Our schools strengthen their reputation among the world’s best hospitality schools

We are proud to announce that all four of our schools have ranked in the top eight hospitality schools in the world. These results confirm our reputation as world-class educators and our unwavering commitment to excellence.

Swiss Hotel Management School has performed extremely well and is now ranked as the third best school in the world, and second in Switzerland. The school’s dean, Dr. Dominic Szambowski, can barely contain his pride at the school’s ranking, “We’ve always been a very good school and it’s an honor to be recognized once again as a world-class provider of hospitality education. This is because we understand what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.”

We understand what we do, how we do it, and why we do it.

If 2021 saw César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, and Hotel Institute Montreux make an impressive headway into the pantheon of top ten schools, 2022 firmly establishes the reputation of all our schools. All four schools have significantly improved their average scores for academic and employer reputation.

Why our schools are among the best hospitality schools in the world

 

1. Highly regarded by employers

We are firm believers in the dual Swiss model which integrates theory and practice, including worldwide internships. Through over 100 industry partnerships and an ever-growing list of alumni who return to share their success stories with current students, the curriculum is informed by the industry and supports our students’ employability and career development.

“Our close collaboration with industry partners breathes real life into the classroom ­— real problems, real challenges, real insights into the workplace ­— all of this equips our students to graduate with an accurate understanding of the challenges they will face in the workplace,” explains Ulrika Bjorklund, dean at Hotel Institute Montreux.

Our close collaboration with industry partners breathes real life into the classroom.

“The industry loves us,” adds Dr. Szambowski. “Our students graduate industry-ready, as operational leaders ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. We hear time and time again from companies that we are their school of choice when it comes to recruiting new talent. Our students rise in the ranks very quickly because of their attitude, knowledge, and skill.”

We hear time and time again from companies that we are their school of choice.

 

2. Academic reputation

We are extremely grateful for the strong academic partnerships our schools nurture with leading schools in the USA and the UK, which guarantee the quality of our education delivery.

Tanja Florenthal, dean at César Ritz Colleges Switzerland and Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland, explains, “The better your partners are, the greater your academic recognition is, which leads to exchanges of faculty and students, participation in conferences, and publication in research reviews.”

The better your partners are, the greater your academic recognition is.

Our schools partner with top institutions like Washington State University, one of America’s leading research universities (ranked in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education), the University of Derby, one of the top 30 universities in the UK, and Northwood University, of which the hospitality management program is one of the few accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

 

3. Commitment to innovation

“It is a compliment to be recognized by peer institutions for our commitment to innovative hospitality education. We achieve this through a deliberate integration of cutting-edge research and unparalleled experiential learning,” affirms Dr. Knuff.

A deliberate integration of cutting-edge research and unparalleled experiential learning.

As Tanja Florenthal puts it, “These rankings are a statement of the efforts we put into our teaching.” Each school is committed to maintaining this standard of excellence, while always keeping an eye on the horizon to what is coming ahead. “We foster innovation at an academic level and ensure innovation skills are fully integrated into the curriculum,” adds Ms. Florenthal.

Ms. Bjorklund shares, “New positions are being created that didn’t exist before, technology continues to evolve, sustainability is increasingly important ­— we stay attuned to changes in the industry and prepare our students accordingly.”

We stay attuned to changes in the industry and prepare our students accordingly.

At Swiss Hotel Management School, a deliberate approach to teaching, learning, and assessment was adopted several years ago to equip students with the skills for the workplace of the 21st century. This led to the school being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School, for its continued efforts in innovative education and learning experience.

 

4. A strong community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni

Achieving this kind of academic recognition is a celebration of the combined effort that reflects the dedication and ongoing support of everyone involved, from operations to academic staff, current students and alumni, and academic and industry partners. 

“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together as a community,” says Tanja Florenthal.  At HIM, “Being a small, ‘boutique’ school means that every student can engage with faculty and guest speakers, ask questions, and create a solid network of peers. There is a real sense of family which permeates the atmosphere,” shares Ulrika Bjorklund.

There is a real sense of family which permeates the atmosphere.

David Knuff reaffirms how these excellent rankings point to the future, “I like this quote from one of our academic partners UC Irvine, ‘Bright Past, Brilliant Future’ as it clearly illustrates how we continue to innovate and lead the way in developing hospitality education for the future.”