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Saint Charles International School

Switzerland, Basel

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Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in English, French, German
Fees CHF 15,300 - 74,500
Ages 8 - 20 years
Pupil numbers 259
Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 1897
Bus Service Yes
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum Swiss Curriculum, IB (MYP), IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages French, German, English, Mandarin, Italian, Latin
Typical class size 15
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, STEM
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Primary School, Secondary School
Introduction

Saint-Charles International School is a day and boarding school founded in 1897. It offers Swiss Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, with two pathways: the Swiss Programme (primary through maturité) and the IB Diploma Programme (in English). The school is recognised by the Swiss Confederation and authorised to prepare students for maturité examinations. Instruction in the Swiss Programme is multilingual (French, English, German), with Primary taught in English and French and the Middle School in English, French and German; the IB Programme is taught in English with ESL support. Immersion language teaching introduces English and German from early years through language islands, enabling bilingual Matura or IB Diploma. The campus features a swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, music rooms and a cinema; on-campus dining includes vegetarian options. Boarding from age 10; off-campus partnerships support equestrian training and sports. The school educates around 250 students and has 8,000+ alumni worldwide.

www.saint-charles.ch

Rte de Belfort 10, 2900 Porrentruy, Switzerland

Vibes and Culture
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The Essentials

Saint Charles International School has 259 pupils, typical class sizes of 15, instruction in English, French, German.

Location
Saint-Charles International School is in Porrentruy, Jura, Switzerland at Rue du 24-Septembre 1, 2900 Porrentruy. The campus is less than two hours from Zürich and about one hour from Basel, and is easy to reach by car or train. From Zürich Airport, trains to Zürich Main Station and then to Porrentruy take about 2 to 2.5 hours; from Basel Airport, direct trains to Porrentruy take just over an hour. On arrival in Porrentruy, the campus is minutes away from the train station, with a six-minute walk for travelers without luggage.

Stages
Swiss Programme from primary through middle school and high school (Maturité), with instruction in French, English, and German.

Type
The school is private and offers day schooling and boarding; boarding is available for students from age 10.

Country affiliation
Recognised by the Swiss Confederation and authorised to prepare students for the Maturité exams.

Religious affiliation
Christian; founded with Christian roots and supported by the Diocese of Basel.

School day structure
The day includes standard classroom instruction with after-school Devoirs accompagnés (supervised study) available for students after class.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at Saint Charles International School ranges from CHF 15,300 to CHF 74,500 for 2026/27.

Admission & Application Fees:

- Day students (day-school admission): CHF 500 (one-time, non-refundable).
- Boarding students (boarding admission): CHF 3,000 (one-time, non-refundable).

Tuition fees (annual and per-term / per-semester equivalents):

Note: Tuition is quoted as an annual amount. Billing may be processed by semester on request; where a per-term amount is shown below it is the annual figure divided by two (per-semester).

- Primary School (Swiss curriculum):
- Annual: CHF 6'600 (families in the Canton of Jura) / CHF 14'400 (outside the canton).
- Per semester (billing-by-semester equivalent): CHF 3'300 / CHF 7'200.

- Middle School (Collège, Swiss curriculum):
- Annual: CHF 7'200 (Jura) / CHF 18'000 (outside the canton).
- Per semester: CHF 3'600 / CHF 9'000.

- Swiss Lycée – Maturité (French):
- Annual: CHF 9'600 (Jura) / CHF 20'400 (outside the canton).
- Per semester: CHF 4'800 / CHF 10'200.

- Bilingual Lycée (English–French) – Maturité:
- Annual: CHF 12'000 (Jura) / CHF 24'000 (outside the canton).
- Per semester: CHF 6'000 / CHF 12'000.

- International Section (IB MYP and DP):
- IB MYP 3: Annual CHF 20'000 (Jura) / CHF 23'000 (outside). Per semester: CHF 10'000 / CHF 11'500.
- IB MYP 4: Annual CHF 22'000 (Jura) / CHF 33'000 (outside). Per semester: CHF 11'000 / CHF 16'500.
- IB MYP 5: Annual CHF 22'000 (Jura) / CHF 33'000 (outside). Per semester: CHF 11'000 / CHF 16'500.
- IB Diploma Programme (DP): Annual CHF 25'000 (Jura) / CHF 33'000 (outside). Per semester: CHF 12'500 / CHF 16'500.

Boarding fees (packages, inclusions and exclusions):

- 5-day boarding package (board and school week activities): CHF 32'700 per year. Included elements listed for the package: full board during the week, the boarding programme, supervised homework, on-site extracurricular activities, day trips, certain sports outfit items, and some cultural/outings; certain items are excluded (residence permit fees, books and school supplies in some circumstances, certain exam and activity costs, travel, pocket money, occasional laundry, airport transfers and some camps/trips).

- 7-day boarding package (full weekly boarding including weekends): CHF 47'000 per year. The 7-day package includes weekend activities, laundry and additional weekend services; a number of items remain excluded (travel, some lessons/activities charged separately, pocket money, airport transfers, certain exam fees and specialist activities).

- Day-board / lunch options (annual lunch plans):
- 1 lunch per week: CHF 390 (annual). 2 lunches: CHF 780. 3 lunches: CHF 1'170. 4 lunches: CHF 1'560. 5 lunches: CHF 1'950.

Other recurring fees and one-off academic/exam charges:

- General / annual fees (covers textbooks, school supplies, school outings, ski/green camp, graduation trips and administrative costs): billed in two instalments (at the start of the school year and at the start of the second semester). Amounts vary by programme:
- Primary: CHF 1'000 per year.
- Middle School (Collège): CHF 1'500 per year.
- Swiss Lycée / Bilingual Lycée: CHF 1'500 per year.
- International Section MYP levels: CHF 1'500 per year.
- IB DP (final years): CHF 2'500 per year.

- Support / tutoring and extra academic services (examples):
- Private 45-minute lessons: CHF 100 per lesson.
- Semi-private (max 3 students) 45-minute: CHF 60 per lesson.
- Group (4+ students) 45-minute: CHF 30 per lesson.
- Language-exam preparation courses: approx. CHF 1'000 per semester (charged when organised).
- Language examination fees: generally between CHF 400 and CHF 750.
- IB DP examination fees: CHF 2'980.

- Extras commonly excluded from package fees and billed separately: specialist lessons (horse riding, music, golf, aviation), certain travel and airport transfers, replacement of lost/damaged books or licences, some medical or insurance costs beyond those listed, pocket money and occasional laundry/dry-cleaning.

Billing schedule and payment terms:

- Invoices are issued in advance and are payable within the stated payment term; billing may be processed by semester on request. Payments are to be made in Swiss francs (CHF). Payments in cash are not accepted. Late payments incur interest at 1% per month; administrative reminder fees apply (typical reminder fees: CHF 20 / CHF 50 / CHF 100 for successive reminders). No place reservation is processed before payment of the registration/admission fee; students may not attend classes until invoices are paid.

Cancellation, refunds and contractual penalties:

- For new applicants: if registration is cancelled before 30 June, a cancellation fee equal to two months of tuition (and boarding, where applicable) is charged; if cancelled after 30 June a cancellation fee equal to three months of tuition (and boarding where applicable) is charged.

- For current students: withdrawal before the end of the school year makes all expenses for the current trimester and the following one payable. Unless written notice is given by parents before the specified deadline for re-registration (28 February), students are automatically entered for the following school year; cancelling after that date creates a financial obligation (example: tuition for the first three months may be payable as compensation).

Uniform / clothing and included clothing items:

- No separate general uniform fee is listed. For boarding students a sports outfit (t-shirts, leggings or jogging pants) is listed among included items in the boarding packages; additional specialist sports or activity clothing or equipment may be charged separately.

Fee payment options:

- The school accepts international payments via Flywire (enables bank transfers and local payment methods in many currencies) and invoices are payable by bank transfer. Payments in cash are not accepted. Specific payment instructions and the school's Flywire payment portal are used for international transactions.

Summary of the key amounts at a glance (examples):

- Admission fee (day): CHF 500; Admission fee (boarding): CHF 3'000.
- Typical annual tuition (examples, Jura / outside canton): Primary CHF 6'600 / 14'400; Middle CHF 7'200 / 18'000; Swiss Lycée CHF 9'600 / 20'400; Bilingual Lycée CHF 12'000 / 24'000; IB MYP/DP ranges CHF 20'000–25'000 (Jura) and up to CHF 33'000 (outside). Per-semester equivalents are half the annual amounts.

(End of fees overview.)
Academics

Saint Charles International School teaches Swiss Curriculum, IB (MYP), IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 8 to 20.

Curriculum
Saint-Charles offers two curriculum pathways: the Swiss Programme and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. The Swiss Programme covers primary through maturité and uses instruction in French, English and German; Primary is taught in English and French, and the Middle School is multilingual in English, French and German. The Swiss Maturité is bilingual French-English and is recognised by the Swiss Confederation, with the school authorised to prepare students for maturité examinations. The IB Programme is taught in English, offering the Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme, with English as the language of instruction for all subjects and ESL support available. Immersion language teaching introduces English and German from early years through 'language islands' where other subjects are taught in additional languages, laying the foundation for bilingual Matura or the IB Diploma Programme.

Exam Results
IB Diploma Programme class of 2025 results: 17% entering a top 25 institution; 1 in 3 graduates joined a top 100 university; 30% were recognised for excellence in their subject areas.

Higher Education Progression
University preparation and guidance are core at Saint-Charles. A dedicated University Support Team helps identify universities and coordinate applications, with university talks and fairs accessible to students. From the Middle Years Programme, students take part in regular guidance lessons and receive tailored advice on IBDP subject selection in MYP5; in the Diploma Programme, guidance becomes more personalised with one-to-one meetings and university representation is facilitated by the school, supported by a University Library.
Wellbeing
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Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
Three steps are required for enrolment: schedule an appointment with the school headmistress; during an interview, all aspects of the curriculum and admissions are discussed, with the child present. The parents complete the enrolment application and send it to the secretariat and pay the enrolment fee, after which enrolment is confirmed. For primary school, motivation to learn in a multilingual environment is sought; for secondary school, candidates must pass entrance tests in French, Math, and German. Saint-Charles offers two high school streams, one in French and one bilingual French-English, both recognised by Swiss educational authorities. Appointments can be booked online or by contacting the school secretary. The admission process includes providing documents (school reports for the last two years, a letter of recommendation, and a color scan of the passport), an interview and admissions testing, and language assessments (IB Diploma: English Proficiency; Swiss Matura: English and French Proficiency) plus a Maths assessment. The Head of Admissions reviews applications and responds in roughly 10 days. Possible outcomes are admittance with a welcome package and visa procedures; provisional acceptance after a language-study period; waitlist; or non-acceptance.

Scholarships
A scholarship fund for Jura-based students exists and allows residents of the canton to attend Saint-Charles. The school administration is available to answer questions in complete confidentiality.

Waitlist
Waitlist: if there is no space in the desired program, a place on the waitlist may be offered until space becomes available.
School Events
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