International School of Lausanne: IB education and early-years French

ISL is a useful Lausanne choice for families seeking an International Baccalaureate (IB) education from age three through the final school years. It is primarily English-medium, with substantial French provision in the early years. It is a day school, so boarding is not part of the offer.

The International School of Lausanne is at Chemin de la Grangette 2, 1052 Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, with access via Route de la Clochatte. Contact admissions@isl.ch or +41 21 560 02 02. The office is open Monday–Friday, 08:00–17:30; these are office hours, not the pupil timetable.

The IB route and early-years languages

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) runs from Reception 3 to Year 6, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Years 7–11, and the Diploma Programme in Years 12–13. ISL also lists its High School Diploma, a school qualification distinct from the full IB Diploma. Ask which completion route would apply to an older entrant.

Reception 3 is bilingual. From Reception 4 to Year 2, a French teacher co-teaches for 40% of the time. That describes the staffing and language provision; it should not be read as a guarantee that every subject is divided equally between English and French.

For Reception 3, the child must turn three before 1 September in the entry year; for Reception 4, four. Children must be toilet-trained. Reception 3 allows attendance from four half-days to five full days. From Reception 4, five full days are required.

The school’s IB page reports a long-term Diploma average of about 34–35 points. Its FAQ gives the Class of 2022 an average of 37.6, against a world average of 32, with all pupils passing. These are differently dated school figures, not 2026 results.

Application and offers

Applications are accepted throughout the year, with no application fee. Completed files enter the waiting list; places are offered by date of receipt in accordance with the admissions policy.

For August entry, the FAQ describes offers beginning in the preceding January. Assessment usually takes up to a week once recommendations have arrived. A successful offer is followed by the enrolment contract, the applicable acceptance fee and first-term payment. Ask Admissions about the relevant year group’s availability; the school does not publish a waiting-list length.

Tuition for 2026/27

The school says annual tuition and academic-related fees are published by 15 March. The 2026/27 fee document gives these amounts in Swiss francs (CHF).

Stage	Autumn	Winter	Spring	Year
Reception 3, 4 half-days	—	—	—	14,900
Reception 3, 5 full days	—	—	—	28,490
Reception 4, 5 full days	11,400	8,545	8,545	28,490
Years 1–6	11,720	8,790	8,790	29,300
Years 7–9	13,450	10,090	10,090	33,630
Years 10–11	14,625	10,965	10,965	36,555
Years 12–13	15,750	11,815	11,815	39,380

Reception 3 is billed over ten months, from CHF 1,490 monthly for four half-days to CHF 2,849 for five full days. The document lists intermediate attendance options; the table above shows the endpoints, not every combination.

The one-time acceptance fee is non-refundable and applies only in the first year:

Entry stage / child	Acceptance fee
Reception 3 or 4	CHF 0
Years 1–13, first child	CHF 5,000
Second child	CHF 2,500
Third child	CHF 1,250
Fourth and subsequent children	CHF 0

The reduced acceptance fees for siblings apply only when they start together. This is separate from the annual tuition discount.

Discounts and additional costs

Tuition discounts are 5% for the third child, 10% for the fourth and 15% for the fifth and subsequent children, with children ordered by school year, oldest first.

A 1.5% discount applies when the full year’s fees are paid before the academic year begins and ISL invoices the family directly. The family may change between termly and annual payment once a year by 31 May. A change after invoicing costs CHF 50.

Academic-related charges are additional to tuition. Selected annual totals from the same 2026/27 document are:

Year group	Academic-related fees
Reception 3	CHF 185
Reception 4	CHF 137
Year 1	CHF 359
Year 5	CHF 2,117
Year 11	CHF 3,004
Year 12	CHF 1,375

The FAQ’s approximate CHF 0–2,500 range does not cover the published Year 11 amount; use the dated fee document for budgeting. Transport, meals, private lessons and optional trips are billed separately.

For a first child newly entering Year 11, the calculated tuition, acceptance fee and academic-related fees total CHF 44,559: CHF 36,555 + CHF 5,000 + CHF 3,004, before discounts or optional services. The tuition range alone is therefore not a complete annual budget.

Our view

Compare Collège Champittet if a Swiss maturité, French Baccalauréat or boarding is important. Those are substantive differences from ISL’s day-school IB route.

Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.