Freies Gymnasium Bern

What Freies Gymnasium Bern does

Freies Gymnasium Bern (trading as "freigymer") is a private, non-profit association-organized Langzeitgymnasium in Bern, Switzerland, founded in 1859 and operating continuously for 165 years. The institution delivers a six-year gymnasial education pathway from grade 5 (Vorbereitungsklassen) through Untergymnasium (grades 7-8) and Gymnasium (grades 9-12), culminating in the Swiss Matura qualification. It currently serves approximately 320 students with 51 teachers, yielding a roughly 6:1 student-teacher ratio. The school operates under a Leistungsvertrag (performance contract) with the Canton of Bern, which provides cantonal recognition and ongoing state subsidies alongside private governance autonomy.

The curriculum comprises core Langzeitgymnasium instruction plus several differentiated modules: a bilingual German-English Matura track (operational since 2014, expanding to primary level from 2026/2027), a MINT-certified STEM programme (SCNAT MINT-Label) offering Physics & Applied Mathematics as a Schwerpunktfach, and the freigymer.talents programme supporting elite athletes and artists. Supporting services include the Fokusklasse bridging year, Lerninsel after-school supervision, Lernberatung learning therapy, and Schulsozialarbeit. Revenue is generated primarily through annual tuition fees (CHF 14,400-15,400 for 2025/2026) supplemented by cantonal subsidies (Staatsbeiträge) under the Leistungsvertrag and donations from church parishes and private donors. Admissions are managed direct-to-consumer through the school secretariat, orientation evenings, and an open day funnel. There is no proprietary technology stack, no APIs, no AI integration, and no app product — the institution operates as a traditional educational provider with a self-service web portal and PDF-based application forms.

Name

Freies Gymnasium Bern

Legal name

Freies Gymnasium Bern

Website

https://freigymer.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1859

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Freies Gymnasium Bern is a 165-year-old private, non-profit Langzeitgymnasium in Bern, Switzerland, serving approximately 320 students in grades 5-12 toward the Swiss Matura, with tuition, cantonal subsidies, and donations as revenue sources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Secondary Education (Gymnasium)

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE), College-Level Core Subject Tutoring (Gen Ed: Math, Writing, Sciences, Humanities) (EDANAAAJ)

Keywords

• Gymnasium secondary education
• Bilingual Matura program
• Private school tuition
• STEM secondary education
• Talent development schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees (Schulgeld): The primary revenue stream consists of annual tuition fees paid by parents. Tuition varies by grade level, ranging from CHF 14,400 to CHF 15,400 for the 2025/2026 academic year, with surcharges for students whose registered domicile for scholarship purposes lies outside the Canton of Bern.
2. State subsidies (Staatsbeiträge): The school receives government subsidies as a cantonal-recognized private school under a Leistungsvertrag (performance contract) with the Canton of Bern. This constitutes a significant ongoing funding stream alongside tuition.
3. Support from church parishes and private donors: Kirchgemeinden (church parishes) and other private institutions regularly support the school financially. Additionally, donations are collected for specific projects such as the building renovation (Dachsanierung).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Freies Gymnasium Bern operates a six-year long-term gymnasium (Langzeitgymnasium) from grade 5 through the Swiss Matura, delivered on a single campus in Bern. Core educational services include Vorbereitungsklassen (grades 5-6), Untergymnasium (grades 7-8), and Gymnasium (grades 9-12) leading to the federally recognized Swiss Matura certificate. Specialized tracks include a bilingual German-English Matura (since 2014), a SCNAT MINT-Label-certified STEM programme, and a freigymer.talents programme supporting elite athletes, musicians, dancers, and artists.

Product overview

Freies Gymnasium Bern operates as a unified educational institution offering a comprehensive six-year Langzeitgymnasium (long-term gymnasium) program spanning Vorbereitungsklassen (grades 5-6), Untergymnasium (grades 7-8), and Gymnasium (grades 9-12). The core offering is the traditional gymnasial education pathway leading to the Swiss Matura certificate. This is complemented by specialized programs including the Bilingualer Maturitätslehrgang (bilingual German-English Matura since 2014), MINT-certified STEM program with natural sciences emphasis, and freigymer.talents (talent development for sports, music, dance/theater, and visual arts). Supporting services include Fokusklasse (bridging program), Lerninsel (after-school study support), Lernberatung (learning counseling), and Schulsozialarbeit (school social work). The institution also hosts Explora public lectures as a community engagement initiative. The school follows the cantonal curriculum (Lehrplan 17) with approximately 320 students taught by 51 teachers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• freigymer.talents: Talent promotion program for students with special talents in sports, dance/theater, music, and visual arts.
• Schulsozialarbeit
• Lernberatung
• Explora

Quantifiable outcome

• Matura success rate above cantonal average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Technorama WinterthurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnorama Winterthur is an external learning venue for MINT education. The school organizes visits to Technorama as part of its science enrichment activities, providing students with hands-on STEM experiences beyond the classroom.
• Roche (Basel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents in the Biology & Chemistry Schwerpunktfach (SPF BC) visit Roche's Experio learning laboratory in Basel, gaining exposure to real-world pharmaceutical research environments as part of their science education.
• ProClim / OCCR / GIUB (Uni Bern)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 'Forum für Klima und globalen Wandel' is organized annually during spring holidays by ProClim (SCNAT), the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research (OCCR) at the University of Bern, and the Geographic Institute of the University of Bern (GIUB). The freigymer participates in this event, integrating climate science into its MINT curriculum.
• Swiss OlympicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe freigymer.talents programme requires student-athletes to hold at least a regional Swiss Olympic Talent Card as an admission criterion. This links the school's talent programme to the national sports federation's talent identification system.
• Colegio Helvetia, Bogotá (Colombia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school offers international exchange opportunities and study abroad programmes, including at Colegio Helvetia in Bogotá, Colombia, as well as exchanges in French-speaking Switzerland. These partnerships support the school's international exchange and language immersion objectives.
• Swiss Youth for Science (Schweizer Jugend forscht)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school participates in the Schweizer Jugend forscht competition, encouraging students to engage in scientific research projects under the mentorship framework of this national youth science organization.
• Science on the Move / simplyscience.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school participates in Science on the Move, an initiative of simplyscience.ch that brings hands-on science activities to schools, supplementing the school's MINT curriculum.
• PUSCH (Praktischer Umweltschutz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPUSCH supports environmental education initiatives at the school, aligning with the school's sustainability values and its Nachhaltigkeit guiding principle.
• Tierpark Dählhölzli BernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school collaborates with Tierpark Dählhölzli for biology education, including school courses and workshops related to animal biology and conservation, as part of the MINT and Biology curriculum.
• Naturhistorisches Museum Bern (NMBE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school organizes visits to the Natural History Museum Bern as an extracurricular learning location for biology and environmental science education.
• Botanischer Garten Bern (University of Bern)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school utilizes the Botanical Garden of Bern as an external learning venue for biology and environmental science programmes, complementing classroom instruction with real-world botanical study.
• GEOSummitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school participates in or is affiliated with GEOSummit, a Swiss geoscience and geography networking event, supporting the geography and earth sciences components of the MINT curriculum.
• Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) / ETHZ / EPFL / University of Bern (university visits)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity open days and specialized visit days (e.g., Naturwissenschaften für Frauen) at ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the University of Bern are presented to students in class as part of career and study orientation. The school also hosts physics lectures (Vortragsreihe Physik am Freitag) from Uni Bern.
• Step into ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStep into Action is a Swiss programme that provides students with engagement opportunities in sustainability and social action. The school incorporates this into its extracurricular and MINT/sustainability offerings.
• Känguru der Mathematik / Informatikbiber (Competition organizers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school participates in the Känguru der Mathematik and Informatikbiber competitions at every grade level. These are national mathematics and computer science competitions for Swiss schoolchildren.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Freies Gymnasium Zürich: Private Swiss gymnasium in Zürich offering a Matura pathway with bilingual options. Highly comparable operating model (private Swiss gymnasium with Matura focus), though it serves the Zürich catchment rather than Bern.
• Institut auf dem Rosenberg: Private Swiss boarding school offering a broad curriculum with bilingual tracks and STEM emphasis. Comparable as a private Swiss institution competing for academically selective families seeking a Matura/IB pathway with international exposure.
• Institut Montana Zugerberg: Private Swiss school offering Gymnasium/Matura and bilingual programmes. Highly comparable because Rektor Adrian Hunn led the rector function there before joining the freigymer, indicating identical pedagogical model and target market (academically oriented families seeking a Swiss private Matura pathway).
• Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz: Private Swiss boarding school offering a bilingual (German/English) Swiss Matura alongside an IB track. Comparable as a private Swiss school combining a bilingual Matura, MINT emphasis, and talent-friendly scheduling for an academically selective catchment.
• Stiftsschule Engelberg: Private Benedictine boarding school in central Switzerland offering a Gymnasium/Matura track with bilingual options. Comparable as a private Swiss Matura-granting institution competing for families seeking a structured, value-driven gymnasium pathway outside the public system.

Regional players

• Collège du Léman: Private bilingual school in the French-speaking Lake Geneva region of Switzerland. Comparable as a Swiss private school serving internationally mobile families with bilingual pathways, though it does not directly compete in the Canton Bern catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Aiglon College: Established international boarding school in Switzerland with strong bilingual and university-prep orientation. Comparable as a long-established Swiss private institution serving internationally mobile families pursuing a rigorous Matura/IB pathway.
• TASIS The American School in Switzerland: Long-running private bilingual school in Switzerland serving expatriate and internationally mobile families. Comparable target customer base (international families relocating to Switzerland) and bilingual delivery model, though TASIS is broader (American curriculum + IB) rather than a cantonal-Matura school.
• Schule Schloss Salem: German private boarding school with strong academic and talent-development programmes. Comparable in mission (holistic education, talent-friendly scheduling, alumni network), though it operates under the German Abitur rather than the Swiss Matura.
• Kantonsschule Enge Zürich: Public Swiss gymnasium in Zürich. Comparable as a competitor institution for families choosing between public and private gymnasium tracks; useful benchmarking on academic outcomes and bilingual/MINT offerings against which the freigymer must differentiate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100066691087053
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freies-gymnasium-bern

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Freies Gymnasium Bern