Education and science

What's new?

In focus

Scenarios for compulsory education – Teachers

Between 43 000 and 47 000 new primary teachers will have to be recruited by 2031

Educational institutions

In the academic year 2020/21, there were 10 300 schools in Switzerland, of which 1 400 were private. 59% of schools were located in urban communes, accounting for 63% of the population and 78% of pupils.

The main figures

Description of the infografic

People in education 2020/21, in thousands
• Compulsory education: 976,1
• Upper secondary level: 364,0
• Professional education: 62,0
• Higher education institutions 2021/22: 276,6

Teaching staff 2020/21, and higher education staff, in thousands
• Compulsory education: 102,6
• Higher education institutions: 101,1
• Upper secondary level: 35,1
• Colleges of higher education: 7,6

Diplomas 2021, in thousands
• Upper secondary level
    Vocational education and training: 66,1
    General education: 42,4
• Tertiary level
    Professional education: 29,1
    Higher education institutions
        -Bachelor: 34,1
          -Master: 21,2
          -Doctorate: 4,5

Educational expenditure 2019
• Educational public expenditure: CHF 40,0 bn
        Share of the gross domestic product: 5,5%

Research and development (R&D) 2019
• Expenditure on R&D, in Switzerland: 23 bn
         of which business enterprises: 68%
• R&D personnel in the business entreprises (full-time equivalents): 51 623

All publications on the topic Education and science