TASIS Boarding School

Academics

Academics at TASIS are focused on challenging and inspiring students of all ages and abilities. Structured by the fundamental ideas expressed in the TASIS Mission Statement, students develop a passion for excellence, a respect and understanding of others, and the personal values of responsibility, civility, compassion, justice, and honesty. 

The content of our courses is strongly oriented toward the classical liberal arts tradition as it is expressed in the heritage of Western civilization and world cultures. In addition to the classroom experience, TASIS also makes great use of its location in the heart of Europe to visit many of the sites where this long-standing cultural heritage is displayed, and to bring to campus artists and speakers who can enhance and complement the curriculum.

In order to implement these goals, TASIS draws on the strengths of the Core Knowledge, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate programs. While English is the primary language of instruction, there is also a comprehensive English as an Additional Language (EAL) program in place throughout the curriculum. Fluent English-speaking students at all grade levels are required to study at least one modern language in addition to their native language. In Pre-Kindergarten through grade 8, all students are taught in a parallel English-language and Italian-language program. This strong emphasis on language acquisition continues through the IB Diploma Program, where TASIS teaches four primary A1 languages (English, Italian, German, and Russian) and supports a variety of self-taught languages.

TASIS students have consistently outperformed their peers in their pursuit of the IB Diploma, which opens doors to outstanding colleges and universities around the world. Diploma candidates have achieved pass rates of 97 percent or higher each year since 2016 and typically earn IB Bilingual Diplomas at a rate of around 50 percent.

Our dedicated University and College Counseling Office helps all students develop a detailed academic plan that aligns with their postsecondary goals. Over the past five years, our counselors have helped students gain acceptance to hundreds of universities all over the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Yale, Pennsylvania, Colombia, Cornell, Williams, Duke, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Bowdoin, and Middlebury.

Elementary School:

Founded in 1956 by international education pioneer M. Crist Fleming, TASIS The American School in Switzerland is the oldest American college-preparatory boarding school in Europe and is world-renowned for its ability to develop global citizens through education, travel, and service.

The TASIS Elementary School, which serves students in grades Pre-Kindergarten (starting at age 3) through 5, opened its doors as the first English-language elementary school in Ticino in the fall of 2005 and has remained the region’s premier independent school ever since. Since its inception, the Elementary School has grown from 43 students to a vibrant international community of 220 children representing more than 30 nations and speaking more than 20 languages as a mother tongue. 

Nestled on the Collina d’Oro (“Hill of Gold”) in Montagnola, a small village overlooking Lugano, TASIS’s beautiful campus is surrounded by the Swiss mountains above and Lake Lugano below. The Elementary School comprises five classroom buildings, two science laboratories, two dining halls, and two playgrounds, and students enjoy access to all that the main TASIS campus has to offer, including two gymnasiums and a large theater. 

Students in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first grade spend most of their time at the Early Childhood Center known as Al Focolare, which has its own kitchen facilities, playground space, art room, and library.

Middle School:

The TASIS Middle School is a passage from Elementary to High School. The academic curriculum includes English and Italian sections and an English as an Additional Language program. The Middle School also offers a comprehensive after-school program focusing on sports and enrichment activities, and students in grades 6–8 have the option of living in a dormitory on campus.

Our founder, M. Crist Fleming, believed that engagement with other cultures completes an academic education, an idea that TASIS continues to emphasize. Our dynamic global community of boarding and day students gives students the opportunity to make friends from around the world.

High School:

TASIS prepares high school students for university and life beyond with a challenging academic program that includes Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses and academic and service travel. Our students gain admission to and succeed in competitive colleges and universities around the world.

Our founder, M. Crist Fleming, believed that engagement with other cultures completes an academic education, an idea that TASIS continues to emphasize. The School's enviable location in southern Switzerland and at the crossroads of the Italian, German, and French-speaking worlds creates exceptional opportunities for travel and engagement with other cultures.

The High School is predominantly a boarding community and each year consists of students from approximately 60 countries who speak more than 30 languages as a mother tongue. This diverse global community fosters understanding and builds friendships with people from all over the world. For more than 60 years, TASIS graduates have found their TASIS experience among the most important in their lives.

International Baccalaureate

TASIS has been offering the IB Program since 1995. Students have the opportunity to achieve the full IB Diploma or take individual courses and exams.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Program® was established to provide an intellectually rigorous and academically demanding common curriculum for students in schools around the world: an "international passport" to higher education. Its strengths come from the best of many national educational systems. The IB is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum leading to examinations for students aged between 16 and 19. The general objectives of the IB are to provide students with a balanced education, to facilitate geographic and cultural mobility, and to promote international understanding through a shared academic experience.

Advanced Placement

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program offers qualified TASIS students the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting. Students who participate in the program can earn college credit based on their AP exam scores.

TASIS offers AP courses based on interest. Courses over the past few years have included Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics, Statistics, United States Government and Politics, and United States History. All students who take AP courses are encouraged to take the examinations in the subject, and many students choose to self-study for additional exams.

More than 90 percent of US colleges and universities give credit to AP students, and half of these institutions offer sophomore standing to students with a sufficient number of qualifying grades. AP exam scores are used as admissions criteria for many institutions outside the US. AP language examinations are also often accepted as sufficient proof of required English language fluency.

2022 University Destinations

With help from an outstanding faculty and first-rate College Counseling Office, all TASIS students who plan to attend university have successfully found a new home for next year. As of May 31, the 102 students in the Class of 2022 have received 259 offers of admission to 157 universities in 19 countries, and there will be more acceptance letters arriving in the coming weeks. 

The reputation of TASIS students remains strong, and they have been admitted to some of the most selective and well-known universities in the world, including Boston University, Columbia University, Duke University, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Georgetown University, Humanitas University (Medicine), IE University, King’s College London, Imperial College London, New York University, Purdue University, Queen Mary University of London, University College London, University of Lausanne (Medicine), University of Southern California, UCLA, the University of Toronto, Williams College, and Yale University.

In addition, the many talented artists in the Class of 2022 drew the attention of a number of renowned art schools around the world, earning offers from University of the Arts London, Parsons University, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and Ravensbourne University London. 

Tuition Fees Approximately

Boarding Fee (Middle School-High School):

95000CHF

Application Fee:

300CHF

Deposit Fee:

3000CHF

Graduation Fee (for seniors only):

350CHF