International School of Geneva (Ecolint)
🇨🇭 Switzerland (boarding) · Founded 1924 · IB / British / American / National · Ages 3-18
The world's first international school and birthplace of the IB: a large, heritage-rich bilingual day school offering an exceptionally broad set of recognised pathways across three Geneva campuses.
Curricula
IB, British, American, National
Age range
3-18
Languages of instruction
English, French
Annual fees
SGD CHF 19,800-35,470 per year (tuition only, 2025-2026; registration CHF 2,500 and a one-time Capital Development Fund fee of CHF 4,000 are charged separately)
Enrollment
4,500
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
PYP, MYP, DP, CP
Accreditations
Council of International Schools (CIS), Middle States Association (MSA), IB World School
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
The International School of Geneva, known as Ecolint, opened in 1924 and is recognised as the world's first international school. It holds a singular place in international education as the institution where the IB Diploma Programme was created by its teachers at the end of the 1960s. A century on, it remains one of the largest international schools, with around 4,500 students drawn from more than 140 nationalities across three Geneva-area campuses.
The school is genuinely bilingual in English and French and offers an unusually wide curriculum. The IB Diploma is available at all three campuses, Campus des Nations runs the full IB continuum from PYP and MYP through DP and the Career-related Programme, and La Chataigneraie additionally offers Cambridge IGCSE and the Swiss Maturite, including a bilingual French and English pathway. It is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association and is a long-standing IB World School.
Published 2025 IB results are strong, with campus pass rates between 94 and 99 percent and an average of about 35 points against a world average near 30.5. Tuition is premium, ranging up to CHF 35,470 for the senior years in 2025-2026, with separate registration and a one-time capital fee. It is a day school only, with no boarding.
Switzerland has no Ofsted-style graded public inspection, so there is no single rating to consult; assurance instead rests on the depth of its CIS, MSA and IB accreditations and cantonal authorisation. The main trade-offs are its scale, which can feel institutional, and the fact that some pathways are tied to a specific campus.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Rated A on accreditation depth rather than S because there is no graded Swiss public inspection band to verify; instead the school carries CIS and MSA accreditation plus full IB World School authorisation across PYP, MYP, DP and CP, anchored by its historic role in creating the IB Diploma.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Founded in 1924 as the world's first international school and the birthplace of the IB Diploma Programme
- Full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP, CP) plus Cambridge IGCSE and the Swiss Maturite
- Genuinely bilingual English and French with a World Languages programme of more than 25 languages
- Strong published 2025 IB outcomes (94-99 percent pass rates; average around 35 points)
- Triple independent endorsement from CIS, MSA and the IB across three established campuses
Trade-offs
- Large multi-campus scale (around 4,500 students) can feel institutional rather than intimate
- Some pathways are campus-specific (IGCSE and Maturite only at La Chataigneraie; CP only at Campus des Nations)
- Day school only, with no boarding
- Premium fees plus separate registration and a one-time CHF 4,000 capital fee
- No single graded public inspection rating exists in the Swiss system
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Internationally mobile families wanting an IB pathway from early years to Diploma
- ✓Bilingual French-and-English households seeking genuine dual-language instruction
- ✓Families valuing heritage, scale and breadth of recognised curricula
- ✓Students considering the Swiss Maturite or IGCSE alongside the IB
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families needing boarding or residential provision
- ✕Those wanting a small, single-campus community
- ✕Budget-sensitive families given premium fees and extra charges
- ✕Parents who want one official graded inspection rating to compare schools
Curriculum
The IB Diploma is offered at all three campuses; Campus des Nations runs the full IB continuum plus the Career-related Programme; Cambridge IGCSE and the Swiss Maturite (with a bilingual French and English option) are offered only at La Chataigneraie. The school uses a British-style year structure and its teachers created the IB Diploma in the late 1960s.
Fees
Annual tuition for 2025-2026 runs from CHF 19,800 (Pre-Reception 'light') to CHF 35,470 (Classes 12-13), with a 2026-2027 schedule rising to CHF 36,540. These are tuition only; an application fee (CHF 250 per child), a registration fee (CHF 2,500) and a one-time Capital Development Fund fee (CHF 4,000) are charged separately.
Admissions
Open to families of more than 140 nationalities; the school states children need not already speak English or French and provides additional-language support after entry. Families choose among three campuses with differing programme profiles.
Campus Life
Three Geneva-area campuses: La Grande Boissiere in Geneva (only campus with a Middle School), La Chataigneraie in Founex (canton of Vaud) and Campus des Nations in Le Grand-Saconnex (opened 2005, across the Pregny and Saconnex sites). A day school of around 4,500 students with a World Languages programme covering over 25 languages.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: Ecolint publishes 2025 IB Diploma pass rates of 99 percent (Campus des Nations), 98 percent (La Grande Boissiere) and 94 percent (La Chataigneraie), with an average of about 35 points, drawn from its own admissions FAQ and not independently audited here.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- Ecolint official history (founded 1924; birthplace of the IB) · 2026-06
- Ecolint official diplomas and curricula (IB, IGCSE, Maturite by campus) · 2026-06
- Ecolint official tuition fees (2025-2026 and 2026-2027 schedules, CHF) · 2026-06
- Ecolint official three campuses (ages 3-18, locations) · 2026-06
- Ecolint admissions FAQs (languages, additional-language support, 2025 IB results) · 2026-06
- Wikipedia: International School of Geneva (enrollment ~4,500, day school, CIS/MSA, IB programmes) · 2026-06
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