Leysin American School LAS

For families considering Switzerland’s finest schools, Leysin American School (LAS) offers something rare: the academic rigor of a world-class institution combined with the intimacy of a true family school.

Set 1,400 meters above the Rhone Valley in the French-speaking Alps, the campus is safe, beautiful, and distraction-free—yet Geneva, Paris, and Milan are all within easy reach. Students leave with mountain memories, lifelong friendships, and a genuinely global perspective.

Founded in 1961, LAS today brings together 280 students from over 50 countries, supported by a 1:4 faculty-to-student ratio, average class sizes of ten, and a 7,000-strong global alumni network.

The academic program is broad and personalized. In the Diploma Years, students choose between the International Baccalaureate and the US-aligned LAS Diploma. University advising begins in grade 10, and LAS graduates have received over $33 million in scholarships worldwide. With most faculty living on campus, academic support and mentorship extend well beyond the classroom.

Entrepreneurship is foundational at LAS. The Changemakers program, built with Babson College and the Savannah College of Art and Design, immerses students in real-world problem solving alongside actual companies — building the leadership and adaptability for the demands of today’s world.

Residential life reflects the same care. Live-in faculty oversee dormitories around the clock, and a “whole child” approach ensures every student is known and supported. Between skiing the Alps, exploring nearby cities, and returning each evening to a close-knit community, the rhythm of life at LAS reassures parents as much as it excites students.

Some schools educate. LAS shapes lives—with academic seriousness, genuine warmth, and an alpine setting unlike any other.