Switzerland · Rolle and Gstaad · Founded 1880
Institut Le Rosey
The oldest boarding school in Switzerland and the most famous, with its winter campus in Gstaad, a 1,000-seat concert hall and alumni that include kings and financiers.
The character
Le Rosey is small, bilingual and very international: no nationality is allowed to exceed ten percent. The week is long, sport is daily, skiing is a subject in January and February, and the school looks after its pupils with a care that borders on choreography. Children thrive here if they are sociable, robust and happy to be one of many talented people rather than the star.
Good for
International families, bilingual ambitions, children who love sport and skiing, families who want the network
Less suited to
Shy children who need a quieter place, families who want a day option, budgets under 150,000 francs
Getting in
Apply eighteen months ahead, interview with the family, school reports and a language assessment. Entry at 8 to 10 or at 12 to 14 is easiest; sixth-form places are rare.
What it costs in total
At about CHF 150,000 a year for boarding, the 5 years from 13 to 18 add up to roughly €885,000 in today’s money including typical extras, before fee increases, tutoring and flights. The Education Cost Calculator adds inflation, extras and a second child.
Fees are rounded 2025/26 figures from the school’s own schedule and change every year. The school’s current fee sheet prevails. The picture is an impression of the setting, not a photograph of the campus.
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