Study in Switzerland

Study in Switzerland

Last edited on 19 Mar 2024
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Welcome to Switzerland!

Switzerland is located at the heart of Western Europe and blessed with not only beautiful landscapes, but also cultural diversity and a high living standard. Officially called the Swiss Confederation, Switzerland has a long history of neutrality, direct democracy, and federalism.

As the world’s 20th largest economy, Switzerland is home to many multinational companies and several international organizations – including the European Headquarters of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. With four national languages spoken in Switzerland (German, French, Italian, and Rumansch) and a quarter of its population holding a foreign passport; living in Switzerland offers a real international experience.

Education in Switzerland opens the door for international careers in business and international organizations, as well as in research & innovation. Thanks to the excellence of Swiss universities and innovative research ecosystem, Switzerland ranks on the top of global competitiveness and innovation index.

Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area, although it is not a member of the European Union, allowing you the opportunity to travel around Europe without the need for additional visas.

 

Higher Education System

The Swiss higher education landscape offers a diverse and comprehensive range of high-quality cantonal universities, federal institutes of technology, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education. It follows the tiered study model of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. In addition, the cantonal universities and federal institutes of technology also award PhDs.

Although most Bachelor's programs are taught in one of the country's official languages (German, French or Italian), Masters’ and Doctoral programs are mostly offered in English. The number of courses available at an undergraduate level in English is slowly growing, however, particularly in universities of applied sciences. Foreign nationals account for around a quarter of all students in Swiss higher education institutions.

Swiss public universities consist of 2 Federal Institutes of Technology and 10 cantonal universities, which are generously supported by the federal and the cantonal governments. Generally, Swiss public universities charge a relatively low tuition fees.

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