Zug school search
Zug's two featured international schools solve different problems. ISZL is an English-medium day school across Baar and Hünenberg. Institut Montana combines Swiss and international programmes on the Zugerberg, with boarding from age ten. Curriculum, age and boarding need should narrow the choice before fees do.
The two schools in this guide serve different age, curriculum and residential needs. International School of Zug and Luzern is an English-medium day school with an IB continuum and several upper-school choices. Institut Montana Zugerberg offers Swiss and international programmes on one campus, for day pupils and boarders.
ISZL teaches ages three to eighteen. Early Years through Grade 8 are at Walterswil 1 in Baar. Grades 9–12 are at the Riverside campus on Rothusstrasse in Hünenberg. A younger pupil may therefore face a campus change before high school, and siblings at different stages may travel in different directions.
The school follows the IB Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes. In Grades 11–12, students can pursue the full IB Diploma or the school’s High School Programme. That alternative can combine school courses with AP, individual IB courses or a BTEC qualification in Creative Media. Every graduate also works toward the ISZL High School Diploma.
Do not treat those upper-school outcomes as identical. A full IB Diploma has different requirements from a collection of AP, BTEC and school courses. Ask the intended universities which qualification and subjects they require before choosing the route.
Montana is at Schönfels 5 on the Zugerberg. Day education starts in Grade 1; boarding starts at age ten. Its bilingual primary and secondary programmes follow the cantonal Lehrplan 21. The Swiss Gymnasium leads to the Swiss Matura in German or through a bilingual German–English route.
The international programme starts in Grade 6. It uses Cambridge Lower Secondary, followed by IGCSE in Grades 9–10. Students then choose the IB Diploma or Montana’s High School Diploma. The school says that its High School Diploma is recognised by many institutions in the United States and Canada and by some private European institutions. It is not a universal substitute for the IB Diploma or Swiss Matura, so confirm recognition for the child’s likely destination.
Montana offers full, weekly and flexible boarding. A family that needs a residential place, or wants a Swiss Matura and an international route on the same campus, will find options that ISZL does not provide.
ISZL publishes a clearly dated 2026–27 table. Annual tuition is CHF 16,800 for mornings-only Early Years 1, CHF 33,000 for Kindergarten, CHF 33,200 in Grades 1–5, CHF 36,700 in Grades 6–8, CHF 39,100 in Grades 9–10 and CHF 39,700 in Grades 11–12. One-time registration ranges from CHF 2,000 to CHF 5,000 by entry stage.
Lunch, bus service, external examinations and some trips are extra at ISZL. The current fee page also states that the school offers no sibling discount, financial aid or scholarships.
Montana’s live page gives general ranges without naming a school year. Day tuition is CHF 32,900–36,800 a year; boarding is CHF 70,400–72,800. The one-time admission fee is CHF 5,500. Deposits are CHF 3,000 for day pupils and CHF 5,000 for boarders. Meals are included in both day and boarding fees, while tailored language or learning support may add cost after assessment.
Do not label Montana’s ranges as 2026–27 unless the school confirms the cycle in writing. Ask which point in the range applies to the child’s grade and programme, and request the fee for weekly or flexible boarding if relevant.
ISZL does not publish one general application deadline on its live admissions pages. Ask about capacity in the exact grade and, for a Grade 11 transfer, whether the required IB or alternative courses can still be assembled. Send reports and disclose language or learning support needs before relying on an offer.
Montana operates rolling admissions and recommends entry at the beginning of a semester. The process includes review of academic history, an interview or visit, assessment and a written offer. A free trial day is available. Ask which Swiss or international programme the assessment supports, not just whether the child has been admitted to the school.
German is central to Montana’s Swiss route; English is central to its international route. ISZL teaches in English but also requires language study. Compare the support available in the child’s actual year rather than relying on a general multilingual description.
ISZL’s Baar and Hünenberg campuses are separate. Montana day pupils reach the Zugerberg campus via the funicular from Schönegg or by road, with access conditions changing in winter and at weekends. Test the relevant route from the home under consideration and include after-school return times supplied by the school.
If the family expects to stay in Switzerland, also compare the local German-medium public school. It follows a different admissions and cost model and may provide the most direct route into the cantonal system.
The Switzerland country guide explains that wider system. The boarding guide helps compare day, weekly and full-boarding arrangements.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Institut Montana is a day and boarding school for ages six to nineteen on the Zugerberg. Its Swiss route follows Lehrplan 21 and leads to the Matura; its English route progresses through Cambridge Lower Secondary and IGCSE to the IB Diploma or the school's High School Diploma. Boarding begins at age ten.
Baar and HünenbergISZL is an English-language day school in Baar and Hünenberg. Compare the full IB Diploma with its flexible High School Programme and plan for the campus change at Grade 9.
Chesières, Villars-sur-OllonAiglon combines English-medium study with boarding and regular mountain activities. Choose it for that complete programme, and confirm the day-place rules and full cost for your child’s entry year.
Pully, LausanneCollège Champittet is a co-educational private school in Vaud, part of Nord Anglia Education. Its Pully campus offers day education and boarding, with Swiss Maturité, French Baccalauréat and English-taught IB pathways.
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minStart with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minTuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minA useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.