The Switzerland government has made the decision to raise the cost of tuition for foreign students. According to Schengen.News, tuition for international students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees at ETH Zurich or EPFL will increase threefold beginning in the autumn semester of 2025.
Students who are presently enrolled will be able to finish their degrees without having to pay an additional charge under a transitional agreement.
The increase in fees reflects the proclaimed desire of the Federal Parliament and attempts to offer an expedient remedy. The rise has been implemented by the Swiss Federal Council even though the ETH Board decided in March not to raise fees, citing the value of internationalism and luring top personnel.
For all Switzerland and foreign students, the current semester tuition at ETH Zurich and EPFL is CHF 730 (€749.42). Of the 21,000 students of ETH Zurich, about 7,300 are foreigners, compared to over half of the 13,000 students at EPFL.
In order to stop further inflation-related devaluation, the ETH Board also suggested tying tuition costs to the national consumer price index.
Certain Swiss universities currently charge local and foreign students differently. International students pay CHF 3,129 (€3,210) for a Bachelor’s degree at the University of St. Gallen, whilst domestic students pay CHF 1,229 (€1,260).
At least three times the tuition fees of students with Swiss degrees must be paid by international students studying in Switzerland, according to a decision made by the House of Representatives during the summer session. The Senate committee in charge advocated for a twofold increase in fees instead, and they intend to talk about it at the upcoming fall session. A decision is anticipated by the end of the year.
76,257 foreign students are now enrolled at Switzerland’s higher education institutions, with 17,850 of them pursuing bachelor’s degree programs, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
