International School Rheintal

What International School Rheintal does

International School Rheintal (ISR) is a not-for-profit international school founded in 2002 and headquartered in Buchs, Canton St. Gallen, Switzerland, approximately 120 km from Zurich and adjacent to Liechtenstein. The school delivers the full International Baccalaureate continuum in English — the Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 3–12), Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11–16), and Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16–19) — and is fully authorized as an IB World School and fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS). It serves families in the Switzerland-Liechtenstein-Austria tri-border region, with a student body reported at 31 nationalities and an average IB Diploma score of 36 points in 2021. The school is governed independently, operates at cost, and does not raise equity funding.

ISR's product set is anchored on the three IB programmes, layered with a suite of support and enrichment modules: EAL (English as an Additional Language) support, German language classes, full-time student guidance and university counselling, before- and after-school care, and a regional shuttle bus service connecting Buchs to St. Gallen, with a planned Chur route from August 2026. Core technology is commodity education SaaS — Google Workspace for Education (including a Google Sites-based MyISR community portal), ManageBac for parent communication, SchoolBase for admissions, and Mailchimp for job alerts — with no proprietary AI or learning platform. Operationally, ISR moved in August 2023 into a new three-story, sustainable wooden campus designed by Kämpfen Zinke + Partner, featuring 40+ classrooms, three laboratories, a double gymnasium, a 1,000 m² photovoltaic rooftop, and dedicated art and music facilities; the project was enabled by a major Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein donation.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from recurring annual tuition fees that scale by grade level from CHF 17,940 (Kindergarten) to CHF 35,290 (DP), with minor supplemental streams from after-school care, optional shuttle fees, branded merchandise (whose proceeds fund scholarships), and donations from the Hilti Foundation and community contributors supporting an Academic Scholarship Programme covering up to two local students per year for Grades 10–12. GTM is direct-to-consumer: families are acquired via the website, year-round campus tours and open days, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn), alumni and Parents Teacher Group referrals, and corporate partnerships with regional employers (notably Hilti) to support relocating expatriate families. Headcount stands at 58 employees.

Name

International School Rheintal

Legal name

International School Rheintal

Website

https://isr.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

International School Rheintal is a not-for-profit IB World School in Buchs, Switzerland, offering the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) in English to roughly 250–400 students aged 3–19 from families in the Switzerland-Liechtenstein-Austria tri-border region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private International K-12 Education (IB World School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK)

Keywords

• International baccalaureate education
• Private school tuition
• K-12 English instruction
• University preparatory schooling
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Buchs

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: ISR is a non-profit school where tuition fees are the primary revenue source. Tuition varies by grade level (Kindergarten through Diploma Programme) and is used entirely to provide education and support services. The school also generates minor revenue through an optional branded merchandise online shop.
2. Donations and Scholarships: ISR receives donations through its Academic Scholarship Programme, with funds from Hilti Foundation, other foundations, and community contributions. Donations support up to two students per year with full or partial scholarships covering tuition, examination fees, IT equipment, and extracurricular activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International School Rheintal is a not-for-profit IB World School delivering the full International Baccalaureate continuum — Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) — in English to students aged 3–19 at its Buchs, Switzerland campus. Core offerings are supplemented by EAL and German language support, full-time student guidance counselling, pre- and after-school care, regional shuttle bus transport, and enrichment programmes including Model United Nations and the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

Product overview

International School Rheintal (ISR) is a not-for-profit IB World School offering a full continuum of three International Baccalaureate programmes — the Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 3–12), Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11–16), and Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16–19) — delivered in English at its campus in Buchs, Switzerland. The IB programmes are supplemented by a suite of modular support services: EAL language support, German language instruction, full-time student guidance counselling, before/after-school care, and a shuttle bus service connecting Chur and St. Gallen. Enrichment is delivered through a rotating activities programme, Model United Nations (MUN), and the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. ISR further operates a MyISR online portal (Google sign-in), an admissions portal via SchoolBase, a parent communication platform via ManageBac, and an online merchandise shop whose proceeds fund an Academic Scholarship Programme for local students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) ISR's IB Primary Years Programme serves children aged 3–12 (including Kindergarten) through an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework centred on student agency and holistic development, delivered at the ISR campus in Buchs.
• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) ISR's IB Middle Years Programme is a four-year programme spanning Grades 6–10 for students aged 11–16, encouraging practical connections between studies and the real world and serving as preparation for the IB Diploma Programme.
• IB Diploma Programme (DP) ISR's IB Diploma Programme is a two-year, externally assessed pre-university programme for students aged 16–19, regarded as one of the world's leading curriculums and a recognised pathway to global higher education.
• Pre- and After-School Care ISR offers pre-school care (PSC) from 08:00–08:30 and after-school care (ASC) from 15:20–18:00 on weekdays. The ASC programme includes STEAM-linked creative activities, games, homework support, and a nutritious snack.
• ISR Shuttle Bus Service ISR operates dedicated shuttle buses connecting families across the region with its campus in Buchs, running daily from St. Gallen (via Rheineck and Kriessern) and from Chur (via Landquart, Maienfeld, and Trübbach, from August 2026).
• ISR Academic Scholarship Programme ISR offers a financial scholarship programme providing full or partial tuition support for up to two academically-minded local students per year, covering Grades 10–12 (three years). Funded by the Hilti Foundation and community donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 points average IB Diploma score (2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kämpfen Zinke + PartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZurich-based architecture firm that designed the new ISR campus building completed in 2023. The sustainable wooden building was planned by this firm.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International School of Schaffhausen: Small, English-medium international school in northern Switzerland offering a similar IB-focused, non-boarding day-school model. Closely comparable in scale, tri-border regional positioning, and target expat family segment to ISR.
• Brillantmont International School: Historic Lausanne-based boarding and day school offering IGCSE/IB tracks to international students aged 13+. Comparable in IB offering and English-medium delivery but broader in scope because of boarding.
• Haut-Lac International Bilingual School: Day and boarding international school near Vevey offering IB and bilingual tracks from early years through diploma. Comparable in program breadth (IB continuum), language support, and expat-family focus, though it overlaps in boarding capacity.
• International School of Zug and Luzern: English-medium IB World School in central Switzerland serving the Zug/Lucerne corporate corridor. Comparable in IB continuum offering, expat-family pipeline via multinational employers, and tuition-driven non-profit model.
• St. George's International School: English-medium international day school in the Geneva area offering IB and IGCSE tracks. Comparable in size, single-campus IB delivery, and target audience of international families.

Broad incumbents

• International School of Lausanne: Established IB World School on Lake Geneva offering the full IB continuum plus boarding. Comparable in curriculum and target market (international families), with broader scope and larger enrollment base than ISR.
• Zurich International School: One of the largest IB World Schools in Switzerland, with multiple campuses and a full PYP/MYP/DP continuum. Overlaps with ISR in IB delivery and expat-family focus, but operates at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.
• TASIS The American School in Switzerland: Long-established American/IB boarding and day school in Lugano with global enrollment. Comparable in IB diploma pathway and international student body, but larger, residential, and more globally positioned than ISR.
• Aiglon College: Swiss boarding school in Vaud offering IB Diploma alongside other curricula. Comparable in international student focus and IB pathway, with broader geographic reach thanks to its boarding model.
• Leysin American School: International boarding school in the Vaud Alps offering IB and American curricula. Comparable in English-medium international curriculum and global student body, with larger scale and boarding facilities ISR lacks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISRheintal
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISRheintal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/isrheintal
• Instagraminstagram.com/isrheintal
• TikToktiktok.com/@isrheintal

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about International School Rheintal