Upper secondary level

In 2022/23 almost 365 000 students attended an upper secondary level course. 58% were in vocational education and training and almost 30% in general education leading to an academic Baccalaureate, an upper secondary specialised school certificate or a specialised Baccalaureate. The remaining students were following a post-apprenticeship vocational Baccalaureate course (MP2), or a transitional or complementary course.

Upper secondary level students: change since 2005/06

	2005/06	2010/11	2015/16	2020/21	2022/23
Total	324 703	358 741	365 312	364 036	364 992
Female (%)	47.5	47.8	47.8	47.6	47.8
Foreign (%)	15.6	17.8	20.9	23.7	24.8
Transitional education low - upper sec.	16 095	17 148	17 692	16 975	17 410
Female (%)	56.0	54.7	48.6	47.7	47.0
Foreign (%)	32.0	37.6	48.5	51.9	54.6
Vocational education and training VET1	213 174	228 717	226 822	215 648	212 925
Female (%)	41.7	42.0	41.8	40.6	40.8
Foreign (%)	15.7	16.9	19.6	23.3	24.1
Vocational baccalaureate2	5 288	7 572	9 496	11 109	10 387
Female (%)	44.8	47.6	48.7	50.7	52.7
Foreign (%)	10.1	7.7	9.6	10.7	12.0
General education	82 119	92 087	96 840	104 484	108 049
Female (%)	60.0	58.8	59.5	59.8	59.1
Foreign (%)	12.6	17.7	20.2	21.7	22.9
Complementary education on upper secondary level	8 027	13 217	14 462	15 820	16 221
Female (%)	57.2	60.6	60.6	60.9	60.9
Foreign (%)	14.3	15.8	18.1	20.9	21.9

1 Including preparation for federal vocational baccalaureate integrated in vocational
education and training (FBV1)
2 Federal vocational baccalaureate after vocational education and training (FVB2) Source: FSO – Statistics on pupils and students (SDL)
Data as of: February 2024

Upper secondary level is made up of two major axes. Firstly, there is vocational education and training (VET) which leads to the award of a Federal VET Diploma or a Federal VET Certificate. Secondly, there is general education which covers programmes leading to the Baccalaureate (academic, vocational, specialised) as well as courses of study in an upper secondary specialised school. Transitional and supplementary courses complete the offer at upper secondary level.

The numbers of students in upper secondary level rose by 12% between 2005/06 and 2022/23. Their distribution among the different types of training or education has remained fairly stable throughout this period (almost two-thirds in vocational education and training, just over a quarter in general education programmes and the remaining percentage divided between the MP2 and transitional or complementary courses.

The education and training landscape at upper secondary level varies depending on the canton For the two types of education and training mostly chosen by young people, the proportion of students enrolled in vocational education and training varies between 30% (GE) and 77% (UR) of the total number of upper secondary level students, whereas the proportion of students in general education ranges between 13% (UR) and 57% (GE).

Related topics

Diploma - Upper secondary education

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