Affordable tuition fee of Higher Education in Top Ranking Universities of Switzerland.

The education system in Switzerland

The education system in Switzerland is very diverse, because the constitution of  Switzerland delegates the authority for the school system mainly to the cantons.The Swiss law on publicly financed universities, the Swiss University Conference and its accreditation body the CRUS-OAQ recognizes. There are 14 public and generic universities in Switzerland, 10 of which are maintained at cantonal level and usually offer a range of non-technical subjects. Of the remaining 4 institutions, 2 are run by the Swiss Confederation and are known as "Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology". Switzerland was the birthplace of the International Baccalaureate in 1968. In relation to its population size, Switzerland is the country with the highest number of universities among the 100 best of the ARWU  Academic Ranking of World Universities (2014-2015).

As  per 2013 QS Ranking  eight universities were raked as best as detailed below.

1. ETH Zurich 12th
2. EPFL École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne 19th
3. University of Geneva (Université de Genève) 71st
4. University of Zurich (Universität Zürich) 78th
5. University of Basel (Universität Basel),110th
6. University of Lausanne (Université de Lausanne) 111th
7. University of Bern (Universität Bern),  154th
8. University of St. Gallen (Universität St. Gallen) 411-420th

                              ETH Zurich

                          École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

                                           University of Geneva

                                         University of Zurich

In the Bologna system, one academic year corresponds to 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits, which are equivalent to 1,500-1,800 hours of study. This includes contact hours (lectures, seminars, practical work, etc.), as well as independent study at home or in a library. Attainment of the Bachelor's degree requires three years of full-time study (180 ECTS-credits).The Bachelor's degree is a pre-requisite for enrollment in a Master's programme. It can in some cases lead directly to a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS). However, a Bachelor's degree is not sufficient for enrollment in a doctoral programme, which requires the attainment of a Master's degree as well.The Swiss universities run several programmes of continuing education in different professional fields and confer three separate diplomas: the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) 10 ECTS, the Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) 30 to 59 ECTS and the Executive Master/Master of Advanced Studies (MAS/MBA) 60 ECTS the only Degree program in continuing education.

Admission to a Bachelor's Programme

The decision concerning admission to a course of studies rests with the individual institution. The basic admission requirement is a Swiss secondary high-school-leaving certificate (Matura, Maturité, Maturità) or a foreign secondary high-school-leaving certificate considered equivalent. Students not holding fully recognized certificates qualifying for university entrance may be required to take a university entrance exam.

Admission to a Master's Programme

The prerequisite for access to a Master's programme is a successfully completed Bachelor's level programme. Each university makes its own decisions as to whether a foreign Bachelor's degree can give the holder access to Master's programmes, and what are the conditions, if any (entrance examinations, further requirements).

Admission to a Doctoral Programme

To be eligible for a PhD programme at a Swiss university, applicants must hold a Master's degree or equivalent from a recognised or accredited university. As conditions vary among universities, interested students should check the admission requirements of their prospective university.

Language Requirements

All Swiss universities require good knowledge of the language of instruction. The Universities of Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Geneva and Lausanne, as well as the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, are in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Fribourg is officially a bilingual university, with courses offered both in French and German, while Italian is the teaching language at the Università della Svizzera italiana, located in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The universities of Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St.Gallen, Zurich and the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich are located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. 

An increasing number of study programmes at Master's level are offered in English, thus a solid knowledge of English language is advisable for all prospective students.

Detailed information on general- and country-specific admission requirements can be found on the website. 

Tuition Fee (in CHF)

Name of university           Swiss student                  Foreign Student        

EPFL                                  1266                                   1266                 

ETHZ                                 1288                                   1288

BS                                      1400                                   1310

FR                                      1310                                   1610                                  

GE                                      1310                                  1000          

LA                                      1000                                  1360

LU                                      1160                                  2220

NE                                      1620                                  1580

SG                                      1030                                  4252

ZH                                      2452                                  1738

USI                                     4000                                  8000

Note:

Living expenses can be estimated between CHF 18,000 and 28,000 per year (depending on the location of the university and personal needs).

Scholarships - Governmental scholarships

The Swiss Government offers scholarships to foreign students and artists on the basis of reciprocity or within the framework of a scholarship pool to several countries. Scholarships are granted to postgraduate candidates or researchers from both industrial and development countries.

Candidates should, in the first instance, find out from their own country's authorities whether they are entitled to a government scholarship or should approach the Swiss embassy or consulate  in their home country. A list of the relevant countries and further information on the governmental scholarships, such as application requirements, duration of scholarship, scholarship amount, application procedure etc. are available on the Website of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

Before applying, candidates (who must be under 35 of age and proficient in English, German, French or Italian) should get in touch with a professor or with the responsible service of the programme at the chosen Swiss higher Education institution in order to get a written confirmation of acceptance.

To find out whether a Swiss University offers scholarships to international students, candidates are advised to check the website of the University in question.

Residence permit / visa




The application for a residence permit or a visa is different for EU/EFTA citizens and for people from other countries.


EU/EFTA countries:


Students from EU/EFTA countries must register with the Residents' Registration Office of the local authorities of their municipality of residence within 14 days and apply for a residence permit. The following documents are required: 
1. Personal application for residence permit 
2. Valid passport or identity card 
3. Proof of registration at the university 
4. Evidence of sufficient funds (bank certificate or certified document) 
5. Proof of address at place of residence 
6. 2 passport-size photographs 
Non-EU/EFTA countries:
Students from non-EU/EFTA countries must contact the Swiss Embassy or the Swiss consulate in their native country and apply for a visa. Students are responsible for gathering the information and the documents required for the visa issuing process. Among other things, they must submit proof of registration at a university. Students must be aware of the fact that, as a rule, an application for a visa takes several months to process.


Health insurance:


In Switzerland, health insurance is mandatory for all residents. Students from foreign countries must purchase their own health insurance policy if they intend to live in Switzerland for more than three months. This does not apply to students from countries which provide international coverage or offer equivalent insurance protection.


A list of universities is given hereunder for information of the students interested in higher education in Switzerland.

Universities (source Wikipedia)

1. University of Basel (Basel), German-speaking
2. University of Bern (Bern), German/English-speaking
3. University of Fribourg (Fribourg), French/German-speaking
4. University of Geneva (Geneva), French-speaking
5. University of Neuchâtel (Neuchâtel), French-speaking
6. University of Lausanne (Lausanne), French-speaking
7. University of Lucerne (Lucerne), German/English-speaking
8. University of Lugano (Lugano), Italian/English-speaking
9. University of St. Gallen (HSG) (St. Gallen), German/English-speaking
10. University of Zurich (Zürich), German/English-speaking
11. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Lausanne), French/English-speaking
12. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) (Zurich), German/English-speaking

Universities of Applied Sciences

1. Berner Fachhochschule, BFH, German-speaking
2. Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, FHNW (German: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz), German-speaking
3. Fachhochschule Ostschweiz, FHO (German: Fachhochschule Ostschweiz), German-speaking
4. Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale, HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, French-speaking and G, Lausanne (part of the HES-SO)
5. Ecole cantonale d'art du Valais, Sierreerman-speaking (Fribourg)
6. Hochschule Luzern, HSLU, German-speaking
7. Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI), Italian-speaking
8. Zürcher Fachhochschule, ZFH, German-speaking
9. Kalaidos Fachhochschule

Higher education institutions of art and music

1. Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, Lugano
2. Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, Geneva
3. Dipartimento Ambiente, Costruzioni e Design, Canobbio
4. École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ECAL)
5. Haute école d'arts appliqués Arc, La Chaux-de-Fonds (part of the HES-SO)
6. Haute école d'arts et de design, Geneva (part of the HES-SO)
7. Haute école de musique de Lausanne - HEMU (part of the HES-SO)
8. Hochschule der Künste Berne, Bern (part of the BFH)
9. Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst], Basel (part of the FHNW)
10. Hochschule für Musik (Basel) und Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (part of the FHNW)
11. Hochschule Luzern – Design & Kunst, Musik (part of the HSLU)
12. Scuola Teatro Dimitri, Verscio (part of the SUPSI)
13. Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (part of the ZFH)

Universities of teacher education

According to diploma recognition by the EDK / CDIP:

1. These institutions are recognized: Graubünden, Bern Jura and Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Nordwestschweiz (Teilschule der FHNW), Rorschach, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Vaud, Wallis, Zentralschweiz, Zürich (Teilschule der ZFH)
2. Alta Scuola Pedagogica Ticino (SUPSI)
3. Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik Zürich
4. Schweize Hochschule für Logopädie Rorschach SHLR
5. Eidgenössisches Hochschulinstitut gemäss Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBG), Art. 48
6. Eidgenössisches Hochschulinstitut für Berufsbildung, EHB

Federal institute

according to the Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBG), Art. 48 / Loi fédérale sur la formation (LFPr), l'art. 48

Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, SFIVET

Other institutions accredited by the Swiss University Conference

1. Facoltà di Teologia di Lugano
2. Theologische Hochschule Chur (THC)
3. Franklin University Switzerland, formerly Franklin College Switzerland (program accreditation since 2005, full university institution accreditation since 2013)
4. The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales et du développement IHEID) in Geneva.

Other university-level institutions

1. Stiftung Fernstudien Schweiz, Brig
2. the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch, IUKB) in Sion