← Back to the rankingSigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL)
Sigtuna, Sweden · est. 1980 · Private
Illustration · Sigtuna
Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket (SSHL) is Sweden's largest and, in its own words, leading boarding school, a non-profit school run by the Sigtuna Skolstiftelse foundation. Its roots are two Sigtuna boarding schools of the 1920s, Sigtunastiftelsens Humanistiska Läroverk and Sigtunaskolan, which merged in 1980 ('förenades år 1980'). About 595 students attend, about 220 of them boarders and about 375 day students; students and teachers come from about 35 countries. The school runs the Swedish gymnasium in Swedish (Social Science, Natural Science and Business programmes; the Business programme is also offered bilingually in Swedish and English) and IB programmes in English: MYP 4-5 (grades 9 and 10), the Diploma Programme since 1981 and, since 2021, the Career-related Programme with an entrepreneurship pathway that includes BTEC International Level 3. About 200 students are taught fully or partly in English. 'De flesta av våra lärare har engelska som modersmål' (most of our DP teachers are native English speakers). The school has its own boarding system: a traditional option with some weekends at home, full boarding for all weekends, and weekly boarding. Among its alumni the school lists King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Olof Palme.
Key facts
Tuition
≈ $3 091–3 908 a year
31 000–39 200 SEK
Programmes
IB · MYP, DP, CP · Pearson Edexcel · BTEC · National programme
Languages of instruction
Swedish, English
Languages taught
French, Spanish
Students
about 595, of whom about 220 are boarders
Registration fee
≈ $498
5 000 SEK
About the fees Fees for 2026-2027, adjusted annually. The Swedish gymnasium is free for day students ('Svenska gymnasiet: Ingen avgift för dagelever'). All IB programmes carry an annual school fee for both day students and boarders: MYP4 31000 SEK per year, MYP5, DP and CP 39200 SEK per year; examination fees are charged separately in the last term of year 3. Boarding is charged separately, per year: for Swedish citizens and Swedes living abroad 361000 SEK for weekly boarding, 389000 SEK for traditional and 454000 SEK for full-time boarding; for foreign citizens and gap year students 474000, 504000 and 570000 SEK. Second and further children in boarding get a reduction of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% on the boarding fee. Invoices are issued twice a year, payable by 30 June for the autumn term and by 30 November for the spring term. School foundations offer scholarships towards part of the boarding fee for Swedish citizens and part of the IB fee.
Admissions Boarders apply directly to the school, independently of the Swedish admissions system, all year round; the admissions board decides up to the start of the school year in August; the application is not binding and is made in two steps. Day students apply to year 1 of the Swedish gymnasium through Greater Stockholm admissions (gymnasieantagningen.storsthlm.se) based on grades, with cut-off scores between 230 and 300; on its English page the school says this route is 'For Swedish citizens only'. Day students registered in Sweden apply to the preparatory IB MYP5 year through Greater Stockholm admissions as well; for MYP4, DP and CP day students contact the admissions office. There is no queue system for the IB programmes; applicants must meet criteria under Swedish school law, and students from non-English education systems may need a language test ('Students applying to IB programmes may be asked to pass a language test'). Foreign citizens are admitted as boarders at a separate rate; currently there are about 35 foreign citizens and about 80 children of Swedes living abroad at the school. Applicants can try boarding for a few days before applying.
Stages and year groups Grades 9-12 (IB MYP 4-5, IB DP, IB CP; gymnasieskola årskurs 1-3). Swedish gymnasieskola following the Swedish curriculum and leading to the gymnasieexamen: Samhällsvetenskapsprogrammet, Naturvetenskapsprogrammet, Ekonomiprogrammet (in Swedish or bilingually in Swedish and English, Business Management & Economics). IB in English: MYP 4 (equivalent to grade 9 of Swedish compulsory school) and MYP 5 (equivalent to the first year of gymnasium) with IB grades 1-7 and the Personal Project; then the two-year Diploma Programme (six subjects, three at Higher Level, TOK, the Extended Essay, CAS, exams at the end of the third year) or Career-related Programme (three DP subjects: Business Management, a Language A and one more, the CP core and BTEC International Level 3 in enterprise; graduates receive an IB certificate and a BTEC International Level 3 diploma). Students with sufficient preparation can start directly in DP or CP. There is no separate Swedish compulsory school: grade 9 is taught as IB MYP 4 in English.
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · MYP, DP, CP · authorised programmePearson · authorised programmeThe school is listed in the IB register and runs the Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programmes. Alongside runs a Swedish upper-secondary school; within the Career-related Programme the school itself teaches BTEC International Level 3.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: MYP (ages 11-16), DP (ages 16-19), CP (ages 16-19, with a vocational slant). MYP is the middle stage, ages 11 to 16. There are no exams here either; at the end an optional electronic assessment of pupils' work is possible. DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate. CP is the final stage with a vocational slant, ages 16 to 19: some of the DP subjects plus an applied qualification. It is meant for those heading into a trade or an applied degree rather than an academic one.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →PearsonPearson Edexcel, a British exam board
It gives a school approved centre status: that means Pearson exams can be sat in the school itself. What is checked is the premises, the equipment, the secure storage of papers and the presence of trained invigilators.
What the badge means for this school. The school can run Pearson exams on its own premises. The status says nothing about teaching, about results or about the school itself: any school able to run an exam securely holds it. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. Which Pearson qualifications this school is approved for is not stated here.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →BTEC
A British vocational qualification from Pearson: not an academic course with an exam at the end, but a programme of practical assignments in a particular trade, from engineering and business to art and sport.
What this means for this school. Teaching and assessment work differently from A-level: instead of written exams there is a run of practical assignments marked by the school, while Pearson checks the school itself and samples the work. British universities do accept BTEC, but not all of them and not for every course: level 3 carries the same UCAS points as A-level, and that is what a family aiming at a particular university should look at. For a child who needs the classic academic route, BTEC is not a replacement for A-level but a different path.
National programme
The state school programme of the country the school stands in: it is set by that country's ministry of education, which also licenses the school and awards the leaving certificate. That certificate is used for entry to local universities, and abroad it is matched to the local one.
What this means for this school. This entry does not count towards the score, and that is deliberate. Every lawful school in a country works to the national programme, so on its own it tells one school apart from no other - unlike the French, German or Russian programmes, which are carried abroad and confirmed by the register of their organisation. We show it because a parent needs to know what programme their child is taught and what certificate the child will get. Counting it would lift the whole ranking at once and still tell nobody apart.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
Average IB score
32 (world average 30.88)
Exam results IB Diploma 2025: average score 32, highest 41 points. Share of Swedish gymnasium graduates obtaining the gymnasieexamen: 2026 86,6% (national 82,6%), 2025 90,7%, 2024 89%, 2023 93,3%. Average final grade (out of 20): Natural Science programme 2026 16,83, 2025 16,3 versus 16,0 nationally; Business programme 2026 15,08, 2025 16,4 versus 14,7 nationally. The school says its grades have been above average for many years, especially in the Diploma Programme.
Where leavers go: University of Exeter · University of Warwick · University of Kent · University of Nottingham · King's College London · Durham University · Royal Holloway, University of London · University of Bath · University of Edinburgh · University of Manchester · SOAS University of London · University of Surrey
and others, 26 universities in the school's list in allMost graduates continue their studies, many at well-known universities around the world; in Sweden, according to the school, graduates go on to all universities and colleges ('Samtliga universitet och högskolor').
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
·Laboratoriesnot stated on the website
✓Theatre or assembly hall
✓Library
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
✓Boarding
Also on site: Sports ground or field · Art studio
Clubs and activities: Elevrådet (student council) · Kenyaprojektet (Kenya project) · Life-Link · Aktieföreningen Capital (investment club) · Arcu (parties and discos) · AV-klubben (audio and video) · Biljardsällskapet (billiards) · Debating Society · Design och teknikgruppen (design and technology) · Estetföreningen (arts and musical) · Fiskeföreningen (fishing) · Food group · Historieföreningen (history) · Hjärter Ess (equality and events) · SSHL IF (sports society) · Make a Kid Smile · Miljöföreningen (environment) · Musikföreningen (music) · The Peace Project · Schackklubben (chess) · Spread the Light · STELLAR · Teach Me · Think Tank · Yellow Boats of Hope · The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
Summer programme away from campus: . The school runs no camp of its own on campus
Every summer the school runs residential summer courses with accommodation, meals and leisure activities after lessons: an intensive Swedish course for children aged 7-12 who need to strengthen their Swedish as a mother tongue (in two sessions, through Svenska Distans), and a Swedish course for teenagers aged 12-16 at any level. Teaching is by qualified teachers; children come from many countries, and a scholarship is available for children of Swedes abroad.
Teaching staff from the school's official website
·Teachers listed by namenot published
✓Teacher qualifications
·Number of teachersthe school does not say
·Students per teacher or class sizenot stated
What the listings show: The school reports 100% qualified teachers (behöriga lärare); most Diploma Programme teachers are native English speakers.
The school describes a community of dedicated teachers, house parents and other staff; every boarding house has house parents and housekeeping assistants. Daily homework help is compulsory for boarders and optional for others. In the arts, according to the school, experienced teachers have built choirs, orchestras and theatre groups with the students. Staff numbers and class sizes are not published; the DP subject list only says that class sizes are limited.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
✓CCTV
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
✓Nurse or medical room
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
The student health service: special needs educators and teachers, school counsellors, a nurse and a careers adviser; a school psychologist and a school doctor are on site once a month; the team meets weekly. House parents live in every boarding house. There is an equal treatment plan for 2026-2027, a policy against alcohol, drugs, doping, tobacco and gambling, school values and rules, and zero tolerance of discrimination, harassment and degrading treatment. The school uses camera surveillance under separate rules. School policies on admissions, language, attendance, assessment, inclusion and academic integrity are published in English.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)91 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data80 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data85 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)90 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data80 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 8 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country