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Switzerland
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Switzerland
Overview of the education system (EAG 2014 and EAG 2015 Interim Report)
  • More than 65% of students in upper secondary education are enrolled in pre-vocational or vocational programmes, compared with an average of only 44% across OECD countries. About 93% of those who choose vocational programmes are enrolled in joint school- and work-based programmes, in contrast with the tendency across other OECD countries to provide only school-based upper secondary vocational education.
  • Only 31% of Swiss youth are expected to graduate from university (tertiary-type A) programmes compared with the OECD average of 39% , one of the smallest proportions among OECD countries, while 14% are expected to graduate from vocationally oriented tertiary (tertiary-type B) programmes, above the OECD average of 11%.
  • Annual spending per student in Switzerland is among the highest observed across OECD and EU21 countries with data available. Based on data from public institutions only, Switzerland spends an average of USD 16 090 per student, compared with the OECD average of USD 9 487 and the EU21 average of USD 9 531. Spending per secondary student (USD 15 891) and per tertiary student (USD 10 017, excluding research and development) are higher than the OECD averages of USD 9 280 and USD 9 635, respectively.
  • International students make up 16% of all tertiary students in Switzerland ; only Australia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom have larger proportions of international students.
  • Teachers' salaries in Switzerland are among the highest of all OECD countries. After 10 years of experience, primary teachers' salaries average USD 61 279, double the average salary (USD 36 846) of their peers across OECD countries. On average, upper secondary teachers in Switzerland earn USD 80 956 after 10 years of experience, compared with the OECD average salary of USD 40 686.
    • | Education at a Glance 2014 | Country Note EAG 2014 | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2014 | Glossary for Education at a Glance | Schweizerische Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektoren/Conférence suisse des directeurs cantonaux de l'instruction publique/Conferenza svizzera dei direttori cantonali della pubblica educazione (Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education) | Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation/Secrétariat d'Etat à la formation, à la recherche et à l'innovation/Segreteria di Stato per la formazione, la ricerca e l'innovazione (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) | Statistik Schweiz/Statistique suisse/Statistica svizzera (Swiss Statistics) |
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Educational outcomes

    The level of upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (86.3 %, rank 10/42 ) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.9 %, rank 9/36 ) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.7 %, rank 26/35 ) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.8 %, rank 28/36 ) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.5 %, rank 9/36 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (43.8 %, rank 7/37 ) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained only lower secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28.7 %, rank 19/26 ) Download Indicator

    The share of women expected to graduate from tertiary-type A (academic) programmes during their life time is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.6 %, rank 20/26 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage today's young people expected to graduate from tertiary-type A (academic) programmes in Switzerland ranks as one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.6 %, rank 20/27 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 20-29 year-olds in education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.9 %, rank 19/27 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-19 year-olds in education in Switzerland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (83.5 %, rank 9/30 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational or pre-vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (65.2 %, rank 8/41 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.3 %, rank 37/37 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.1 %, rank 36/38 ) Download Indicator

    The average age of entry into tertiary-type A (academic) programmes in Switzerland is comparatively old. (23.8 Years, rank 10/34 ) Download Indicator

    The average age of entry into tertiary-type B (vocational) programmes in Switzerland is comparatively old. (28.3 Years, rank 7/28 ) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland the percentage of young people expected to enter tertiary-type A (academic) programmes during their lifetimes is comparatively low. (44.4 %, rank 29/38 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of all tertiary students in Switzerland who are international students is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.5 %, rank 4/38 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.3 %, rank 8/21 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in independent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 %, rank 23/32 ) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    The proportion of female graduates who studied engineering, manufacturing and construction in tertiary-type A (academic) programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (19.2 %, rank 37/39 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female graduates who studied sciences in tertiary-type A (academic) programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (35.4 %, rank 35/39 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female graduates who studied life sciences in tertiary-type A programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (52.4 %, rank 35/38 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female graduates who studied physical sciences in tertiary-type A programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (35.2 %, rank 35/38 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female graduates who studied mathematics and statistics in tertiary-type A programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (28.9 %, rank 38/38 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female graduates who studied computing in tertiary-type A programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (8.6 %, rank 38/38 ) Download Indicator

    Resources for education

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22882 USD Equivalent, rank 3/37 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student from primary to tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16090 USD Equivalent, rank 1/35 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per primary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12907 USD Equivalent, rank 2/38 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per secondary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15891 USD Equivalent, rank 2/38 ) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student, for core and ancillary services, from primary to below-tertiary institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14623 USD Equivalent, rank 2/39 ) Download Indicator

    The change in the share of private expenditure on education between 2000 and 2010 is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (97 Index, rank 24/29 ) Download Indicator

    The share of private expenditure on all levels of education below tertiary is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11.7 %, rank 10/36 ) Download Indicator

    In Switzerland, public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (15.7 %, rank 6/34 ) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The change between 2000 and 2011 in statutory salaries for primary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (100 Index, rank 19/27 ) Download Indicator

    The change between 2000 and 2011 in statutory salaries for lower secondary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (101 Index, rank 17/26 ) Download Indicator

    The change between 2000 and 2011 in statutory salaries for upper secondary teachers with 15 years of experience and minimum training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (100 Index, rank 16/25 ) Download Indicator

    The number of hours primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively large in Switzerland. (884 Hours, rank 5/22 ) Download Indicator

    The number of hours lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively large in Switzerland. (859 Hours, rank 4/22 ) Download Indicator

    The number of hours upper secondary teachers spend teaching general programmes in public institutions is comparatively large in Switzerland. (674 Hours, rank 6/21 ) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for teachers with minimum training in primary education are especially high. (48904 USD Equivalent, rank 3/34 ) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries at the top of scale with minimum training in primary schools are especially high. (75575 USD Equivalent, rank 3/33 ) Download Indicator

    Economic and social outcomes

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (89.1 %, rank 4/36 ) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (69 %, rank 3/35 ) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (81.9 %, rank 3/36 ) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively high. (92.9 %, rank 2/36 ) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively high. (83.8 %, rank 7/36 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (4.8 %, rank 34/35 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (4 %, rank 29/35 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (8.2 %, rank 27/35 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.6 %, rank 34/36 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (3 %, rank 29/36 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (7.5 %, rank 27/35 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.5 %, rank 33/35 ) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is comparatively low. (3.4 %, rank 28/36 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 15-19 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (4.7 %, rank 24/33 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 20-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (10.2 %, rank 30/33 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-29 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (11.3 %, rank 30/33 ) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 15-29 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Switzerland. (9 %, rank 30/33 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-29 year-old men who are not in education, are unemployed and are not in the labour force in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.7 %, rank 26/33 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-29 year-old women who are not in education, are unemployed and are not in the labour force in Switzerland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.3 %, rank 31/33 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-29 year-olds without an upper secondary degree who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively low in Switzerland. (7.7 %, rank 32/34 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-29 year-olds with an upper secondary or post-secondary degree who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively low in Switzerland. (10.5 %, rank 26/33 ) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 15-29 year-olds with a tertiary degree who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively low in Switzerland. (7.7 %, rank 26/33 ) Download Indicator


    General findings
    • Across almost all OECD countries, upper secondary attainment is the norm. About 75% of adults aged 25-64 have attained at least upper secondary education; among 25-34 year-olds, about 82% have.
    • In some OECD countries, younger adults have higher tertiary attainment rates than older adults by an average of more than 20 percentage points.
    • More than 40% of 25-34 year-olds in most OECD and partner countries have tertiary education, but this proportion of tertiary-educated 55-64 year-olds is seen only in Canada, Israel, the Russian Federation and the United States.
    | Education policies: Attainment | OECD Better Life Index |
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    • Access to education for 5-14 year-olds is universal in all OECD and most partner countries with available data.
    • More than three-quarters of 4-year-olds (84%) are enrolled in early childhood education and primary education across OECD countries.
    • In 2012, enrolment rates among 15-19 year-olds were greater than 75% in 34 of the 40 OECD and partner countries with available data.
    • More than 20% of 20-29 year-olds in all OECD countries, except Luxembourg, Mexico and the United Kingdom, participated in education in 2012.
    • In 2012, 72% of students in tertiary-type A education attended public institutions, 14% attended government-dependent private institutions, and 14% attended independent private institutions.
    • Under 2012 enrolment conditions, a 5-year-old in an OECD country can expect to participate in more than 17 years of full-time and part-time education, on average, before reaching the age of 40.
    • Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States together receive more than 50% of all foreign students worldwide.
    • International students represent 10% or more of the enrolments in tertiary education in Australia, Austria, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
    • Across countries, more than 50% of adults participate in formal and/or non-formal education.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation |
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    • In 2011, OECD countries spent an average of 6.1% of their GDP on educational institutions; seven countries (Argentina, Denmark, Iceland, Israel, Korea, New Zealand and Norway) spent more than 7%.
    • On average, OECD countries spend USD 9 487 per student per year from primary through tertiary education: USD 8 296 per primary student, USD 9 280 per secondary student, and USD 13 958 per tertiary student.
    • Education accounts for 12.9% of total public spending, on average across OECD countries, ranging from less than 10% in Hungary, Italy and Japan, to more than 20% in Indonesia, Mexico and New Zealand.
    • Nearly 92% of the funds for primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary educational institutions come from public sources, on average in OECD countries; only in Chile and Colombia is this share less than 80%. Tertiary institutions and, to a lesser extent, pre-primary institutions obtain the largest proportions of funds from private sources: 31% and 19%, respectively.
    | Education policies: Finance and funding | PISA in Focus: Does money buy strong performance in PISA? | Education Indicators in Focus: Which factors determine the level of expenditure on teaching staff? |
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    • The ratio of students to teaching staff varies across OECD countries and levels of education. At the primary level, there were more than 15 students for every teacher on average in OECD countries in 2012. In most countries, the student-teacher ratio decreases between primary and lower secondary school, despite an increase in class size. In 2012, there were, on average, about 13 students per teacher at the secondary level. At the tertiary level, there were, on average, about 14 students per teacher in OECD countries.
    • The number of teaching hours per teacher in public schools in 2012 averaged 782 hours per year in primary education, 694 hours in lower secondary education, and 655 hours in upper secondary education.
    • Teachers' statutory salaries vary widely across countries, but often increase with the level of education. In 2012, the statutory salaries of teachers with at least 15 years of experience averaged USD 37 350 at the pre-primary level, USD 39 024 at the primary level, USD 40 570 at the lower secondary level, and USD 42 861 at the upper secondary level. Between 2000 and 2012, teachers' salaries increased in real terms in most countries.
    • On average in OECD countries, pre-primary school teachers' salaries in 2012 amounted to 80% of full-time, full-year earnings of tertiary-educated adults working in different occupations. Primary school teachers' salaries amounted to 85% of that income, lower secondary school teachers' salaries amounted to 88% of that benchmark, and upper secondary school teachers' salaries amounted to 92% of those earnings.
    | Education policies: Teachers | Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) | International Summit on the Teaching Profession |
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    • In a majority of OECD countries, education now begins for most children well before they are 5 years old. More than three-quarters of 4-year-olds (84%) are enrolled in early childhood education and primary education across OECD countries; among OECD countries that are part of the European Union, 89% of 4-year-olds are.
    • In Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, more than 90% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education.
    • Publicly-funded pre-primary education tends to be more strongly developed in the European than in the non-European countries of the OECD. Private expenditure varies widely between countries, ranging from 5% or less in Belgium, Estonia, Latvia Luxembourg and Sweden, to 25% or more in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Colombia, Japan, Korea, Spain and the United States.
    • As a percentage of GDP, expenditure on pre-primary education accounts for an average of 0.6% of GDP. Differences between countries are significant. For example, while 0.1% of GDP is spent on pre-primary education in Australia, about 0.8% or more is spent in Chile, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Spain and the Russian Federation.
    • The pupil-teacher ratio, excluding non-teaching staff (e.g. teachers' aides), ranges from more than 20 pupils per teacher in Chile, France, Israel, Mexico and Turkey, to fewer than 10 in Estonia, Iceland, Indonesia, New Zealand, Slovenia and Sweden.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation | Education policies: Learning environment | Education policies: Teachers | Early Childhood Education and Care in OECD Countries | Starting Strong III |
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    • Tertiary-educated younger adults have higher unemployment rates than tertiary-educated older adults: about 8% and 4%, respectively.
    • Across OECD countries, compared with adults with upper secondary education who have income from employment, those without this qualification earn about 20% less, those with post-secondary non-tertiary education about 10% more, those with tertiary-type B (vocationally oriented) education about 30% more, and those with tertiary-type A (academically oriented) education or advanced research earn about 70% more.
    • Across OECD countries, a tertiary-educated woman earns about 75% of what a similarly educated man earns. Only in Belgium, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey do the earnings of tertiary-educated women amount to 80% or more of men's earnings. In Brazil, Chile and Hungary, women with a tertiary degree earn 65% or less of what tertiary-educated men earn.
    | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | OECD Better Life Index | OECD Employment Outlook | OECD Skills Strategy |
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    • The proportion of young people neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) includes those who are unemployed or inactive. The latter group is particularly important as it includes discouraged young people who gave up looking for a job.
    • In 2013, on average across OECD countries, 15% of 15-29 year-olds were neither employed nor in education or training (NEET) (7% unemployed and 8% inactive), as were 7% of 15-19 year-olds, and 20% of 25-29 year-olds (9% unemployed and 11% inactive).
    • For all levels of education combined, in Colombia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Turkey, more than 20% of 15-29 year-olds are NEET. In Spain, 20% of 15-29 year-olds are unemployed NEET youth and 7% are inactive. In Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Turkey the reverse pattern is seen: around 15% of NEET youth are inactive while 6% or fewer are unemployed. In Austria, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, fewer than 10% of 15-29 year-olds were neither in education nor employed.
    • On average across OECD countries in 2013, 18% of 15-29 year-old women were NEET (6% unemployed and 12% inactive) as were 13% of 15-29 year-old men (8% unemployed and 5% inactive).
    | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | OECD Skills Strategy | Education Indicators in Focus: How difficult is it to move from school to work? | OECD Action Plan for Youth |
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    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website for each publication.
    All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS average. Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and Annex 3 of EAG for more details about the data collections.

    For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.