Schule Schloss Salem

Focus

Encouraging responsibility

Day fees 2026/2027

$29,300-$31,500

Boarding fees 2026/27

$59,700-$66,400

Term dates

• Term 1: 15 September 2025 to 12 December 2025
• Term 2: 6 January 2026 to 28 March 2026
• Term 3: 13 April 2026 to 22 July 2026

Ages

10-18

Pupil count

600

Spear’s Review

Founded in 1920 by educationalist Kurt Hahn, Schule Schloss Salem is a leading international day and boarding school in Germany. Hahn also helped develop world-renowned schools such as Gordonstoun as well as wilderness education programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Outward Bound, which are still an option for current students.

As part of an education that engages ‘head, heart and hand’, pupils at Schule Schloss Salem are obliged to offer their services to the local community, working with emergency services, for example, or caring for the elderly. 

By day, students work towards the German Abitur or the IB diploma; lessons are bilingual, taught in both English and German, with strong academic results. In the evenings, Salem students can choose from sports clubs, musical theatre and over 50 extracurricular activities to keep them engaged.

Academics

In 2025:

• Average IB score was 33.0 points 

Head teacher

Henrik Fass, headmaster of Schule Schloss Salem, took on his current role in 2023. He studied history and religious education in Cologne and Bonn, and in 2011 completed a master’s degree in religious education and youth work. His experience includes time at German and international boarding schools, and he was head at Salem’s sister school, Birklehof, for a decade. 

University and college destinations

Many of the school’s IB students look to continue their education at university. In 2025, students accepted places at prominent institutions such as Cambridge, St Andrews and Durham in the UK; NYU and Boston College in America; Maastricht in the Netherlands and Sciences Po in France. 

Admissions

The admissions process at Schule Schloss Salem includes submission of an application form, a placement test and a visit to the school grounds.

Accessibility

Zurich Airport: 1 hour

Location

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