,889. - TR1 (families not helped by their employers): Kindergarten CHF 13,667; Elementary CHF 12,635; Middle School CHF 16,972; High School CHF 19,898. - TR2 (non-assisted families with 2 children at the school): Kindergarten CHF 13,298; Elementary CHF 12,293; Middle School CHF 16,513; High School CHF 19,360. - TR3 (non-assisted families with 3 children at the school): Kindergarten CHF 11,451; Elementary CHF 10,586; Middle School CHF 14,219; High School CHF 16,671. - TR4 (non-assisted families with income < CHF 210,000): Kindergarten CHF 10,527; Elementary CHF 9,732; Middle School CHF 13,073; High School CHF 15,327. - TR5 (non-assisted, income < CHF 210,000 and 2 children at the school): Kindergarten CHF 10,158; Elementary CHF 9,391; Middle School CHF 12,614; High School CHF 14,789. - TR6 (non-assisted, income < CHF 210,000 and 3 children at the school): Kindergarten CHF 8,311; Elementary CHF 7,683; Middle School CHF 10,321; High School CHF 12,100. Billing schedule and payment terms - Annual tuition covers the ten months of the school year (September through June). Ancillary costs (meals, lunch supervision, books/materials, electronic devices, transport, HORT/HTS services) are invoiced separately. - Payment timing and options for the balance after the Initial Deposit: - Pay the balance in full by 15 September; or - Pay in three instalments: 1/3 of the balance by 15 September, 1/3 by 15 December, final 1/3 by 15 March; or - Pay in ten instalments: on the 1st of each month from September to June (priority eligibility applied for families with multiple children and on a certain income). The choice is made on the enrolment/re-enrolment form. - Consequences of non-payment include reminder invoicing, financial penalties (CHF 150 after the 3rd written reminder), withholding of school records, and potential exclusion from the Association. The school may terminate the place if required payments (including security deposit) are not made. - Invoices include instructions for payment; any other payment method requires written approval by the Management Committee in exceptional circumstances. Boarding fees - No boarding fees are listed in the school's financial conditions and no boarding service charges appear in the published fee schedule; the fees and ancillary services published concern day-school tuition and optional day services. Other costs and optional services (examples and typical charges) - Overhead / one-off & recurring ancillary amounts: - Cost of books / materials (includes tablet costs where applicable): Kindergarten CHF 350; Elementary CHF 760; Middle School CHF 760; High School CHF 760. - Canteen (optional): annual package options and supervision components are shown as example prices (DP4 per year CHF 2,003; DP5 per year CHF 2,517). Picnic unit price CHF 12.50. Supervision component examples: CHF 540 for DP4 and CHF 680 for DP5; meal unit price set by the meal provider (example unit CHF 11). - Out-of-school services (HORT / HTS) and child-care: semester registration for a 1 x 1h15 slot CHF 254; semester registration for 1 slot of 1h CHF 203; single hour of child-care CHF 16. Mercredi récréatifs semester registration CHF 1,050; one-time session CHF 70; multi-activities camp price per week CHF 550. Navette (shuttle) price per semester CHF 600. - Study-hall (per semester) sliding-scale examples: 1 session/week CHF 265; 2 sessions/week CHF 420; 3 sessions/week CHF 580; 4 sessions/week CHF 685. Extra-curricular activities: typically between CHF 320 and CHF 390 per activity per semester (including material costs). - The tuition amounts do not include meals, supervision during lunch, transport, specific HORT/HTS service charges, or certain digital-equipment differentials (e.g., MacBook depreciation differential where applicable). These items are invoiced separately. Refunds and cancellation rules - Application fees and the Initial Deposit (CHF 1,500) are non-refundable. The admission/entry fee is non-refundable. - Security deposit (CHF 4,000) is refundable on departure after deduction of amounts due to the Association. - Withdrawal and enrolment timing rules (portion of annual fees due or payable): - If a pupil withdraws before the first day of classes, no annual school fees are payable except the Initial Deposit (non-refundable); application, admission, and book/material charges remain payable. - For pupils who withdraw after the start of the school year, the percentage of the annual fee due depends on the date of withdrawal. Examples of percentages due for withdrawal during the school year are: 30%, 50%, 70%, 85% or 100% of the annual school fees depending on which school-break period the withdrawal falls between; the Financial Conditions set the precise brackets. - Ancillary invoices (materials, textbooks, travel and HORT/HTS services) are generally non-refundable once invoiced; meal costs provided through the ZFV meal system are reimbursable on a pro rata basis on departure. - If the school is forced to close temporarily for reasons beyond its control (e.g., a health crisis), no reimbursement (or partial reimbursement) of fees is payable. Fee payment options and practical notes on how fees are collected - The school issues invoices with payment instructions; the balance of annual fees can be paid in full, in three instalments (due 15 September / 15 December / 15 March), or in ten monthly instalments (1st of each month September–June). Any other payment method requires prior written approval. Financial penalties apply for late payment.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Academic Gateway offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) and additional routes including Matura, BMS, Passerelle, and Self-study. The IB fosters international-mindedness and uses a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning approach that connects subjects and real-world contexts. The Diploma Programme emphasizes critical thinking, global contexts, multilingualism, and research skills essential for higher education. Most lessons are conducted in English, with German widely used by many community members and languages such as French, Italian, and Spanish appearing as part of the educational heritage. Assessments are authentic and contextualized, with external IB examinations for the Diploma Programme and progress shared with families through reports and conferences. EduQua Certification supports the school's commitment to quality education and a modern, digitally enabled learning environment.	Curriculum details The school offers Kindergarten from ages 3 to 6, Elementary from ages 6 to 11, Middle school from ages 11 to 15, and High school from ages 15 to 18.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Graduates may choose to study internationally or in Switzerland.	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Contact and initial discussion. Inquiries can be made by phone at 044 310 10 67, by email, or via the contact form. A preliminary meeting is normally conducted so the student and the school can get to know each other. This meeting helps determine whether Academic Gateway is the right path for the student. 2. Suitability assessment. A suitability assessment is conducted with all interested applicants to determine if this is the right path. In addition to high resilience and perseverance, applicants should have solid language skills in German, English, and another national language (French or Italian), as well as basic mathematics. This assessment helps confirm readiness for the program. 3. Enrollment and contract. Enrollment can be initiated by signing the school contract by phone, email, or via the contact form. Alternatively, students can enroll directly for Matura, BMS, or Passerelle. This step formalizes admission to the chosen program. 4. Start date and deadlines. The enrollment deadline runs until the official school start, and late enrollments may be accepted in some cases. For questions about the program or to arrange a non-binding discussion, call 044 310 10 67. After enrollment, the student joins the program according to the official start date.	Admissions 1. Applications for new students are submitted via Eduka on the online registration portal. Tutorials are available on the Eduka parent portal to guide you through the registration process. The Eduka system provides the pathway to enroll new students. 2. Admissions committee reviews and decides on all applications at the beginning of each month, starting in April (February for kindergarten). Final admission depends on the number of available places, particularly those remaining after re-enrollment of current students. 3. Admission criteria include: 1. Students with a sibling already enrolled at the school; 2) Applicants previously refused or placed on the waiting list, coming from a French school or the AEFE network for French education abroad; 3) Students coming from a French school or the AEFE network for French education abroad; 4) Number of children to be enrolled; 5) Date of registration fee payment; 6) Family seniority at LFiZ (prior enrollment of siblings and full payment of previous fees); 7) Requested grade level, with priority given to students applying for higher grade levels. Criterion 1 is a top-priority factor, and the combination of criteria 3 and 4 forms a third-level priority. 4. If these criteria are insufficient to rank applicants, criteria 6 and 7 will be applied. If no criteria can differentiate between applications, a lottery will be conducted.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships School scholarships: The AEFE (global network for French education abroad) may provide financial support for children holding French nationality and residing abroad, which can cover part or all of the tuition fees. Applications are reviewed during the Consular Councils in spring and autumn. The AEFE awards scholarships based on the recommendations of the biennial National Scholarship Committee (CNB), within the budget allocated for the relevant school year. Eligibility criteria include: 1) Financial resources and asset situation; 2) French nationality and residence within the Zurich consular district; 3) Registration with the French Consulate in Zurich (mandatory for the child to receive a scholarship); 4) Minimum age of 3 years in the calendar year of school start; 5) Possession of a deregistration certificate from the CAF (French family allowance fund) if the family previously lived in France.
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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