Study in Switzerland: universities, tuition fees and admission

Our catalogue has 68 universities and colleges in Switzerland offering 607 undergraduate programmes in 35 cities. 589 of the programmes are at public institutions and 18 at private ones.

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.

How admission works

There is no cutoff score: each university sets minimum requirements for foreign school-leaving certificates by country (overview at swissuniversities.ch), sometimes with an additional entrance exam or limited places. Medicine has restricted admission with an aptitude test and is as a rule closed to foreign applicants living abroad. Universities of applied sciences usually require a vocational baccalaureate, or a general one plus a year of work experience. A certificate in the language of instruction is required; the level is set by the university.

• Selection: minimum requirements set by each university

Tuition fees in Switzerland

At public universities an EU student typically pays €2,579 a year, and a student from outside the EU €2,579 a year. All amounts are per year in euros; fees charged per credit or per semester are converted to a full year (60 ECTS credits or two semesters).

Where the fee depends on family income, the typical figure is the full fee and the range starts at the lowest one.

Good to know about fees

• Fees are charged per semester. Some universities charge everyone the same (Basel, Geneva, Lausanne); most add a surcharge for students who obtained their school-leaving certificate abroad, regardless of citizenship (for example ETH Zürich CHF 2,190 instead of 730, Bern 2,550 instead of 850, St. Gallen 3,343.50 instead of 1,310.50). The price shown for EU and non-EU citizens is the one for students coming from abroad. Small compulsory contributions (sport, student union, exams) are not included.

Language of instruction

German: 445 programmes; French: 164 programmes; English: 67 programmes; Italian: 32 programmes. See all English-taught programmes in Switzerland.

Where to study: cities

All 68 universities in Switzerland by city

What you can study

• Computer Science 47
• Business Administration 39
• Languages and Literature 39
• Primary Education Teaching 39
• Music and Musicology 19
• Journalism 18
• Law 17
• Industrial Engineering 17
• Architecture 14
• History 13
• Civil Engineering 13
• Chemistry 12
• Psychology 12
• Anthropology 12
• Industrial Electronics and Automation 12
• Medicine 12
• Design 12
• Biology 11
• Mechanical Engineering 11
• Physics 10
• Pedagogy 10
• Social Work 10
• Mathematics 9
• Political Science 9
• Sport Sciences 8
• Philosophy 8
• Performing Arts 8
• Nursing 8
• Geology 7
• Archaeology 7
• International Business 7
• Economics 6
• Biochemistry 6
• Geography 6
• Sociology 6
• Environmental Sciences 6
• Fine Arts 6
• Energy Engineering 6
• Physiotherapy 6
• English Studies 5
• Solicitor Studies 5
• Pharmacy 5
• Art History 4
• Agronomy 4
• Occupational Therapy 4
• Human Nutrition and Dietetics 4
• Food Science and Technology 4
• Data Science 4
• Finance and Accounting 4
• Multimedia and Video Games 4
• Dentistry 4
• Social Education 3
• Conservation and Restoration 3
• Biomedical Engineering 3
• Tourism 3
• Biotechnology 3
• Electrical Engineering 3
• Environmental Engineering 3
• Landscape Architecture 2
• Veterinary Medicine 2
• Materials Engineering 2
• Biomedical Sciences 1
• Hospitality and Gastronomy 1
• Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy 1
• Fashion Design 1
• Geomatics and Surveying 1
• Forestry 1
• Translation and Languages 1
• Logistics 1
• Chemical Engineering 1
• Telecommunications Engineering 1
• Biomedical Laboratory Science 1

Guides

• How to Get Into a University in Switzerland as an International Student
• How Much Does It Cost to Study in Switzerland? Tuition and Housing