The Federal Constitution (articles 19 and 62) guarantees that the cantons provide for adequate compulsory education, which is available to all children, and which is free of charge at public schools. The cantons are responsible for regulation and supervision of compulsory education. The municipalities are providers of primary schools. Lower secondary schools can also be run by the canton.

Baccalaureate schools and upper secondary specialised schools
The cantons are responsible for the Baccalaureate schools and upper secondary specialised schools. They are providers of schools and are responsible for supervision and financing. The Confederation and the cantons are jointly responsible for Swiss-wide recognition of the Baccalaureate. Intercantonal regulations apply for the recognition of upper secondary specialised schools and their qualifications.

Vocational education and training (VET)
Vocational and professional education and training (vocational education and training [VET], tertiary level professional education, and job-related continuing education and training [CET]) is within the regulatory capacity of the Confederation (Federal Constitution article 63). The Federal Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act defines vocational and professional education and training as the joint responsibility of the Confederation, the cantons and professional organisations. The cantons are responsible for the implementation of vocational education and training. They run educational institutions and are responsible for supervision and for most of the public financing. The Confederation is responsible for the strategic governance and development of vocational and professional education and training, and contributes to its financing. The professional organisations and companies perform important tasks in VET, and also contribute to the financing.

Tertiary level professional education
Tertiary education, as part of the professional education and training, falls under the Confederation’s responsibility of regulation. The Confederation, the cantons and professional organisations work together within the areas of their responsibilities. The cantons are responsible for implementation, run a multitude of educational institutions, and supervise the colleges of higher education. On the Confederation's approval, professional organisations regulate various aspects of the Federal Diploma of Higher Education Examinations and Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education Examinations. They can run colleges of higher education and offer preparatory courses for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education Examinations and Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education Examinations. The Confederation and the cantons contribute to the financing of tertiary level professional education. Anyone completing a preparatory course to prepare for the Federal Diploma of Higher Education and the Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education Examinations receives financial support from the Confederation. The Confederation pays up to 50 per cent of the course fees.

Universities
According to the Federal Constitution (Art. 63a BV), the Confederation and the cantons are jointly responsible for ensuring the quality of higher education. Three enactments ensure implementation of this constitutional mandate:

• The Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector (Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act, HFKG)
• The Intercantonal Agreement on the Swiss Higher Education Sector (Higher Education Concordat)
• Cooperation Agreement between the Confederation and Cantons (ZSAV).

The entire higher education sector (universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education) is regulated under Federal law. The HFKG governs the coordination and promotion of higher education and regulates the goals and principles of the organisation and process of coordination. The Intercantonal Agreement regulates cooperation among the participating cantons and collaboration with the Confederation on coordination in the Swiss higher education sector. The Cooperation Agreement creates the following joint institutions: the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions, the Rectors' Conference and the Accreditation Council.

Every Federal and cantonal higher education institution and establishment has its own legal status through the respective supporting institution.

Cooperation between the cantons occurs at the cantonal, regional, or Swiss-wide level, depending on the educational level and the respective task. Cantons can cooperate on various issues and coordinate their efforts. Tasks where uniform solutions are called for Swiss-wide (e.g. school structures, educational objectives and recognition of educational qualifications) are regulated at the national level by the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK), which comprises the 26 cantonal ministers responsible for education, culture and sport. The EDK performs tasks which the cantons and regions cannot perform alone. Tasks which call for regional cooperation (e.g. linguistic regions' curricula) are handled by the EDK's regional conferences. In general, the cantons' cooperation is regulated within legally binding intercantonal agreements (or concordats).

The cantons and the Confederation work together in areas where both are responsible. The EDK is the Confederation's contact partner. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) within the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) bears responsibility for matters regarding education on behalf of the Confederation.

With regard to universities, the Confederation and the cantons, as well as the cantons amongst themselves, operate corresponding coordination bodies and have enacted joint agreements.