Top 10 Universities in Switzerland for International Students

Switzerland surprised the whole world for being one of the most important academic European countries, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It also comes in second place in terms of the number of PhD holders in Europe, and in the same ranking in terms of the best university study destination for international students.

Moreover, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the top universities in Switzerland are 10, and they are as the following:

1- ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

The ETH Zurich came in first place among the top 10 universities in Switzerland. It is also among the 10 best universities globally and in the top 5 universities in Europe.

The university’s foundation dates back to 1855, and it depends on two main teaching languages: German and English. The institution has been home to over 20 Nobel Prize Laureates, including Albert Einstein.

It has over 24,500 students from 120 countries. In addition, the university includes a number of disciplines, such as natural sciences, humanities, physics, engineering and technology, computer science, economics, and social sciences.

For more info about the university and admission, visit ETH Zurich.

2- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

The university came second among the Swiss universities and in the 40th place globally. EPFL is also the second of the two most prominent Federal Institutes of Technology in Switzerland, following ETH. Also, it was established 2 years before ETH, in 1853, while it’s half the size of the latter.

The teaching languages are French and English. The institution hosts over 11,000 students, with about half that number being international students (5,265). Similarly, it includes different disciplines, such as humanities and arts, life sciences, engineering and technology, physics, social sciences, and computer science.

Learn more about École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.

3- University of Basel

The third place was for the University of Basel, which also came in 98th place globally. The University of Basel is the oldest university in Switzerland, since it was founded in 1460. Its teaching languages are German and English. Moreover, the number of international students is 3,015.

The institution has 7 faculties which offer different disciplines, such as humanities, economics, and computer science. Moreover, it is internationally well positioned in 5 strategic areas of study: life sciences, nanosciences, sustainability and energy research, visual studies as well as European and global studies.

Read more at the University of Basel.

4- University of Zurich (UZH)

The University of Zurich is the largest university of Switzerland, founded in 1833. It is European’s first university to be established by a democratic government, one of the most prestigious research institutions of the continent. Although UZH is a leading institution of higher education in the German-speaking world, all the university’s master’s programs are taught in English.

It is home to 26,000 students studying over 100 degree programs at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels in the university’s 7 faculties. That includes different disciplines, such as arts, business and economics, social sciences, and medicine.

Visit the website of the University of Zurich to know more.

5- University of Bern

The University of Bern is located in the Swiss capital city, and is the third-largest university in Switzerland. Its founding dates back to 1834 and the institution ranks at 101st globally. The teaching languages are German, English, and French.

The institution has 8 faculties, around 180 institutes, 9 competence centers, 7 graduate schools and in all more than 300 study programs. It teaches different disciplines, such as arts, computer science, economics, medicine, physiology, and social sciences.

To get more info, visit the University of Bern website.

6- University of Geneva

The university of Geneva was founded in 1559 and is the second-largest university in Switzerland. Its teaching language are French and English, and the institution hosts 16,500 students from more than 150 countries. About 40% of them are international students.

Offering over 500 disciplines, including humanities, economics, medicine, social sciences, psychology and life sciences.

Read more at the University of Geneva.

7- University of Lausanne (UNIL)

A public institution on the shores of Lake Geneva, the University of Lausanne exists since 1537. Having a high international profile, the university is home to 18,300 students, one fifth of which are international students. Also, one third of the teaching staff come from abroad.

Moreover, the teaching languages are French and English. It offers different disciplines, such as theology, law, arts, social sciences, business and economics, biology, and geosciences.

Visit the University of Lausanne for more info.

8- University of Fribourg

The University of Fribourg traces its roots back to 1889. The institution includes 5 faculties, where the courses are taught both in French and German. However, international students can choose between several master’s programs in English.

It counts about 10,000 students. A distinctive feature of the University of Fribourg is that it thrives in exploring new study fields, and has extended its research in domains like nanomaterials and multilingualism.

Learn more at the University of Fribourg.

9- University of Neuchatel (UniNE)

The University of Neuchatel is one of the most international universities in Switzerland, with more than 20% of its students coming from about 100 countries. It exists since 1838 under the name Academy of Neuchatel, and took on its name and university status only in 1909.

UniNE has 4 faculties and its teaching language is are French and English. It offers different disciplines, such as humanities, law, pharmaceuticals, and economics.

To know more, visit the website of the University of Neuchatel.

10- University of St. Gallen (HSG)

At the 10th place comes the University of St.Gallen (HSG) started in 1898 as a Business Academy and hosts today more than 9,000 students. Offering a practice-oriented education, HSG has 5 schools and 29 affiliated research institutes.

Its teaching languages are German and English. Its main focus disciplines are humanities, law, economics, finance, political and social science, as well as management.