Inter-Community School, Zurich

In Brief

ICS is the right choice if you want full IB continuity from age 2 through to the Diploma, and a campus community that has had six decades to bed in. The Zumikon location suits families based on the east side of the lake; verify the commute if you're in the city or west.

ICS is Zurich's oldest international school - established in 1960 - and the only one in the city offering PYP, MYP, and DP on a single campus. That continuity matters: your child learns within one pedagogical framework from nursery through to graduation without ever switching schools or curricula. The campus is in Zumikon, a quiet residential area on the east side of Lake Zurich, roughly 15 minutes by bus from the city centre. Families based in Kusnacht, Zollikon, or Meilen find the location convenient; those in the city or west need to build in commute time.

ICS consistently performs above the world IB average, and more than 35% of graduates earn the bilingual diploma - one of the higher rates among Swiss international schools. The preschool offers a German-English bilingual strand, which is worth noting if early language acquisition is a priority. With around 800 students from 50+ nationalities, the school is meaningfully diverse without feeling anonymous. The outdoor education programme, including a Waldkinder forest school component, is a genuine differentiator for younger children.

Teacher turnover is worth asking about at admissions; families we've encountered over the years have raised continuity in some year groups as something to probe. Fees at the upper end are CHF 39,900 for the IB Diploma years - comparable to ZIS but high by Swiss private school standards. A one-time CHF 5,000 Capital Fund fee applies on entry. The school does not publicly publish detailed IB results year-on-year, so ask admissions for current data during your visit.