Ecole d'Humanite

What Ecole d'Humanite does

Ecole d'Humanité is a private, non-profit international progressive boarding school located in Hasliberg Goldern in the Swiss Alps (Canton of Bern), operating since 1934. The school serves approximately 110 students annually in grades 7-13 across two parallel academic tracks: a US High School Program taught in English (grades 8-12) culminating in a US diploma with AP and AP International Diploma options, and a Swiss Matura Program taught in German (grades 10-13) leading to the federally recognized Swiss Matura. The institution operates as a corporation (Ecole d'Humanité Hasliberg AG) supported by a foundation (Stiftung Ecole d'Humanité, est. 1999) and a cooperative governance structure (Genossenschaft).

The school's educational model is built on a progressive, individualized philosophy articulated by founder Paul Geheeb, characterized by extremely small class sizes (averaging 6 students), narrative feedback replacing traditional grades, individualized Kids Concept support plans, and the Schulgemeinde weekly consensus-based democratic assembly. Core academic products are augmented by a co-curricular portfolio encompassing outdoor education (multi-day mountain expeditions), handcrafts, music, arts, and annual Intensive Week immersive projects. The boarding program places 6-10 students per Family House under Family Head supervision, creating a family-style residential environment. Specialized services include Learning Support, University Counseling (using MaiaLearning platform), and Kids Concept social-emotional support.

The business model combines recurring annual tuition and boarding fees (pricing not publicly disclosed; inquiry-only), one-time camp program revenue (School Immersion, Winter Camp), and donations raised through the foundation. Distribution is direct-to-family through the school's website (ecole.ch), campus tours, education fairs, and alumni referrals from an 8,000+ global network. The school holds Cognia international accreditation and membership in multiple Swiss and German education associations. The target market is international families seeking a holistic, alternative secondary education with strong university placement outcomes (95% AP pass rate, 5.04/6.00 average Swiss Matura score) at selective universities including ETH Zürich and University of St. Gallen.

Name

Ecole d'Humanite

Legal name

Ecole d'Humanité Hasliberg AG

Website

https://ecole.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ecole d'Humanité is a private progressive boarding school in the Swiss Alps, founded 1934, serving ~110 international students annually in grades 7-13 across US High School and Swiss Matura programs with experiential, individualized learning and holistic outdoor-anchored education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boarding Schools / Private Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Boarding Schools (EDAJABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Overseas Secondary Student Housing, Homestay & Boarding Services (EDAIAHAH), Outdoor Education & Adventure Programs (School-Run) (EDAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Progressive boarding school
• International secondary education
• College preparatory program
• Outdoor experiential learning
• Swiss matura diploma

Headquarters

HQ city

Hasliberg Goldern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Boarding Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for academic programs and boarding/lodging services. Students enroll in either the US High School Program (Grades 8-12) or Swiss Matura Program (Grades 10-13), with additional costs for specialized programs like AP courses.
2. Donations and Foundation Support: The Stiftung Ecole d'Humanité (Foundation) raises funds to support school projects and financial aid for students who cannot afford full tuition.
3. Camp Programs: Revenue from seasonal programs including School Immersion and Winter Camp offerings for prospective and enrolled students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecole d'Humanité is a progressive international boarding school operating from an Alpine campus in Hasliberg Goldern, Switzerland, delivering college-preparatory education through two parallel academic tracks: a US High School Program (Grades 8–12, English) with AP courses and a Swiss Matura Program (Grades 10–13, German), alongside a Sekundarstufe I lower secondary program, a transitional 10th School Year, and an AP Path Program for competitive university placement. Residential boarding life is delivered in family-style chalet dormitories of 6–10 students under Family Head supervision, complemented by co-curricular sports, outdoor expeditions, music, arts, and handcrafts, supported by individualized Kids Concept learning plans, Narrative Feedback assessment, and MaiaLearning-based university counseling.

Product overview

Ecole d'Humanite is a progressive international boarding school in Switzerland offering a unified educational portfolio combining academic programs (US High School with AP courses, Swiss Matura, and Sekundarstufe I) with holistic co-curricular offerings (sports, outdoor education, arts, handcrafts). The school operates on a family-style boarding model where students live in small groups in chalet dormitories. Programs span grades 7-13 with approximately 110 students enrolled annually. The institution provides intensive week experiences, hiking expeditions, seasonal camps, learning support, and comprehensive university counseling services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• US High School Program College-preparatory curriculum for students in grades 8-12 taught in English, offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID) for university preparation worldwide. Targeted at international families seeking rigorous US-style secondary education in a boarding school setting.
• AP Path Program Fully customized, goal-oriented educational plan for grades 10-12 for students seeking competitive university placement globally, including AP Biology, AP Physics, AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Calculus AB, AP German, AP Environmental Sciences, and AP Literature and Composition.
• Swiss Matura Program Three-and-a-half-year preparatory program for grades 10-13 taught in German, leading to a federally recognized Swiss Matura Diploma. Students are tutored in small groups of 4-8 and complete a Matura thesis.
• Sekundarstufe I Lower secondary program for grades 7-9 following the Lehrplan 21 of the Canton of Bern, leading to the Sekundarschulabschluss diploma.
• 10th School Year Transitional grade 10 program for students exploring career paths before committing to apprenticeship or Matura tracks, including exploration in art, music, handcrafts, sports, and academics.
• Co-Curricular Program Holistic learning program including sports, outdoor education, music, arts, and handcrafts. Features hiking programs with 4-day and 6-day mountain expeditions integrated with academic instruction.
• Intensive Week Annual week-long immersive project program where students explore topics such as silversmithing, theater, filmmaking, outdoor adventures, and digital music composition.
• Boarding Life Program Residential education program where students live in chalet-style dormitories (Family Houses) in groups of 6-10 under Family Head supervision, including weekly Family Evening activities and Schulgemeinde consensus assemblies.
• School Immersion Program Camp program introducing prospective students to the Ecole experience as an entry point to full boarding enrollment.
• Winter Camp Seasonal winter camping program offered at the school's Alpine location as both a prospective-student experience and a recreational offering.
• Learning Support Personalized academic and social-emotional support services using the Kids Concept framework, including learning specialists, psychologists, and social workers.
• University and College Counseling Holistic university advising program guiding students through the application process, including use of the MaiaLearning platform for tracking and planning of applications to global universities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% average pass rate on AP exams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Stiftung Ecole d'Humanité (Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation was established in 1999 to support the Ecole community. It provides financial support for school projects and offers scholarships/financial aid to students who cannot afford full tuition, opening doors for youth who otherwise couldn't attend.
• CogniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accreditation organization providing quality assurance for educational institutions. Cognia accreditation demonstrates the school's commitment to continuous improvement and globally recognized educational standards.
• Genossenschaft Ecole d'HumanitécoreOthersThe cooperative (Genossenschaft) structure allows supporters to become members with voting rights at the General Assembly. Members actively support and help govern the school.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schule Schloss Salem: Elite German progressive boarding school founded by Kurt Hahn in 1920 — directly comparable philosophy (progressive education, family-style boarding, consensus governance) and similar international family target market.
• TASIS The American School in Switzerland: Premier US-curriculum boarding school in Switzerland offering AP programs to international secondary students — directly competes for the same US-program, English-language, international family segment.
• Leysin American School: US-curriculum boarding school in the Swiss Alps serving international secondary students; comparable target customer (international families seeking AP and US diploma) and alpine boarding model.
• United World Colleges (UWC): Global network of international boarding colleges with a progressive, mission-driven educational philosophy — directly comparable in combining academic rigor with experiential, values-based learning for international secondary students.
• Aiglon College: International boarding school in Switzerland offering British and International Baccalaureate curricula with a holistic outdoor/co-curricular program; directly comparable model and target customer.
• Gordonstoun: UK progressive boarding school founded by Kurt Hahn with strong outdoor/experiential education ethos — directly comparable philosophy and boarding model for international families seeking non-traditional secondary education.
• Birklehof: German progressive boarding school in the Black Forest emphasizing individualized learning, outdoor education, and community governance — closely aligned with Ecole d'Humanité's progressive, alternative-pedagogy positioning.
• Brillantmont International School: Swiss boarding school in Lausanne offering international curricula to secondary students from around the world; comparable target market (international families seeking Swiss-based secondary education) and boarding model.

Broad incumbents

• Le Rosey: Switzerland's most prestigious international boarding school with both Swiss and international curricula; broader portfolio and larger scale, but competes for the same affluent international boarding families.
• Institut auf dem Rosenberg: Elite Swiss boarding school in St. Gallen serving international secondary students with multiple curriculum tracks; larger and broader offering but competes in the same premium international boarding segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EcoleDHumanite.OfficialPage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecole.dhumanite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecole d'Humanite