Tuition fees

Swiss universities enjoy considerable public funding, making fees seem very reasonable compared with those charged at universities in the United States or Britain.

Fees vary between universitiesExternal link and programmes but there is often little to no difference in fees charged for Swiss students and foreign students. However, the universities of Bern, Fribourg, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, St Gallen, Zurich and Lugano (USI) do charge extra tuition feesExternal link for foreign students.

But while course fees compare favourably with other countries, there is no denying that the cost of living in Switzerland is very high. Living expenses for students can range from CHF20,000 ($20,000) up to CHF30,000 a year. Here is a breakdown from the University of FribourgExternal link. Similar guidelinesExternal link from Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) come to a slightly higher total, probably since Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world.