Intercantonal University for Curative Education

What Intercantonal University for Curative Education does

Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik (HfH), marketed in English as the Intercantonal University for Curative Education, is a federally accredited public pedagogical university headquartered at Schaffhauserstrasse 239 in Zürich, Switzerland. Founded in 2001 under an intercantonal agreement, the institution is jointly supported by 12 Swiss cantons and the Principality of Liechtenstein, and has been recognized as a Pädagogische Hochschule under the Federal Act on Higher Education (HFKG) since 2017. HfH operates five specialized institutes covering learning under difficult conditions, behavior and socio-emotional development, disability and participation, language and communication, and professionalization and system development. It delivers a portfolio of Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Speech-Language Pathology (Logopädie), Psychomotor Therapy, Sign Language Interpreting, School Special Education, and Special Education Early Childhood, with 2,044 currently enrolled students and 393 diplomas awarded in 2025, supported by 256 employees at a 76% average employment rate.

HfH's technology stack centers on the ILIAS learning management system and the daylight-Web platform for online registration and continuing-education delivery, complemented by a Digital Learning Center service unit and the ALL4all Sign Language and Access Technologies Lab. Its proprietary intellectual property consists of six domain-specialized diagnostic instruments (PolterKompass, RedeflussKompass, StotterKompass, SchreiberwerbsKompass, SchweigeKompass, SprachverständnisKompass) developed in-house and used across German-speaking Switzerland, distributed through the university's shop. The institution is also WCAG 2.1 AA+ certified for accessibility (2023) and is a member of swissuniversities.

HfH generates revenue through four streams: (1) core institutional funding from the 12 supporting cantons and Liechtenstein under the intercantonal agreement; (2) recurring semester tuition for BA and MA degree programs; (3) continuing-education revenue from CAS programs (Certificate of Advanced Studies) priced CHF 7,200-8,500, individual courses from CHF 180, and webinars; and (4) sales of assessment instruments and publications. Distribution is multi-channel: direct on-campus enrollment in Zürich, on-site cantonal delivery at partner schools, online and blended learning via daylight-Web, and tailored Kantonalen Angebote commissioned by cantonal education departments (Aargau, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Zürich). Its go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on professional networks, conferences, the HfH Magazin, and direct school partnerships rather than paid acquisition. Key partnerships include Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (joint CAS delivery), the University of Virginia (MyTeachingPartner research collaboration), Canton Aargau's BKS (multi-year free continuing education through July 2027), and the 'stark3' inclusive higher education network with FHNW, OST, and HSLU.

Name

Intercantonal University for Curative Education

Legal name

Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik (HfH)

Website

https://hfh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik (HfH) is a publicly funded pedagogical university in Zürich, accredited under HFKG since 2017 and supported by 12 Swiss cantons and Liechtenstein. It delivers BA and MA degrees plus CAS continuing education in special education, speech-language pathology, psychomotor therapy, and sign language interpreting, serving 2,044 students and cantonal school systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cantonal Government Funding: Core funding from 12 Swiss cantons and Principality of Liechtenstein through the Intercantonal Agreement on Curative Education, constituting the primary institutional funding base
2. Tuition Fees - Degree Programs: Semester fees for Bachelor and Master degree programs in speech-language pathology, psychomotor therapy, sign language interpreting, and special needs education
3. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) programs, courses, webinars, and certificate programs for working professionals. Programs include CAS on topics such as Braille instruction (CHF 7,300), educational planning for complex disabilities (CHF 7,200), autism spectrum (CHF 7,500), reading-writing disorders (CHF 7,500), school leadership and inclusion (CHF 8,500), and single courses (from CHF 180)
4. Assessment Instruments and Publications: Sale of diagnostic and assessment tools developed at the university, including the PolterKompass, SchreiberwerbsKompass, SchweigeKompass, and SprachverständnisKompass through the university shop

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HfH is a federally accredited Pedagogical University in Zürich that delivers bachelor's and master's degree programs in School Special Education, Speech-Language Pathology, Psychomotor Therapy, Early Childhood Special Education, and Sign Language Interpreting. It also offers continuing education through CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) programs, short courses, and cantonal training contracts for working educators and therapists. The institution further produces proprietary diagnostic assessment instruments and conducts applied research in inclusive and curative education.

Product overview

Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik (HfH) is a university of applied sciences offering a platform of educational programs in special education and therapeutic fields. The portfolio consists of two core segments: (1) Primary degree programs including Bachelor's (BA) and Master's (MA) degrees in Speech-Language Pathology (Logopädie), Psychomotor Therapy, School Special Education (Schulische Heilpädagogik), Early Childhood Special Education (Heilpädagogische Früherziehung), and Sign Language Interpreting; and (2) Continuing education offerings organized under the CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) sub-brand, including specialized programs like CAS Brailleschrift unterrichten, CAS Bildungsplanung bei komplexer Behinderung, CAS Kinder und Jugendliche im Autismus-Spektrum, CAS Effektive Förderung bei LRS, and CAS Schulführung und Inklusion. The university also operates specialized service units including the ALL4all Lab for sign language and access technologies, Digital Learning Center, Library, Didactic Center, and Therapy-Teaching Practice. The Weiterbildungsplaner serves as a course discovery and enrollment platform for continuing education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALL4all – Sign Language and Access Technologies Lab: Sign language and access technologies laboratory

Products and services

• MA Schulische Heilpädagogik
• MA Heilpädagogische Früherziehung
• MA Logopädie
• MA Psychomotoriktherapie
• MA Gebärdensprachdolmetschen
• BA Logopädie
• BA Psychomotoriktherapie
• BA Gebärdensprachdolmetschen
• CAS Brailleschrift unterrichten
• CAS Bildungsplanung bei komplexer Behinderung
• CAS Kinder und Jugendliche im Autismus-Spektrum
• CAS Effektive Förderung bei LRS
• CAS Schulführung und Inklusion
• Kantonale Angebote Aargau
• Lehrgang Gebärdensprachlehrer:in

Quantifiable outcome

• 393 diplomas awarded to graduates in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• swissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHfH holds institutional membership in swissuniversities, the association of Swiss universities, enabling participation in national higher education policy development, research collaborations, and programs such as P-7 'Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities in Higher Education Development' which supports projects like 'stark3' for inclusive education at universities.
• Department for Education, Culture and Sport (BKS) Canton AargaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBKS commissioned HfH to develop and deliver a free continuing education program focused on 'Pädagogische Interaktionen, Professionalisierung und Schulentwicklung für herausfordernde Situationen' (Pedagogical Interactions, Professionalization and School Development for Challenging Situations) for all regular schools in Canton Aargau, funded until July 2027.
• Cantons of Zurich, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, and AargaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese cantons have commissioned specific continuing education and consulting offerings from HfH tailored to their educational systems, providing subsidized or free access to training for schools within their jurisdictions.
• PH Zürich (Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHfH cooperates with PHZH on the CAS Schulführung und Inklusion (School Leadership and Inclusion) program, with joint modules conducted at PHZH facilities and joint leadership of the program.
• Institut Unterstrass at PHZHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'écolsiv' project for inclusive school development and the subsequent 'stark3' network for inclusive higher education, with joint research activities, shared teaching, and co-development of inclusive education programs for people with cognitive disabilities.
• University of Virginia, School of Education and Human DevelopmentmoderateTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration with Prof. Robert C. Pianta's team on MyTeachingPartner (MTP) video-based coaching methodology and Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) for measuring teaching interaction quality.
• Pädagogische Hochschule SchwyzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research projects related to child development, inclusive education, and special needs education in the canton of Schwyz.
• Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating institution in the 'stark3' network for inclusive higher education, contributing to discussions on inclusive education at universities.
• Ostschweizer Fachhochschule (OST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating institution in the 'stark3' network for inclusive higher education, contributing expertise to inclusive education research.
• Hochschule Luzern (HSLU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'stark3' network for inclusive higher education and the 'SEGEL' participatory research project on shared decision-making for people with disabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern: Lucerne pedagogical university providing teacher education including special needs education. Directly comparable as a Swiss PH competing in the same student market; HfH explicitly lists PH Luzern as a collaboration partner for expert interviews and professional development content.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau (PHTG): Thurgau-based pedagogical university training teachers across all educational levels including special education. Comparable as a smaller Swiss PH operating under similar cantonal governance frameworks and serving overlapping target segments in teacher training.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Schwyz: Schwyz-based pedagogical university offering teacher education including special needs programs. Comparable as a smaller Swiss PH that collaborates with HfH on research projects and shares the same domestic Swiss teacher-training market.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (PH Zürich): Zurich-based Pädagogische Hochschule training teachers across primary, secondary, and special education. Directly comparable because it offers overlapping teacher-training programs including special needs pedagogy, and is HfH's explicit collaboration partner on the CAS Schulführung und Inklusion.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Bern: Bernese pedagogical university offering BA/MA teacher training with special-education tracks. Comparable to HfH in Swiss teacher-training mission and degree-granting structure, competing for similar student segments and cantonal training contracts.
• Pädagogische Hochschule FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz): Northwestern Switzerland pedagogical university covering teacher and special-education training across multiple cantons. Comparable as a Swiss PH delivering parallel degree and continuing-education programs; also a participating institution in HfH's 'stark3' inclusive higher-education network.
• Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen (PHSG): Eastern Switzerland pedagogical university providing teacher training with special-education components. Comparable as a Swiss PH serving the same intercantonal student market and competing for similar cantonal training contracts in Eastern Switzerland.

Regional players

• Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg: Austrian pedagogical university offering teacher and special-education training in the German-speaking neighboring region. Comparable as a regional PH serving a similar German-language educational ecosystem with parallel teacher-training and inclusion mandates, though operating under Austrian rather than Swiss governance.

Others

• Leibniz Universität Hannover (Institut für Sonderpädagogik): German research university with a dedicated Sonderpädagogik institute providing special-education teacher training and research. Comparable as an academic institution addressing the same special-needs education domain, though embedded in a larger general university rather than a standalone pedagogical university model.

Broad incumbents

• Universität Zürich: Major Swiss research university with an Institut für Sonderpädagogik offering special-education research and PhD-level training. Comparable as a broader higher-education incumbent whose faculty collaborate with HfH (multiple HfH professors hold UZH doctorates) and which competes for research funding in the same special-education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hfhzuerich
• Facebookfacebook.com/hfh.edu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hfh.edu
• Instagraminstagram.com/hfh_edu
• Xx.com/hfh_edu

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Intercantonal University for Curative Education