Ecole d'Humanité

Students in the US programme work towards an American high school diploma in small, multi-age seminars, and can take Advanced Placement courses such as AP Biology, AP Physics, AP Precalculus, AP Calculus AB, AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Environmental Science, AP German, AP Art and AP Literature, or pursue the AP International Diploma through the AP Path programme for Grades 10 to 12. The German-language Swiss track prepares students for the Swiss Matura over three and a half years, including a Matura thesis.

The school runs in English and German. The US high school programme is taught entirely in English, while the Swiss programmes, from lower secondary to the Matura, are taught in German. French is part of the Swiss curriculum and of the Matura examinations, and AP German is offered to students in the US programme. Living together every day in a bilingual community gives students regular practice in both main languages.

The Swiss track starts with Sekundarstufe I for Grades 7 to 9 following the Bern Lehrplan 21, followed by an optional 10th school year for orientation and the Matura programme for Grades 10 to 13. In parallel, the English-language US high school programme covers Grades 8 to 12, with the AP Path option in Grades 10 to 12. Entry from Grade 6 is possible in individual cases.

Boarders live in simple Swiss-style chalets in small mixed groups of six to ten students, known as Families, each led by two or three teachers who live on campus and act as their first point of contact. Most students share a twin room with mountain views. Wednesday evenings are Family Evenings for cooking together, Saturdays combine lessons, an all-school singalong and activities, and Sundays end with a school-wide meeting. Tuition plus boarding for 2026/27 ranges from CHF 68,000 to CHF 75,000.

The school sees itself as a progressive, holistic community that helps young people find their passions, follow their curiosity and shape their own path of lifelong learning. Inspired by founder Paul Geheeb, it holds that each child's educational path is individual. Its stated values are cooperation, internationalism and closeness to nature, alongside creativity, social engagement and personal responsibility. The school does not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

Afternoons are given to a co-curricular programme of more than 50 courses. Sports include basketball, soccer, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, touch rugby, unihockey, trail running, weight training, yoga and climbing, plus skiing, snowboarding, ski touring and mountain biking in the surrounding Alps. Several multi-day hikes are held each year, some led by certified mountain guides. Arts options cover theatre with an annual Shakespeare production, dance, music lessons and production, painting, ceramics and digital arts, and handcrafts range from blacksmithing and woodwork to weaving, baking and cheese making.

The campus is laid out like an Alpine village of more than a dozen chalets. Creative spaces include a smithy, a woodshop, a pottery studio with kiln, a textile room, a darkroom, a graphics lab, a tech lab with 3D printer and a video studio with green screen. For sport there is a sports hall, a student-run gym, a bouldering room, athletic fields, a pump track and a central square used for basketball and skating. A library hosts the Learning Center, and a ski resort lies a short walk away.

Meals are prepared with fresh, mostly Swiss and seasonal ingredients and served family-style three times a day; every meal includes a vegetarian option and special diets can be arranged. A Student Support Team of learning support specialists, psychologists and social workers provides individual learning and social-emotional support where needed, and every student has an academic advisor. University counselling guides students through applications. A Winter Camp is offered in February.