Cities / Zurich / International School of Zug and Luzern
International School of Zug and Luzern
The largest international school in central Switzerland, full IB through PYP, MYP and DP, with two campuses outside Zug and Luzern and a strong reputation among the expat business community. ISZL teaches around 1,180 students aged 3 to 18 across two campuses, drawing 60 plus nationalities with British and American families forming the largest groups.
In brief
The largest international school in central Switzerland, full IB through PYP, MYP and DP, with two campuses outside Zug and Luzern and a strong reputation among the expat business community.
ISZL teaches around 1,180 students aged 3 to 18 across two campuses, drawing 60 plus nationalities with British and American families forming the largest groups. The 2024 IB average was 35, with 18 percent earning a bilingual diploma, and the school was named ISC Research's International School of the Year for 2022. Accreditation runs through CIS and NEASC.
Families describe a real sense of inclusion, with a buddy system in primary and student ambassadors in middle and high school easing the transition for new arrivals. The split campus setup means choice between Zug for families on the business circuit and Luzern for those further west. Costs of living in both towns are high, but parents tend to consider the fees defensible given the size of the IB cohort and the breadth of the programme.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years 1 | 3 | CHF 26,300 |
| Early Years 2 | 4 | CHF 28,050 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | CHF 33,000 |
| Grades 1-5 (Primary School) | 6 | CHF 33,200 |
| Grades 6-8 (Middle School) | 11 | CHF 36,700 |
| Grades 9-10 (High School) | 14 | CHF 39,100 |
| Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma / AP) | 16 | CHF 39,700 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (Early Years 1) | CHF 2,000 | |
| Application Fee (Kindergarten - Grade 12) | CHF 5,000 |
Reviews
- Parents describe ISZL as British-leaning and IB-focused, with humanities and business stronger than STEM; ZIS is the usual comparison.
- Teachers call ISZL a strong school for its standard of teaching but flag tough workload, with one writing that work-life balance is poor for the first two to three years.
- Parents describe the school as much larger now after mergers, spread across several sites with a school bus network for families outside Zug.
- Good Schools Guide and other parent-facing reviews repeat the same themes: friendliness, inclusion, IB outcomes, and a community spread across 65+ nationalities.
- Mention from a Zug local of segregation between expat ISZL families and Swiss residents is a recurring undercurrent in Swiss-language threads.
Positives
- British-style, IB-focused, stronger in humanities than STEM. Parents comparing with ZIS describe ISZL as more British in feel and more focused on IB, with humanities and business as relative strengths and ZIS edging it on STEM breadth.
- Friendliness and inclusion. Good Schools Guide reports parents describing the community as friendly, kind and inclusive.
Considerations
- Demanding workload for staff. Teachers describe ISZL as a tier-one school for teaching standards but warn of heavy workload, especially in the first few years.
- Multi-site campus and bus network. Middle school sits in Baar, with families commuting from across the Zug-Luzern area on the school bus network.
- Expat bubble in Zug. A Zug resident criticises early segregation between ISZL expat families and the wider Swiss community.
Leadership
Barry Dequanne
Barry Dequanne is the Director of the International School of Zug and Luzern. Before moving to Switzerland, he worked at schools in Brasilia, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Swaziland. Originally from Canada, Barry has worked in the field of international education for over thirty years. Barry's academic background is in mathematics and computer science. In addition to his work at ISZL, Barry also served or is serving as President-Elect of the Board of Trustees for the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), Treasurer of the Board of Trustees for the Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS), and Member of School and University Leaders Summits for the Council of International Schools (CIS).
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
Academic results
- IB Diploma average (2025) 35 points
- IB pass rate (2025) 97%
- AP mean score (2025) 4.1