Boarding schools are top-rated, discover which are the Most Exclusive Boarding Schools in the World!
Exclusive programs, activities and facilities
If you are looking for a secure, structured, supervised environment in which your child’s interest, curiosity, and creativity are inspired at class and beyond the schools in this list are the best ones to choose from! All of them offer a wide range of excellent and exclusive programs, activities and facilities that can contribute to forging their students’ triumphant career in almost any field.
Excellent Education
What makes these schools the most exclusive schools in the world are their amazing programs which provide pupils with ample opportunities to receive an excellent education tailored to their interests and goals. Whether they are looking to take part in an academically rigorous study program or to learn by exploring the world, these schools will allow them to connect a top-class education to their passions through exclusive curricula, cutting-edge technologies, and outstanding experiences.
Amazing Facilities
Those lucky students have access to amazing sports facilities, art equipment, and innovative learning environment and experiences. Furthermore, they are offered a different menu of educational programs led by highly-skilled teachers. All of the schools listed below offer a beyond-solid academic program. Discover the most exclusive boarding schools in the world!
In conclusion, studying in one of the world’s most exclusive boarding schools offers a transformative educational experience. It provides students with a world-class education, a multicultural perspective, and the skills and values they need to excel in an ever-changing world. The benefits extend far beyond the classroom, shaping students into well-rounded, globally aware individuals ready to make a meaningful impact on society. Enrolling in one of these prestigious institutions is an investment in a future of limitless potential and extraordinary opportunities.
Discover the Most Exclusive Boarding Schools in the World
In this list, you will find top boarding schools that charge an annual fee of over 80,000 USD.
Copperfield Verbier is the world's only ski-in, ski-out international school, located in the Swiss alpine village of Verbier.
We have hired world-class teachers, built an inspiring and peaceful campus, and developed an empowering educational philosophy.
Our vision is to educate students who are globally-minded, compassionate, confident, and kind. Copperfield students will be academically skilled; fluent in multiple languages; accomplished writers and communicators; artistically driven and knowledgeable; scientifically aware and trained; emotionally resilient; physically fearless; generous of spirit and skill; leaders who also know how and when to follow. Above all else, Copperfield students will be designers of their own lives and of a better world for others.
Teaching is considered one of the most valuable professions in our society. At Copperfield, we provide faculty and all staff with an environment where their individuality is emphasised and their membership of the community encouraged. All teachers have opportunities to improve their skills, launch their own initiatives, and thrive personally as well as professionally.
We are grateful when things go well, and we will bring others with us. We will share our fortune with those who need it. By opening our doors to the most talented and kind students, and not only financial resources, we will build a community that resembles the kind of society in which we would like to live. Our scholarship programme ensures that our admissions process can be needs-blind.
Above all, Copperfield’s vision is to be a global leader in forward-thinking, international education. We will be a diverse and accountable school that functions as a hub of our local community and a launchpad for the global ambitions of young people. Copperfield is, in every way, an education for all seasons.
Brillantmont International School is one of the oldest schools in Switzerland. It was founded in 1882 and is still owned by the founding family. What makes Brillantmont special is not only its location in the heart of the vibrant city of Lausanne but also its size, which creates a strong sense of community, a real home from home, in which boys and girls aged 13-18 learn and develop in a warm, supportive environment.
Brillantmont offers internationally recognised courses leading to British IGCSE, AS and A Level examinations or a US High School Graduation Diploma with SAT. On completion of their studies, Brillantmont students enter universities all over the world. An average class size of 9 students ensures that students receive maximum teacher attention.
A strong extra-curricular programme provides opportunities for leadership (Student House Leaders, TEDx, MUN), for belonging to a sports team or fulfilling creative potential through art, vocal club or rock band. Students can participate in humanitarian work through Habitat for Humanity.
Préfleuri is an exclusive international boarding school in the Swiss Alps that caters for children from 3 to 13 years of age. Since 1948, Préfleuri has been a loving home to many children, giving them the very best in education and sports as well life ethics. Préfleuri still upholds a strong tradition of care and education for children from all over the world. Préfleuri teaches children to think independently, deeply and creatively, and is fully engaged in the new world society that is being born. Préfleuri offers its children the possibility of becoming actors in a world where communication is the basis of all interrelation and evolution. Préfleuri is a traditional wooden chalet, situated in a private park of two hectares, surrounded by pristine woods and traditional farmland. Our classes are small; our teachers are specialized in personalised tuition. Sports, cultural and other extra-curricula activities complement our children’s experience of living in Switzerland. We also welcome pupils for Winter and Summer camps with intensive language courses. Préfleuri believes in child-centred education, emphasizing the importance of the development of the whole person, as well as in the introduction of a foreign language at an early age. It is with these aims in mind that, at Préfleuri, a child is guided and encouraged, step-by-step, towards gaining the self-assurance of being a responsible citizen of the future, positively shaping his own life. We encourage our students to share their culture and traditions with their classmates. By discovering different codes and customs, they acquire an openness that time will never erode. At Préfleuri, learning English and French is assured. Asian students naturally become trilingual. Bilingualism at Préfleuri means keeping one’s roots, one’s culture, whilst becoming receptive to differences. Our academic program follows official English and French curricula; in addition we provide teaching of mother languages such as Chinese, Japanese or Russian. A child has the energy and ability to learn that far exceeds that of an adult who would often feel tired in the same situation. We believe that young people who graduate from Préfleuri are fully equipped to cope not only with challenging secondary education programs but also the demands of a fast changing world.
Education with Impact:
Since 1961, Leysin American School in Switzerland has rooted itself in its family-run identity. Founded by a family of educators inspired to bring students together across cultures in the aftermath of World War II, LAS benefits from the strategic oversight and genuine love that the school’s original caretakers have passed along through the decades.
For three generations, the Ott family and a team of talented educators have nurtured students from around the world, motivating them to reach their highest potential in academics and extracurriculars. Under their thoughtful stewardship, LAS has grown into the place it is today—a sprawling alpine campus that is home to over 300 students from across the globe (our student body represents 50 nationalities!).
At LAS, students develop into the best versions of themselves, become true citizens of the world, and have the adventure of a lifetime in a secure, inspiring location.
Our Incredible Location:
We are located in Leysin, a picturesque mountain town in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Our campus is just a short trip away from three international airports and all the major cultural centers of Europe. You will immediately notice the incredible view that greets you everywhere on campus. Our campus is in one of the prettiest spots in the Swiss Alps, and year after year, our alumni tell us that Leysin had a profound impact on their lives and their commitment to the environment.The best part about LAS is that it feels like home, and over 60 years of LAS alumni will tell you that they found a home and family here on our Magic Mountain!
Summer:
Since 1949, LAS Summer in Switzerland has offered an incredible residential summer experience at our beautiful campus in the Swiss Alps. Our program combines all the elements of an incredible summer camp, and students from all over the world connect in a safe and supportive alpine community as they enjoy classes, clubs, and exceptional summer activities. Switzerland is their playground, and our weekend excursions allow our summer students to take advantage of the best that our incredible country has to offer. Join us, and see why so many of our campers return year after year!
The Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, founded in 1904, is a Swiss international boarding school set in spectacular alpine landscape near St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Lyceum campus occupies an extensive site with its own sports fields overlooking the alpine village of Zuoz. In 2004 the school celebrated its 100th jubilee. Our school philosophy is founded on respect for tradition combined with innovativeness. It finds expression in the Spirit of Zuoz, which attaches supreme importance to tolerance, mutual respect, fair play, commitment and life-long learning. Respectability and orderliness in everyday life, respect and helpfulness towards others coupled with an open-minded attitude: these are the guiding principles of an education at the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, and they equip ambitious and enthusiastic young people with the qualities they need for life. About three hundred students between 12 and 19 years of age from around the world follow programmes leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), the Swiss Matura (German) or the bilingual Swiss Matura (German/English, German/Italian). Tolerance, fair play and respect for community values are at the heart of a Lyceum education.
Each summer, hundreds of kids journey to Zuoz for the International Summer Camps. We offer 2 camps of two weeks each for girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 16. In the mornings students can choose from language courses or digital skills, in the afternoons they get involved in either a great sports programme, film and drama, golf or football training with Milan Academy. In the evenings and at the weekends, exciting outdoor experiences such as river rafting or climbing and many other activities are on the programme.
Surrounded by the awe-inspiring peaks of the Swiss Alps, the Ecole d’Humanité is home to students and teachers from 25 countries. The stunning natural setting provides a wholesome learning environment and exceptional opportunities for hiking, skiing, climbing, and other outdoor activities. Our 120 students live in small “families,” of 8-10 students, each headed by two or three teachers. The Ecole strives to realize an environmentally responsible lifestyle. By limiting material and electronic consumerism we create a space where students can engage directly and honestly with other people and with the natural world.
We offer a US university-prep curriculum as well as a Swiss academic program, including the Swiss Matura. Instruction in the US program is in English and in the Swiss program in German. Our academic approach promotes meaningful understanding rather than surface knowledge. Small classes (average of 6 students per class) allow for individualized instruction and demand active participation. We are an official testing center for the College Board SAT exams and for exams leading to the Advanced Placement International Diploma. Recent graduates of the US program have been accepted to Berklee School of Music, Bryn Mawr, Fordham University, Goucher, Kings College London, Les Roches, Muhlenberg College, Quest, Sarah Lawrence, Penn State, Perdue University, Reed College, Royal Halloway - University of London, Sarah Lawrence, University of St. Andrews, University of Sussex and many more excellent universities in the US, UK and around the world. Graduates of the Swiss Matura gain entrance into all Swiss universities.
To balance the intensive academic program, students devote afternoons to the arts, sports, and practical work. Blacksmithing, skiing or snowboarding, woodworking, pottery, rock-climbing, theater, kayaking, dance, music, gardening, and animal husbandry are just a few of the fields students can choose to explore. Special focus areas include our Outdoor Education Program, Farm and Goat projects, and Arts Programs, including outstanding opportunities to pursue visual and performance art. Twice a year the school sets out in small groups on 6-day hikes into the mountains of Switzerland and Italy.
Our School Program is accredited by Cognia.
Founded in 1897, Saint-Charles International School Switzerland is located in outstanding settings in Ajoie, in the Swiss Jura Canton. Our mission is to provide students between 8 and 20 with a high-quality education while developing the attributes of kindness, respect, and responsibility towards others and the environment.
Saint-Charles follows the humanist and Christian values of caring for others and the environment, respecting cultures and individuals, and approaching the world with openness and positivity. Thus, the school aims to develop the same values in students and to support students in becoming responsible, global citizens who work to make the world a better place.
Our slogan, “Accompagner pour grandir” (“Guiding the path to growth”) embodies the essence and the spirit of Saint-Charles. It reflects just how fortunate we are to be allowed to guide young people in such a holistic manner during a crucial period of their development, based on our fundamental values. It is our deeply cherished motivation to build and support the community of Saint-Charles International School Switzerland and to lead it into the future.
Saint-Charles offers a complete curriculum for students aged between 8 and 20. We do everything possible to ensure that from primary level right through to the Maturité, students can learn at their own pace and find their way successfully. Our commitment to the youngsters in our care and their parents is based on high-quality teaching, the skills and dedication of our staff and personal monitoring of students – founded on the concepts of care and attentive listening.
Primary school - Initiating Knowledge
The first steps a human being takes on the path to knowledge are decisive. At Saint-Charles, children and adolescents follow the public school curriculum. The reduced class sizes allow students to tackle subjects in greater depth. This makes all the difference.
Collège - Structuring Knowledge
At Saint-Charles, we accompany your child to ensure their success by providing them with the tools to make the right choices. Our structure makes it possible to postpone student orientation until transition to secondary school. Orientation takes place at the end of the 9th year, on the basis of academic results, as part of the secondary A or secondary B pathways.
International Baccalaureate MYP Program
The International Section of Saint-Charles focuses entirely on the International Baccalaureate, taught in English, giving our graduating students the very best access to top Universities, both here in Switzerland and around the world.
The MYP is the ideal preparation program for the final two years of the IB Diploma. Young people are supported in linking their academic learning to the world and its different realities, as well as to develop complementary skills to the disciplinary knowledge itself. As students grow with us, they develop the skills young people need to continue their studies and to be successful life-long learners through the IB Learner Profile. This is widely integrated into all aspects of teaching and learning within the MYP programme.
Lycée
Achieving a high school diploma opens the doors to higher education institutions (University, HES, HEP) or other professional training paths. The Lycée Saint-Charles is an institution recognised by the Swiss Confederation and is authorised to let its students sit the Maturité exams. As of 2016, Saint-Charles offers a bilingual French-English Maturité exam.
THINK Global School is the world’s first traveling high school. Attendees between the ages of 15-18 gain an education by living in four different countries each year (ten countries total) and learning firsthand from their multicultural experiences. During their time in-country, students gain the expertise necessary to bring about change in our increasingly global world through a rigorous academic curriculum based on project-based learning. You can learn more about our Changemaker Curriculum on the Academics portion of this page.
Central to THINK Global School‘s mission is diversity. Its small student body of 41 students consists of attendees from over 25 countries, making it one of the most diverse boarding schools in the world. This diversity ensures that a wide variety of viewpoints are expressed during discussions and that lifelong friendships are formed with classmates from all manner of backgrounds.
Small by Design
THINK Global School is small by design to ensure each attendee has all of their individual needs recognized. At 4:1, THINK Global School possesses one of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios globally and ensures students receive near-unlimited facetime and support during their travels around the world.
An Equal Focus on Mental Health and Academics
THINK Global School recognizes that the adolescent years are among the most crucial development-wise and is committed to seeing its students flourish in all aspects of life.
To do so, students meet regularly with an advisor during their time in-country to ensure they succeed mentally and academically. School counselors also travel alongside students to each location, providing emotional support and college advice.
This focus on social-emotional health is one of the bedrocks of a THINK Global School education. Research shows that motivated students are more engaged, and their academic outcomes are improved. It’s a whole-child approach that THINK Global School is proud to employ.
Academic Calendar
Students attending THINK Global School observe a year-round academic calendar consisting of eight onsite weeks and five at home. This way, students have plenty of time in-country to develop new ideas, new appreciations, and new perspectives on best impacting their home communities without becoming homesick.
In between countries, students have five weeks at home to reconnect with family and friends, participate in online learning, including background research and preparatory reading, work on local service initiatives, and self-study for optional AP and other college entrance exams.
Even with these extended breaks, THINK Global School students still average more days of learning than students in most countries worldwide.
College Preparation
94% Of Think Global School Students Have Gone on to University.
The Changemaker Curriculum goes above and beyond to prepare students for the academic and social rigors of university. By letting students guide their learning and imbuing every aspect of their education with compassion and service, they’re empowered to become leaders in their university communities and beyond.
An education at THINK Global School includes regular one-on-one sessions with a college and career counselor, designed to give students the tools they need to navigate the university admissions process.
While most THINK Global School students go on to university, our faculty and counselors provide full support to students who envision a different route to success.
IMG Academy is the world's premier boarding school for dedicated and passionate student-athletes. Established in 1978 as Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG has evolved and expanded to include eight sport programs, professional-grade facilities and technology, and a global atmosphere within an all-inclusive campus.
With a seamless methodology that equally cultivates academic growth, athletic improvement, character development, and social responsibility, IMG creates leaders and influencers who are better prepared than most of their peers to take on the next stages of their lives. Located in Bradenton, FL., IMG is home to the world's most dedicated student-athletes seeking to reach their full potential. Our alumni and trainees have achieved elite success at the highest levels, and our graduates continue to attend the nation's most academically and athletically prestigious universities.
As a fully-accredited 6th-12th grade program that also offers a post-graduate program, IMG remains committed to academics and providing student-athletes with the tools they need to succeed. We offer both boarding and non-boarding as well as courses that aid international students and families with their transition process. By learning in an environment that both challenges and supports them, IMG student-athletes acquire the skills of balance and prioritization. They also grow their cultural understanding through interactions with student-athletes from across the United States and more than 80 countries.
At Beau Soleil, we believe it’s what you do that counts: Our international boarding school community in Switzerland offers an outstanding environment combined with a holistic educational philosophy, encouraging students to become responsible and ambitious world citizens.
Founded in 1910, we welcome students aged from 11-18 years from more than 55 different nationalities. A full boarding school with a capacity of 260 students, our boarders experience the ideal balance of warmth, care and discipline, encouraging in them a sense of independence. Our home from home boarding philosophy promotes the creation of lifelong friendships based on a common set of values: responsibility, respect, ambition and determination.
With educational pathways in both English and French, at IB level, our students are able to pursue their studies in either language or a combination of the two. Our inspiring teachers support students to achieve to their highest potential and our student to teacher ratio of 4:1 ensures we are able to offer a personalized approach to learning.
Exciting experiences both inside and outside of the classroom including educational trips across the world, full-school challenges and our winter ski programme – allow students to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the world around them and to develop skills including team work, collaboration and resilience.
The spectacular school campus, located in a beautiful and safe alpine village, gives access to an enviable lifestyle. Blending tradition with modernity, the campus offers facilities of the highest quality and inspiring views across the Swiss Alps.
La Garenne is one of the oldest international schools in Switzerland. More than 75 years after it welcomed its first children, LGIS is now home to 150 young people aged from 5 to 18. Our first IB Diploma students will graduate in 2023.
Set in the heart of the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 1300 metres above sea level, LGIS combines a rigorous academic programme with multiple and diverse outdoor activities all year round.
LGIS is an accredited IB World School. Study programmes include the International Primary Curriculum, the IB Middle Years and Diploma programmes and the La Garenne High School Diploma.
With ski slopes on the doorstep, students are able to make the most of our stunning location and our demanding overseas programme enables students to complement their academic studies with Service as Action projects.
For students who are not yet ready for a full boarding experience, we offer an Integration Programme which can be as short as a week. Most students on the Integration Programme go on to enrol permanently. In addition to our school year programme, we also offer Summer and Winter Camps which are oversubscribed year after year.
Our priority is that each child at La Garenne should be happy, safe, healthy, valued and cherished. Our motto is “Be Happy, Never, Never, Never Give Up” which reflects our holistic, child-centred approach, along with traditional Swiss values of respect, politeness, tolerance and responsibility.
Education should be a way of life. School should be about the development of the whole person. When John Corlette founded Aiglon College in 1949, he had a unique vision: to combine the special character of mountain life with a new vision for education. Aiglon today guards this original vision and has grown into one of the world’s most distinctive boarding schools.
Spirited, independent and a not-for-profit organisation, Aiglon’s aim toward the balanced development of mind, body and spirit works to create a principle-driven environment where students and teachers alike are encouraged toward academic excellence, pursuit of physical challenge and the learning born through a deeply international culture.
Aiglon is an English-speaking school styled in the tradition of British education. Students follow the globally recognised IGCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes while simultaneously developing practical skills that integrate curriculum into all areas of life. The focused, six-day-a-week programme allows each student to access a personalised course of study.
The character of Aiglon students is forged on the mountain. Central to its educational philosophy, the uniquely crafted expedition programme utilises Aiglon’s location in the Swiss Alps to engage students in activities designed to develop their sense of challenge and responsibility in a highly practical environment. From snowshoeing to summiting high peaks, Aiglon students do it all.
At Aiglon, morning meditation is part of the teaching programme that develops a student’s sense of spirit. Led by a teacher or student, meditation invites the community to think differently about their world. Coming together this way to consider a provoking idea or concept, framed around a short time of reflection, encourages students to broaden their horizons and think ‘outside the box’.
The school’s professional College & Careers Counselling team works closely with each student to help them understand and succeed in the university application process. Through these efforts, our students have access to the world’s top universities. This tailored programme encourages, develops and ultimately matches every student with a university that can continue developing their education.
In winter, students ski twice per week as part of the physical education programme. They can also participate in other skiing activities, or join the school’s elite race team. Beyond winter, students also participate in a wide range of competitive and noncompetitive activities from football and swimming to yoga. These pursuits are encouraged and central to Aiglon’s balanced development.
Aiglon is a family, and all the teaching staff play a key role in pastoral care and learning support. From their roles as houseparents, deputy houseparents or as tutors, teachers are available to students 24/7. In this community relationship, students and teachers are able to connect in unique ways that enable young people to grow and better understand their purpose and role at Aiglon.
Located just beyond the ski resort village of Villars-sur-Ollon in French-speaking Switzerland, Aiglon's campus is itself a small village high in the Alps at 1'258m. The campus includes more than 30 building and facilities placed over our 60,000 square metres of property. Making use of our safe, alpine environment we enjoy an open-style campus where students walk freely between their houses, classes and activities and we are just 250m from the ski resort's main lift. Students live in 1 of our 9 boarding houses and have access to facilities that include our state-of-the-art sports centre, science labs, our own observatory, art department, private music practice rooms and multi-use library and technology space.
Whether in the mountains or in an urban environment, Swiss Boarding Schools Disentis & Zurich provide a safe and comfortable home for your child during his or her school years. In the friendly, yet performance-oriented, atmosphere of our English-language boarding schools, our learners can develop their skills and prepare for their International A Levels – a qualification that opens the doors to the world’s most prestigious universities.
- Average class size of 10-12 students
- American curriculum leading to an American High School Diploma
- Advanced Placement (AP) courses
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
- Individualized four-year university counseling
- Excellent university placement in the UK, US & worldwide
- Over 60 nationalities & 30 languages spoken on campus
- 45 minutes from central London
- 25 minutes from Heathrow Airport
Since 1874, Monte Rosa has been offering a wide range of academic programs in both general subject areas and intensive language studies, taught by enthusiastic teaching experts, in a family-like atmosphere conducive to learning.
Located in Montreux, Switzerland, our private school provides a wide range of subjects which are available for pupils from 9 to 19 years old. Our courses and programs are very flexible according to your requirements, the availability of your children and of course their needs:
- Academic year program
- Summer holiday courses
- Winter holiday courses
Small classes and personalized instruction designed for optimum results, vital interaction between teachers and students, and principles based on genuine educational value: these are the ingredients that make up a climate in which school life is challenging and invigorating.
On-going dialogue and the pleasure of accomplishment fashion the personality of students expected to address tomorrow's realities. Our boarding school is the best place to learn and to improve oneself efficiently thanks to our structure (from 2 to 10 pupils per working group) and our educational team, composed of the best teachers, meticulously selected for each subject.
Collège du Léman is an international Day and Boarding School in Geneva, Switzerland, for boys and girls 2 to 18 years old.
Identifying and developing each child’s strengths.
The school believes that every child has a unique contribution to make to the world. The Collège du Léman approach to education allows them to discover and develop what they enjoy and excel at. This is achieved by bringing an exceptional range of learning opportunities together with world-class teachers that guide and transform each child.
Students can choose to study in English or French, or follow a Bilingual programme, leading toward a choice of renowned diplomas: the International Baccalaureate (IBDP), the International Baccalaureate Career Program (IBCP), an American-style High School Diploma with Advanced Placements, the French Bac and the Maturité Suisse.
Building on this academic foundation, the school offers outstanding wellbeing programmes, a wealth of 100+ extracurricular activities, and collaborations with MIT, the Juilliard school, and the United Nations.
As a member of the Nord Anglia Education family of schools, Collège du Léman is part of a Global Campus that include 68 sister schools around the world.
Enabling students to work with anyone anywhere.
It is essential to help each student find their place in this ever-changing world. They need to learn how to work with anyone anywhere, becoming global citizens and leaders.
Collège du Léman brings together a family of more than 110 nationalities, united by the school’s values of Respect, Internationalism, School Spirit and Excellence. All members of the school community are expected to understand and embrace the importance of equality and diversity.
The boarding programme provides a 24/7 learning opportunity that goes beyond the classroom. Students make friends from around the world and build a network for life. They learn how to work and live independently and how to connect with their peers. Weekends and evenings are filled with activities, both at school and exploring Switzerland.
Swiss excellence: Instilling rigour and resilience.
The school achieved a 99% pass rate across its graduating diplomas in 2020. This commitment to excellence leads to places at leading universities around the world, including in the US, UK and Switzerland.
As part of a learning community, the school expects students to display a growth mindset, becoming their best possible self, through intrinsic motivation, resilience and ambition.
All this on a beautiful, green campus on the edge of Lake Léman, in full view of the snow-capped Alps, and within minutes of the global city of Geneva.