Private school Leysin American School

Leysin American School in Switzerland

Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS), founded by Siegfried and Fred C. Ott in 1960, is a coeducational boarding school for students in grades 7 through 12 (ages 12 to 18). The school is located in the French-speaking part of the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 1263 m, near Lake Geneva in the resort of the same name Leysin.

Leysin is one of the most beautiful alpine resorts in Switzerland, it is located 90 minutes from Geneva airport and only 18 kilometers from the famous Montreux. This is an ideal location for a private school, quiet and peaceful. At the same time, cities such as Geneva, Lausanne, Bern, Basel are very close. This is a real sunny region, the sun shines here almost all year round. All this provides excellent opportunities for active sports or simply enjoying the famous sunbathing in Leysin. There is snow here until May, so students do a lot of skiing and snowboarding. All windows offer magnificent views of the Alps, the rooms are literally flooded with light.

LAS has an excellent tradition of international education. The school looks confidently into the future. While much has changed since the early sixties, the core ideals of LAS have remained the same, formulated by the school's founders: to strive to be the best in international education.

Boys and girls from 50 countries study at the school. Today, the number of American students is 12%, which provides additional opportunities for children of other nationalities to communicate with native English speakers. The rest of the student body consists of numerous nationalities from all over the world.

About 340 students study at the school. The school principal says Leysin – for ambitious and independent students striving to achieve high results. The main task of the school – to enable each student to maximize their abilities and realize their personal potential. Training is conducted in small classes, which allows teachers to give maximum attention to each student. 

Director (for 2026)

Mark Frederick-Ott, education – University of St. Gallen, Switzerland – Higher School of Economics, Law and Social Sciences, Master of Arts, certified teacher of business and economics. Teachers College, Columbia University, USA, Doctor of Education, head of a private school.

Key factors

• The school is located within walking distance from the town center, where there are shops, restaurants, cafes, sports centers and a cinema hall, where you can always watch a film in English.
• Most students go to American universities. Many are included in the top eight leading US universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc. LAS is an ideal option for preparing a child for admission to American universities.
• Students also enter leading universities in the UK, Switzerland and other countries. The school employs 3 consultants from universities, so the process of selecting and completing documents is as simplified as possible. 
• After graduating from Leysin American School, students receive an American high school diploma or IB (International Baccalaureate). 
• Small classes: 10 students on average.
• Teacher to student ratio - 1:4.

Equipment

The school has excellent equipment: a computer room, a huge library, art and music studios. Classrooms are equipped with audio and video equipment. Students have access to a cafe, a gym with exercise equipment, a gym and a cinema where films are shown in English, as well as shops on the school grounds.

Program

• International Baccalaureate (IB) (international diploma)
• Advanced Placement (AP) (American diploma)

International Baccalaureate (IB) is a pass to any university in the world. A program recognized by universities around the world. 6 subjects are studied: 3 at an advanced level and 3 at a standard level. In addition to this, students write an extended essay, take a course in “Theory of Knowledge” and (practical philosophyofiya) and the CAS course ("Creativity, activity and mutual assistance").

Advancement Placementis a program to prepare for entering university. Students study major subjects according to the university program for which they are preparing to enter, and based on the results of their study they pass exams. The AP program consists of courses by subject area. Students choose several subjects from the proposed areas for in-depth study. Subjects are studied at the first-year university level with academic credits (points) awarded based on exam results. As a rule, students take exams in three or more disciplines. 

AP exams are recognized by more than 3,000 universities and colleges in the United States. Recently, more and more universities around the world, including the UK, are admitting students based on the results of Advanced Placement exams.

Accommodation

The school has a caring and supportive family atmosphere. There are 6 houses for living here, boys and girls live separately. 2 people live in rooms. In every room – shower and toilet, as well as access to the loggia. The houses are fully equipped with the comforts of home, including a kitchen, common area and fully furnished rooms where students can live and study comfortably..  All residences are comfortable and most rooms have magnificent views of the Swiss Alps. Meals - full board.

Sport

Sport is a very important part of the curriculum. Children are busy playing sports almost every day. Sports at school: basketball, running, football, swimming, tennis, volleyball, skiing and snowboarding, alpine skiing, swimming.

Students engage in many sports in their free time for fun. Among them: badminton, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, rock climbing, crossfit training, dancing (ballet, classical, hip-hop, jazz), skating, golf, hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, mountaineering, skateboarding, tabletop tennis, trampoline, yoga.

Leysin – a famous ski resort with more than 60 kilometers of slopes. The ski program runs throughout the winter semester. Students get the opportunity to ski or snowboard in the afternoon every Tuesday and Thursday, and also regularly travel to world-class resorts such as Zermatt, Verbier, Saas-Fee. Children who are passionate about skiing and snowboarding can participate in school competitions cross-country skiing or freestyle skiing teams. The LAS Ski Team has helped develop some world class skiers. In 2021, a student from the school participated in the World Championships in Cortina, Italy.

Additional activities

Music and art classes are an important part of daily school activities. The school has its own jazz orchestra, choir, modern and classical dance class, theater and art studios. In addition to classes in music and art studios, the cultural and spiritual development of students is facilitated by regular visits to exhibitions, art galleries, festivals, concerts and performances, for which children are specially taken to Montreux, Lausanne or Geneva. 

The school has many interest clubs:

• Art studio
• Billiards and board games
• Creative writing
• Eco Club
• Economics Club
• Esports
• Event management
• Gardening
• Human Rights Club
• Knitting
• Model United Nations
• Rock school
• Student Council
• Creating a school yearbook

The school has a leadership development program. It was launched to give students the opportunity to hone their leadership skills and contribute to the communities in which they live. The Leysin school teaches children to serve society, they help the elderly, the poor, and carry out various social events. Children go to build houses in Hungary, Macedonia, Portugal, Poland and Romania.

The outdoor activities program offers weekend Alpine Club sessions and many other activitiesActivities including rock and ice climbing, hiking, mountaineering and more. The location in the Swiss Alps gives students a unique opportunity to enjoy nature without leaving school. 

The school has a program for young entrepreneurs, where students can take product ideas, business concepts or plans for social change and turn them into detailed business models. Students receive invaluable feedback from their peers and teachers and learn things like monitoring supply and demand and preparing their first invoice.

Travel plays a fundamental role in the school's mission to develop young global citizens. The school is ideally located in the heart of Europe and introduces students to the cultural and historical features of Switzerland and other countries. School excursions – it is an experience in which students discover traditions and languages ​​that are different from their own, and learn to better understand the world and their place in it.

Weekend trips to nearby locations are offered throughout the school year . Students can take part in organized trips to other countries, recent destinations have included: Zurich, The Hague, Bavaria, Monaco, Berlin, Florence, Rome, Venice, Croatia , Stockholm, Portugal.

Cost, 2026-2027

CHF 128,000 per year.

Included in price

• Training and laboratory practice
• Accommodation and meals

Additional charge

• Registration fee - CHF 500
• Deposit - CHF 10,000
• School fund - CHF 10,000
• Student's personal account - CHF 10,000
• Air travel
• Transfers to/from/airport
• Visa
• Educational company services

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