Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology

Switzerland has two such institutes – the ETH Zurich, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005 – and the EPF in Lausanne, western Switzerland. Both are considered leading institutions of science and technology. The student population at the ETH in Zurich rose to a record 12,705 at the beginning of 2006. The EPF in Lausanne traces its roots back to 1853 with the founding of a private school that later acquired the status of a university. It became a federal institute in 1969 after separating from Lausanne University. The government directly controls both. All other universities in Switzerland are controlled by the cantons.