Each institution sets its own semester fee, the same for EU and non-EU students – e.g. CHF 500 at the University of Lausanne and CHF 2,190 for international students at ETH Zurich. Switzerland has 10 cantonal universities, 2 federal institutes of technology and universities of applied sciences, with more than 4,000 programmes in total. Find out when to apply, how to plan your budget and how many hours you may work.
There is no central admission system – each institution sets its own rules and deadlines, and you apply directly to it.
For a bachelor's programme you need a school leaving certificate that the institution recognises as equivalent to the Swiss Matura. The requirements for certificates from each country (subjects, grades) are published by swissuniversities – check the section for your country before you choose your final-year subjects.
Sample deadlines – University of Zurich (for applicants with a foreign school leaving certificate):
Other institutions have their own deadlines – check them on the website of your chosen institution.
If you come from outside the EU/EFTA, apply early: you need your admission letter for the visa application, and a visa takes at least 8 weeks to be issued (see: Residence and formalities).
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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