Institut Le Rosey is a full boarding school at Rolle on the north shore of Lake Geneva, teaching pupils from roughly age 8 to 18 in a bilingual French and English programme. Founded in 1880, it is among the oldest and most expensive boarding schools in the world, and it sits at the very top of the regional fee market, well above the day schools listed across the Geneva international schools hub.
This profile sets out the curriculum, the fee level, the admissions route and the community around the school. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so what follows is an editorial reference rather than a prospectus. Le Rosey also appears on our wider shortlist of the best international schools in Geneva.
Institut Le Rosey at a glance
| Curriculum and exam boards | Bilingual French and English through the lower years, then the IB Diploma or the French Baccalauréat in the final two years |
|---|---|
| Stage range | Roughly age 8 to 18, full boarding throughout |
| Founded | 1880, by Paul-Émile Carnal on the site of the Château du Rosey |
| Accreditation | IB World School, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools and recognised by the French Ministry of National Education; confirm current memberships with the school |
| Fee band | Premium. Among the highest in the world, with an all inclusive boarding fee published at around CHF 159,600 for 2026 to 2027 |
| Campus area | Main campus at Rolle on Lake Geneva, with a winter campus of chalets at Gstaad |
Curriculum and academics
Le Rosey teaches a bilingual programme in which French and English run alongside each other from the junior years upward, so that pupils leave genuinely able to work in both languages. The lower and middle school build a broad academic base while introducing the languages, sciences, arts and the sport and music for which the school is known. In the final two years pupils choose between two senior routes, and families weighing the international option can read our guide to the IB Diploma, which explains how the programme is assessed and recognised by universities worldwide.
The two senior routes are the IB Diploma Programme, taught in English, and the French Baccalauréat, taught in French, which lets families keep a foot in either the international or the French system. The school combines this academic core with an unusually wide arts and sport programme, including the seasonal move to Gstaad that puts skiing and mountain activity at the centre of winter term. Ask about subject availability within each route and recent university destinations during the admissions process.
Comparing Le Rosey with other Geneva schools?
Line it up against other boarding and day schools on fees, curriculum and stage range side by side, free and independent.
Institut Le Rosey fees
Le Rosey is a premium boarding school and sits at the very top of the regional fee table, far above the day schools mapped in our Geneva school fees guide. The school publishes a single all inclusive annual figure of around CHF 159,600 for the 2026 to 2027 year, which covers tuition, full boarding, meals and the seasonal move to the Gstaad winter campus rather than charging these separately.
Even with an all inclusive headline fee, plan for the extras that sit outside it. These typically include travel to and from Switzerland, personal insurance, pocket money, optional trips and expeditions, certain specialist activities and examination entry in the diploma years. Confirm the current schedule and exactly what the headline fee includes directly with the school before you budget.
Admissions and intake
Le Rosey runs an academic year that begins in early September and admits across year groups subject to availability, with the start of the lower school and the senior years the natural entry points. Boarding capacity is limited, so the school recommends starting the process well in advance, often a year or more before the intended start.
Admission is based on prior school reports, an interview and age appropriate assessment, with evidence that a pupil can access the bilingual programme and, in the senior years, the chosen diploma route. Applicants supply recent reports, passport documentation and, for transfers, a leaving record, and boarding arrangements are settled as part of the process.
Location and who goes there
The main campus sits at Rolle, a lakeside town between Geneva and Lausanne on the north shore of Lake Geneva, with the winter campus a cluster of chalets in the alpine resort of Gstaad. Because the school is full boarding, its community is international rather than tied to one neighbourhood, with pupils arriving from across the world and a long association with diplomatic and business families in the Lake Geneva region.
For the wider picture of how the boarding schools, the IB schools and the day schools sit across the canton and the lakeside, including fee tiers and neighbourhoods, see the Geneva schools hub.
Institut Le Rosey reviews
No verified parent reviews of Institut Le Rosey have been submitted to GlobalSchoolGuide yet. We hold back from publishing a star rating until we have enough verified first hand accounts to represent the school fairly, and we never fabricate ratings. If your family attends or has attended the school, please consider sharing your experience through our school reviews page to help other relocating families.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Institut Le Rosey fees?
Le Rosey is a full boarding school and one of the most expensive in the world. It publishes an all inclusive annual fee of around CHF 159,600 for the 2026 to 2027 year, covering tuition, full boarding, meals and the seasonal move to the Gstaad winter campus. Budget separately for travel, insurance, optional activities and examination entry, and confirm the current schedule with the school.
Is Institut Le Rosey a good school?
Le Rosey is a long established Swiss boarding school with a strong record of placing leavers at selective universities, and it offers both the IB Diploma and the French Baccalauréat. Suitability depends on whether a full boarding model on two seasonal campuses suits your family. Confirm current accreditation and recent university destinations directly with the school.
What curriculum does Institut Le Rosey follow?
The school teaches a bilingual French and English programme through the lower and middle years, then offers two senior routes in the final two years: the IB Diploma Programme and the French Baccalauréat. The language of instruction depends on the route a student chooses.
When do Institut Le Rosey applications open?
Le Rosey admits across year groups subject to availability and recommends applying well in advance because boarding places are limited. The academic year begins in early September. Families usually start the process a year or more ahead, with an interview and assessment forming part of admission.
Does Institut Le Rosey have two campuses?
Yes. Le Rosey runs its main campus at Rolle on Lake Geneva for most of the year and moves the whole school to a winter campus of chalets in the ski resort of Gstaad for several weeks each winter, a seasonal move that is unusual among boarding schools.
