Financing your Studies in Switzerland

The Swiss higher education system

Switzerland has three types of higher education institution: universities, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education. Every institution that uses one of these titles has to be accredited under the Higher Education Act (HEdA) of 30 September 2011, so the name itself tells you that the institution and its degrees are recognised.

In 2025/26 a total of 288,097 students were enrolled in Swiss higher education: 176,332 at universities, 86,741 at universities of applied sciences and 25,024 at universities of teacher education. Switzerland is a very international place to study. 22.7 % of all students obtained their entrance qualification abroad, and at the universities the share is 28.8 %.

Universities and federal institutes of technology

There are 12 universities in Switzerland. Two of them are run by the federal government: ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne. The other ten are cantonal universities in Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Zurich and the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in Lugano. The largest are the University of Zurich with 29,695 students and ETH Zurich with 26,257, followed by Bern (18,243), Geneva (17,944), Lausanne (17,646), EPFL (14,234) and Basel (14,077).

The universities focus on research and academic teaching, and only they can award doctorates. The degrees offered are:

• Bachelor’s degree: 180 ECTS, normally 3 years. It gives a broad academic grounding in your subject.
• Master’s degree: 90 or 120 ECTS, so 1.5 to 2 years.
• Doctorate: usually 3 to 5 years of independent research. In 2025/26 there were 27,269 doctoral candidates, and 57 % of those starting a doctorate came from abroad.

The two federal institutes are especially international. In 2025 ETH Zurich had 26,555 students and EPFL 14,072, and 50.5 % of them were foreign nationals. At master’s level the share was 53.4 %, at doctoral level 80.3 %.

Universities of applied sciences

Switzerland has 10 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen, hautes écoles spécialisées). Nine are public: BFH, FHGR, FHNW, HES-SO, HSLU, OST, SUPSI, ZHAW and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). Kalaidos is a private one. They offer practice-oriented bachelor’s and master’s programmes in fields such as engineering, business, health, social work, design and music, usually with internships and close links to employers. They do not award doctorates.

Typical access is a vocational baccalaureate (Berufsmaturität) after an apprenticeship, a specialised baccalaureate, or an academic baccalaureate plus one year of work experience in the field.

Universities of teacher education

Universities of teacher education (Pädagogische Hochschulen) train teachers for all school levels. swissuniversities lists 18 of them, some of which are integrated into a university or a university of applied sciences. Most of their programmes are taught in German, French or Italian and are aimed at people who want to teach in Swiss schools.

Bachelor’s degree in practice

The standard route to a university is the Swiss academic baccalaureate (gymnasiale Maturität). Holders of a vocational baccalaureate can bridge to a university with the Passerelle exam. If you have a foreign school-leaving certificate, swissuniversities publishes a list for each country (currently for 2026/27) showing which certificates are accepted and under what conditions, together with the language requirements. Most bachelor’s programmes are taught in German, French or Italian, so you will normally need to prove good knowledge of the teaching language.

Medicine is a special case. Places are limited, and at Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Zurich, USI and ETH Zurich you sit an aptitude test (EMS) after pre-registering by 15 February, for a fee of CHF 300 (around EUR 320). Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel select students at the end of the first year instead. Applicants without Swiss citizenship or a Swiss residence permit are not admitted to medicine, and there is no medical degree taught in English.

The academic year has two semesters. At the University of Zurich, for example, the autumn semester 2026 runs from 14 September to 19 December 2026 and the spring semester 2027 from 22 February to 4 June 2027.

Master’s degree and doctorate in practice

A Swiss bachelor’s degree gives you access to a master’s in the same field. With a foreign bachelor’s degree, each university checks your application individually, and popular programmes often set their own grade requirements. Many master’s programmes, especially at ETH Zurich, EPFL, St. Gallen and USI, are taught entirely in English, which makes the master’s the most common entry point for international students.

Doctoral candidates in Switzerland are usually employed by their university as research or teaching assistants and receive a salary, so a doctorate is closer to a first job than to further study.

International students

International students are welcome, but places for them are becoming tighter at the most popular institutions. EPFL limits first-year bachelor’s places for holders of foreign school-leaving certificates to 3,000 until autumn 2028. Since the autumn semester 2025, ETH Zurich and EPFL have also charged three times the regular tuition fee to foreign students who move to Switzerland to study.

Recently added funding for your studies in Switzerland

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The cost of your studies

Tuition fees

Tuition at Swiss public universities is moderate by international standards, but it depends on the institution and, increasingly, on where you obtained your school-leaving certificate. Fees are charged per semester. Exchange rates in this guide are based on CHF 1 = around EUR 1.07 (October 2026).

• ETH Zurich and EPFL: CHF 730 (around EUR 785) per semester for Swiss students and those who were resident in Switzerland when they gained their entrance qualification. Foreign students who move to Switzerland to study pay CHF 2,190 (around EUR 2,350). Small compulsory fees for sport and student associations come on top.
• University of Zurich: CHF 720 (around EUR 775) per semester, plus a surcharge for foreign students of CHF 500 (around EUR 535) at bachelor’s level and CHF 100 (around EUR 105) at master’s level, and CHF 59 (around EUR 65) of compulsory contributions.
• University of Basel: CHF 850 (around EUR 915) per semester for all students.
• University of Geneva: CHF 500 (around EUR 535) per semester for all students.
• University of Lausanne: CHF 580 (around EUR 625) per semester for bachelor’s and master’s students.
• University of St. Gallen (HSG): from the autumn semester 2026, foreign students pay CHF 3,343.50 (around EUR 3,590) per semester for a bachelor’s and CHF 3,557.50 (around EUR 3,820) for a master’s. Swiss students pay CHF 1,310.50 and CHF 1,524.50.
• USI Lugano: for students starting in 2027/28 or later, the fee is CHF 5,000 (around EUR 5,370) per semester. Only Swiss students and certain foreign residents pay the reduced fee of CHF 2,000 (around EUR 2,150). Students already enrolled keep their current fee until they finish their degree.

Universities of applied sciences charge similar amounts. At ZHAW, for example, the fee is CHF 720 per semester plus CHF 500 for foreign students who come to Switzerland to study. SUPSI will charge CHF 1,000 for resident and CHF 2,000 for non-resident students from 2027/28. Some private programmes, executive master’s degrees and MBAs cost far more.

Cost of living

Living costs are the real expense of studying in Switzerland. ETH Zurich advises international students to budget CHF 20,000 to 26,000 (around EUR 21,480 to 27,920) per year for living and study costs. Its own detailed estimate puts average living costs at CHF 22,100 a year, of which rent is around CHF 11,300 and food CHF 7,200. EPFL estimates CHF 2,107 (around EUR 2,260) per month for a foreign student in Lausanne, not counting tuition. Rent is by far the largest item, and rooms in student residences or shared flats in Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne are in short supply, so start looking as soon as you are admitted.

When you apply for a residence permit as a student, you must show that you can support yourself. The canton of Zurich, for example, expects CHF 1,750 (around EUR 1,880) per month, not counting personal expenses. This works out at roughly CHF 21,000 a year, and you prove it with bank statements, a scholarship award or a guarantee from a sponsor resident in Switzerland. The requirement applies to both EU/EFTA and non-EU/EFTA students, and the exact figure is set by the canton where you study, so some cantons ask for more. Health insurance is compulsory for everyone who stays in Switzerland for more than three months. Students from the EU/EFTA can usually be exempted if they hold a European Health Insurance Card, while others take out a Swiss policy, often a cheaper student plan.

Funding for a semester or year abroad

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Financing your studies

Switzerland has no single national student grant system. Grants are paid by the cantons, scholarships come from the federal government, the universities and a large number of private foundations, and many students also work alongside their studies. For international students the most realistic sources are university scholarships, the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for researchers, foundations and part-time work.

Cantonal grants and loans

Study grants (Stipendien, bourses d'études) are run by the 26 cantons, each with its own rules. Most cantons have joined the intercantonal agreement on the harmonisation of study grants (Stipendienkonkordat), which sets minimum standards. Under the agreement, a canton’s maximum grant for students in higher education must be at least CHF 16,000 (around EUR 17,180) per year, plus CHF 4,000 for each child a student supports. For higher education, cantons may pay part of the support as a loan, but the grant share should be at least two thirds. Funding ends with a first bachelor’s degree or a master’s that builds on it.

The amount you receive depends on your own income and that of your parents. Cantonal grants are aimed at people who live in Switzerland: Swiss citizens, foreign nationals with a settlement permit (C permit) or five years of legal residence with a residence permit, recognised refugees and stateless persons. EU/EFTA citizens qualify to the extent provided for by the free movement agreement, which in practice usually means they or their parents work in Switzerland. Students who come to Switzerland only to study are generally not eligible. You normally apply to the canton where your parents live.

Scholarships

For students from abroad, scholarships in Switzerland are the main source of outside funding. The best known is the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for researchers and artists from 183 countries, which pays CHF 2,450 (around EUR 2,630) per month for doctoral and research stays. ETH Zurich, EPFL, the University of Lausanne and the Geneva Graduate Institute run their own merit scholarships for master’s students, and there are 13,782 charitable foundations in Switzerland, many of which support education.

Many university scholarships have deadlines a year before you start. For entry in autumn 2027, ETH Zurich takes applications from 1 to 30 November 2026, the University of Lausanne by 1 November 2026, EPFL by 15 December 2026 and the Geneva Graduate Institute by 14 January 2027.

Mobility: SEMP and Erasmus+

Switzerland has not taken part in Erasmus+ as a full member since 2014. Instead it runs its own programme, the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP), managed by the national agency Movetia. Through SEMP, students at Swiss institutions can spend one or two semesters at a partner university in Europe, and European students can come to Switzerland. Exchange students pay no tuition fees at the host university and receive a monthly grant from the Swiss institution.

For a traineeship abroad, SEMP pays a base rate of CHF 440 per month for European mobility, calculated on a daily rate. Trainees who travel in a climate-friendly way, for example by train or bus, get an extra sustainability top-up of CHF 100. The application is handled by your home institution, which can tell you the exact rate and the maximum length that apply to your placement.

Switzerland plans to rejoin Erasmus+ from 2027. The agreement with the EU was signed on 10 November 2025, and on 1 October 2026 the Council of States approved the CHF 192.6 million needed for 2027. The National Council has not yet voted, and a decision is expected in December 2026. Until Switzerland is fully associated, SEMP continues, so ask your international office which programme applies to your exchange.

Student jobs

Many students in Switzerland work part-time, and wages are high compared with other countries. Students from the EU/EFTA with a residence permit for study may work up to 15 hours a week during the semester and full-time in the semester breaks without a separate work permit.

Students from outside the EU/EFTA may start work only six months after the start of their studies. They may then work up to 15 hours a week during the semester and full-time during the breaks, as long as the university confirms that the job does not delay their studies. The employer applies for the work permit at the cantonal migration office. Paid internships that earn ECTS credits are allowed from the start. After graduating, students from outside the EU/EFTA can stay for up to six months to look for a job.

Research funding

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is the main funder of research. It does not run a scholarship scheme for doctoral students; instead, doctoral candidates are employed on SNSF-funded research projects led by a professor. Since 1 January 2026 the minimum salary for these positions has been CHF 50,000 (around EUR 53,690) per year gross, and the maximum is CHF 55,000 (around EUR 59,060). If you want to do a doctorate in Switzerland, look for open positions at the university or contact professors whose projects match your interests. For researchers from abroad, the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships remain the main individual award.