🇨🇭 Studying in Switzerland for international applicants
Higher education in Switzerland at a glance
Switzerland is the global benchmark in hospitality, hotel and business management education. Swiss hospitality schools have set the industry standard for decades, and their graduates work in the world's best hotels and companies.
Some Swiss hospitality programmes combine English-taught coursework and internships. For example, Glion’s bachelor includes two internships. Check the selected programme’s placement requirements, location, visa conditions and remuneration; do not assume every internship is paid.
Advantages of studying in Switzerland
- The world's best schools of hospitality and hotel management.
- Programme-specific internships; confirm placement and remuneration terms.
- An international environment and ties with leading employers.
- The highest quality of life and safety.
Switzerland: compare public university and private-school budgets
ETH Zurich publishes two tuition groups: approximately $900 or $2,700 per semester. The university assigns the group under its eligibility rules. This is one public-university example, not a tariff for every Swiss school.
Price Glion, BHMS and other private schools by the specific programme and study period. Check whether housing, meals, insurance and internships are included. With a limited budget, compare suitable public programmes and other cities, including language and admission requirements. Prepare your qualification, language, programme and full-study budget.
Rounded USD estimates use ECB reference rates from 2026; the actual invoice and exchange rate determine payment. ETH’s estimate includes a Zurich-canton average rent from 2024; obtain a current housing quote before moving. Add only missing expenses and StudyU fees separately.
ETH: tuition groups · ETH: study and living costs
The admission path
Check the institution and qualification first: the school certificate, required subjects, grades, language and any entrance examination are assessed under the selected programme’s rules. An English certificate and an application do not by themselves establish eligibility.
StudyU helps compare universities, check scholarship requirements, and prepare application and visa documents; the university and consular authority make the decisions.
Step by step:
- Canton and language. German, French or Italian by region; master's programs run widely in English.
- Eligibility. Consult the university’s requirements for the country and type of your school qualification. Additional study or an examination may be required; ECUS is not a single admission route used by every Swiss institution.
- Apply. Directly to universities, winter-spring deadlines; ETH and EPFL are earlier and tougher.
- Permit and finances. A financial guarantee for a year of living - confirm the canton’s evidence requirements separately from the university budget.
Applying straight after 11th grade
Check the university’s requirements for your exact school qualification, subjects and programme. Additional study or an entrance examination may be required; there is no single route for every applicant. ETH’s fee groups illustrate tuition only: compare the full study-and-living budget. See our study-abroad guide for route comparisons.
Master's degrees in Switzerland
A bachelor’s degree allows an application to a suitable master’s programme, subject to the university’s assessment of degree recognition, academic content, grades and language. Check programme-specific funding: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships chiefly support research, with a separate first master’s in arts route for eligible countries; they are not a general scholarship for all taught master’s degrees.
What studying in Switzerland costs
| Expense | Budget for |
|---|---|
| Public universities | ETH example: about $900 or $2,700 / semester by fee group |
| Study and living: ETH group 2 | ETH fee-group-2 overall study-and-living guide: about $34,300 / year; do not add tuition again |
| Financial guarantee | a year of living costs, per canton rules |
| Scholarships | Swiss Government Excellence: research routes and a restricted first-master’s arts route; check eligibility |
FAQ
Above all, the world's best schools of hospitality and hotel management.
Internship requirements depend on the programme. Glion’s bachelor, for example, includes two internships. Confirm the placement, work authorisation and pay terms with the school and employer before relying on any earnings.
The teaching language depends on the institution and programme. Check the published language requirements and accepted evidence; English is not the language of every Swiss degree.
Compare the specific programme’s tuition, living costs, qualification and career support. Internship availability and employer access are programme-specific; neither admission nor tuition payment guarantees a paid placement or job.
The university assesses the exact school qualification and programme requirements; additional study or an entrance examination may be needed. For a master’s, a bachelor’s degree is the starting qualification, not automatic admission: academic fit, grades and language requirements still apply.
For fee group 2, ETH’s overall study-and-living guide is approximately $34,300 per year, excluding architecture. Tuition, compulsory fees, study materials and living costs including housing and an insurance estimate are already included: do not add them again. Architecture has a separate estimate. This is ETH’s planning guide, not a visa minimum; actual spending can differ.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships mainly support research. A separate arts route can fund a first master’s at a Swiss art school or conservatory for applicants from eligible countries. Check the current country-specific call; general taught master’s degrees are not automatically covered.
Thinking about studying in Switzerland?
During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.
Universities in Switzerland
Each comes with a full guide - faculties, prices and requirements. The list will keep growing.
University and college catalogue
- EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne): Admission, Entrance Exam and Fees
- ETH Zurich: Admission, Fees and Requirements for International Students
- University of Zurich (UZH): Admission, Fees and Requirements for International Students
- EHL Hospitality Business School (Lausanne): HES-SO Degree, Fees and Admission
- University of Geneva (UNIGE): Admission, Fees and Requirements for International Students
- University of Lausanne (UNIL): Admission, Fees and Requirements for International Students
- Les Roches Crans-Montana: Swiss Campus, Degree, 2027 Fees and Admission
- Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS): University of Derby Degree, Fees and Admission
- University of St. Gallen (HSG): Admission, Selection for International Applicants and Fees
- University of Basel (Universität Basel): Admission, Fees and Requirements for International Students
- University of Bern (Universität Bern): Admission, 2026 Fees and Requirements for International Students
- César Ritz Colleges Switzerland: Accredited Degrees, Fees and Admission
- Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland: Diplomas, Degrees, Fees and Admission
- HIM Business School (Hotel Institute Montreux): Degrees, Fees and Admission
Guides
- Bachelor's Degrees in Switzerland: Entry Routes, Language and Costs for International Students
- Hospitality Management in Switzerland: Schools, Degrees, Fees and Paid Internships
- Master's Degrees in Switzerland: 2026/27 Deadlines, Requirements, Costs and Scholarships
- Applying to Swiss Universities: Routes, Documents and Deadlines for International Students
- Cost of Studying in Switzerland in 2026/27: Tuition, Living Costs and a Full Student Budget
- Swiss Student Visa: the D Visa, Documents, Proof of Funds and Timing
- Universities in Switzerland: Types, Fees and Admission Routes for International Students
- Studying in Switzerland as a Russian Citizen: D Visa, Sanctions, Payments and Degree Recognition
- Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students: What Is Really Available for 2027/28
- Private Schools in Switzerland: Boarding, Curricula, Fees and Permits for Pupils
Get a free consultation
During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step. A personal strategy, requirement checks, selection of agreed options, document preparation, applications, and support are provided under an agreement with StudyU.
- Discuss your study goal and academic profile
- Clarify budget, timing and destination constraints
- Identify a realistic next step and what to verify before applying
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