Choosing a destination for higher education is a crucial step, and it is essential to do the best choice possible and target outstanding institutions in the field you are interested in. Quality of universities results of different factors, one of them being the priority that a country has put on Research and Development (R&D). Traditionally, Switzerland has given great importance to R&D, and established a favorable environment for universities to develop and reach high quality standards. The Swiss commitment to R&D is illustrated by the Table below, which reports a cross countries comparison of gross domestic expenditures on R&D as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP).

A commonly used indicator of higher education and R&D quality of a country is its capacity to innovate. In the European Innovation Scoreboard 2005 Switzerland has shown an outstanding performance in innovation, and has been classified in the category of Innovation Drivers. Furthermore, Switzerland has come just after the United States.

The impact of scientific publications is an additional common proxy of a country’s competitiveness and strengths in R&D. As shown in the Table below, over 1998-2002 Switzerland has performed very well, and has come first in the research areas of Engineering, Computing and Technology.

Additional resources:

•  2007-2008 WEF report on global competitiveness
•  European Innovation Scoreboard in a publication from the State Secretariat for Education and Research

Higher education in Switzerland is carried out in 10 Universities, 2 Federal Institutes of Technology, and 7 Universities of Applied Sciences. Basically, Universities and Federal Institutes of Technology are the only one who can confer doctoral degrees, and their programmes combine teaching and research. Swiss Universities and Federal Institutes of Technology have excellent international reputation, and at least five of them have been ranked among the best 50 universities in the world.

Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) are practice oriented, and propose programmes so diverse as engineering, business administration, or arts. UAS accommodate the need of students and the job market.

Higher education in Switzerland is aligned along the so called “Bologna system”, which aims at standardizing academic degrees so as to enhance the mobility of citizens and to increase the international competitiveness of European higher education. In line with the Bologna system, Swiss higher education consists of two main cycles of studies, undergraduate and postgraduate. The former requiring 3 years studies leading to a Bachelor degree; whereas the latter consisting of 2 years for obtaining a Master degree, and then PhD research. Because of the high quality of Swiss higher education and the wide spectrum of graduate and postgraduate teaching imparted totally or partially in English, Switzerland is an attractive destination for international students.

Additional information:

•  Research in Switzerland, State Secretariat for Education and Research
•  Studying in Switzerland: Universities
•  Studying in Switzerland: Universities of Applied Sciences
•  Swissuniversities

1. Very high standards in research and experimental development 
2. Highly innovative and competitive environment 
3. Premier higher education institutions 
4. Strong linkages between higher education and industries as well as private business 
5. Part-time job while studying possible 
6. Moderate living costs and low tuition fees 
7. In the heart of Europe 
8. Economic power of Switzerland 
9. Headquarter for International Organizations such as the United Nations 
10. Outstanding quality of life (Zurich and Geneva ranked as the cities with the highest living quality in the world)

Q 1. How is higher education in Switzerland organized?

Higher education in Switzerland is carried out in 10 Universities, 2 Federal Institutes of Technology, and 7 Universities of Applied Sciences (see also  www.swissuniversity.ch). Basically, Universities and Federal Institutes of Technology are the only one who can confer doctoral degrees, and their programmes combine teaching and research. Swiss Universities and Federal Institutes of Technology have excellent international reputation, and at least five of them have been ranked among the best 50 universities in the world. Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) are practice oriented, and propose programmes so diverse as engineering, business administration, or arts. UAS accommodate the need of students and the job market. 

Q 2. What are the common entry requirements?

For accessing Swiss universities undergraduate programmes, a valid Swiss maturity certificate or an equivalent foreign upper secondary school-leaving certificate qualifying for university entrance is required. The prerequisite for access to a Master’s programme is a successfully completed Bachelor’s level programme. For foreign degrees outside the Bologna system (degrees awarded in India fall under this cathegory), each of the universities makes its own decisions on equivalence of degrees. 

Q 3. What is the most popular course?

The most popular courses are in the fields of natural sciences and engineering, as far as Indian students are concerned for e.g. Computer Sciences, Material and Electrical Engineering, IT, Life Sciences, Biotechnology etc. Hotel Management courses, language courses and MBA are also high in demand. 

Q 4. What are the scholarships available for the interested people? 

The Swiss government has set up an international scholarship programme, called “ESKAS”. For more information, please refer to  ESKAS official website 

Q 5. What could be the living expenses per annum in Switzerland? 

Living expenses are estimated between CHF 19,000 (InR 760000) – and 29,000 (InR 1160000) – per year (depending on the location of the university and personal demands).

Q 6. What is the normal time taken for student visa approval?

This depends upon the type of visa required. Please visit the website of the Swiss Embassy for more information on visa issues.