Vaud Allows Private Schools to Deliver the Cantonal Maturité — What It Means for Families

On 18 March 2026, the Grand Council of the Canton of Vaud voted 81 to 42 to amend the Loi sur l'enseignement secondaire supérieur (LESS), allowing recognized private schools to deliver cantonal Maturité certificates for the first time. This decision marks a historic shift in Swiss education policy and has profound implications for families choosing between public and private schooling.

Until now, students at private schools in Vaud could only obtain a Maturité by sitting for the federal Swiss Maturité examination — an entirely external process with anonymous examiners and no credit for yearly grades. That barrier has now been removed.

What Changed: Cantonal vs Federal Maturité

To appreciate why this vote matters, it is essential to understand the two paths to the Swiss Maturité — a diploma that guarantees examination-free admission to all Swiss universities, including ETH Zurich and EPFL.

The Cantonal Maturité (Gymnasiale Maturität)

• Administered by the school itself — teachers who know the students set and grade the examinations

• Yearly grades count — the final certificate reflects years of continuous assessment, not a single exam period

• Supervised by the cantonal authority — the state ensures quality through curriculum audits and inspections

• Used by approximately 95 % of all Maturité holders in Switzerland

The Federal Swiss Maturité (Examen suisse de maturité)

• Administered externally by the Swiss Maturité Commission under SEFRI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation)

• No credit for yearly work — the entire grade is based on final examinations alone

• Anonymous examiners — students are assessed by people who have never taught them

• Taken by only about 5 % of Maturité candidates — mostly private school students and adult learners

Both diplomas are legally equivalent and grant the same university access rights. The practical difference lies in the examination conditions: the cantonal route recognizes years of effort, while the federal route compresses everything into a single high-stakes session.

Why Vaud's Decision Is a Turning Point

With roughly 7 % of students in Vaud attending private schools, the impact is significant. The Association vaudoise des écoles privées (AVDEP) had long argued that forcing their students onto the federal-exam-only track created an unfair disadvantage — one that penalized children for their parents' choice of school, not for any lack of academic ability.

The vote addresses this inequity. Private schools that meet cantonal quality standards will now be able to:

1. Administer their own Maturité examinations under cantonal supervision

2. Issue cantonal Maturité certificates identical in status to those from public gymnasiums

3. Factor yearly grades into the final diploma — recognizing sustained effort over the full course of study

A cantonal regulation (règlement d'application) will define the precise quality criteria private schools must satisfy. The state retains full oversight of teaching standards and qualifications.

The Broader Swiss Context

Vaud is not acting in isolation. Several German-speaking cantons have permitted private schools to deliver the cantonal Matura for years, a fact cited by Vaud's Department of Education as evidence that the system works without compromising quality. Geneva led the way in French-speaking Switzerland, with schools such as École Moser and Institut Florimont having obtained cantonal recognition after years of audits and curriculum adaptations.

At the federal level, the MAR/MAV reform of August 2024 completely revised the Maturité recognition framework for the first time since 1995. The reform increases comparability of certificates across cantons and gives cantons more freedom in designing elective programs — creating a more level playing field between public and private providers.

What This Means for Families

If you are considering a private school in the Canton of Vaud — or anywhere in Switzerland — this decision changes the calculus in several important ways:

1. No More Examination Disadvantage

Private school students will no longer face the stress and unpredictability of an entirely external examination. Years of coursework, projects, and internal assessments will be reflected in the final diploma — just as they are for public school students.

2. Equal Recognition, Same Universities

A cantonal Maturité from a recognized private school in Vaud will carry exactly the same legal weight as one from a public gymnasium. It grants examination-free admission to all Swiss universities, including ETH Zurich, EPFL, and every cantonal university.

3. Quality Assurance Remains Strong

This is not a deregulation of education. Private schools must meet rigorous cantonal standards covering curriculum, teacher qualifications, and examination processes. The state will audit and inspect schools on an ongoing basis. Families can be confident that the quality bar remains high.

4. A Signal of Growing Equivalence

The vote sends a clear message: what matters is the quality of education, not whether it is delivered in a public or private setting. As more cantons adopt this approach, families gain the freedom to choose the school that best fits their child's needs without sacrificing certification outcomes.

Which Private Schools in Vaud Will Offer the Cantonal Maturité?

The implementing regulation has not yet been published, so the list of eligible schools is still to be confirmed. However, Vaud is home to some of Switzerland's most prestigious private institutions, many of which already offer the Swiss Matura track through the federal examination route. These schools are the most likely candidates for early cantonal recognition.

Browse private schools in Vaud on our platform to explore your options and contact schools directly about their Maturité programs.

Timeline and Next Steps

The Grand Council's vote amended the LESS on 18 March 2026. The cantonal government must now draft the implementing regulation, which will define:

• The criteria a private school must meet to be recognized

• Teacher qualification requirements

• Curriculum alignment standards

• The application and audit process for schools seeking recognition

• The state's ongoing inspection framework

No official timeline for the regulation has been announced. We will update this article as details emerge.

Further Reading

• IB Diploma vs Swiss Matura: Which Program Is Right for Your Child? — our detailed comparison of the two most popular curricula

• Why Choose a Swiss Private School — the full case for Swiss private education

• Explore Schools — browse and compare Swiss private schools across all regions

Sources

• RTS — Les écoles privées vaudoises autorisées à délivrer la maturité cantonale

• SWI swissinfo.ch — Les écoles privées pourront délivrer la maturité cantonale

• EDK — Neue Grundlagen für die gymnasiale Maturität (MAR/MAV 2024)

• SBFI — Schweizerische Maturitätsprüfung

Looking for a day school rather than a boarding place? Read Private Day Schools Around Lake Geneva: A Parent's Guide.