Education in Switzerland

The cantons run compulsory schooling, so school structures, holidays and some rules differ from canton to canton. In most cantons schooling is compulsory for eleven years, including kindergarten. Public schools are free and politically and religiously neutral; in Zurich every child staying in the canton has the right to attend. Universities charge modest semester fees, and cantons give grants to students who cannot cover their costs. The examples below are for the canton of Zurich.

Compulsory school (Volksschule)

• Kindergarten: in Zurich, every child who is four years old on 31 July starts kindergarten in mid-August. It lasts two years and is compulsory; the only entry condition is age. Lessons in kindergarten are mainly in Swiss German.
• Primary school: six years. After the 6th year, pupils go to lower secondary school (Sekundarschule, three years) or, after passing the central entrance exam (ZAP), to the long-course Gymnasium.
• Costs: public schooling is free. Private schools are allowed but you pay for them yourself.
• Registration: contact your municipality or the local school after you move in. Children who do not speak the local language well get additional intensive language support.

After compulsory school

Young people can choose between a vocational apprenticeship (Berufslehre, 2 to 4 years, combining work in a company with a vocational school) and a baccalaureate school (Gymnasium, Fachmittelschule). A Swiss Matura gives access to all Swiss universities and both Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH). An apprenticeship leads to a federal certificate (EBA or EFZ). Career and study counselling is available at the regional vocational information centre (biz).

Higher education fees and student aid

• Fees: ETH Zurich charges CHF 730 per semester for Swiss citizens and for students who lived in Switzerland when they obtained their entrance qualification; since autumn 2025 other students pay three times as much, CHF 2,190. The University of Zurich charges CHF 720 per semester plus compulsory contributions and a surcharge for students with a foreign school-leaving certificate (2026).
• Grants and loans (Ausbildungsbeiträge): the canton where you (or usually your parents) live pays grants, which you do not repay, and loans, which you repay with interest. In Zurich, foreign nationals qualify if they hold a C permit, have held a B permit for five years, are recognised refugees, or come from a country with an equal-treatment agreement (mainly EU/EFTA). Apprenticeships, baccalaureate schools and Bachelor's and Master's degrees qualify. People over 45 receive nothing.

Common pitfalls for newcomers

• Kindergarten is compulsory in Zurich. To delay school entry, you normally have to ask the school authority.
• A foreign school-leaving certificate is not automatically accepted for university: ask the university directly about admission and recognition.
• Fee groups are fixed at admission. At ETH you cannot move to the lower fee group later in your studies, so submit proof of residence before your studies begin.
• Grants usually depend on where your parents live. Adults gain their own grant residence in Zurich only after living and working there for two years after a first qualification (with further conditions).

Official guidance: ch.ch: kindergarten and compulsory school, Canton of Zurich: education system, Canton of Zurich: kindergarten, Canton of Zurich: conditions for education grants, ETH Zurich: tuition fees, University of Zurich: fees