How do tuition fees in Switzerland compare with the rest of Europe?

Under the government’s latest round of proposed austerity measures, the fees charged at universities in Switzerland are set to double. But how expensive are Swiss tuition fees compared to the rest of Europe?

Switzerland moves to double university tuition fees

In a statement released on January 29, the Federal Council announced another batch of austerity measures designed to balance Switzerland’s books. With the federal government expected to sport a structural deficit of up to 4 billion francs a year, due to increased spending on pensions, social security and the army, they argued that cuts have to be made in other areas.

Among the 59 different measures now being sent to parliament for consultation, one of them is to double the tuition fees charged at Swiss universities. This would be on top of the tripling of tuition fees at ETH Zurich and EPFL, which will begin this autumn semester.

The Federal Council noted that the change would bring in an extra 200 million francs a year, but how expensive are tuition fees in Switzerland now, and how would they rank if costs double?

How expensive is studying in Switzerland?

On average, students in Switzerland pay 1.448 francs a year in tuition fees. The cheapest tuition fees for Swiss citizens and those who completed their qualifications in the alpine nation can be found at the Universities of Neuchâtel and Geneva, at 425 and 435 francs per semester respectively. 

Most other universities have fees between 500 and 850 francs per semester, while the most expensive places for locals to learn are the University of Italian Switzerland (1.100 francs per semester), and the University of St. Gallen (1.000 to 1.200 francs). 

St. Gallen and Italian Switzerland are also the most expensive places for international students at up to 3.100 francs per semester. The cheapest fees are at the University of Lausanne, where locals, expats and new arrivals alike pay 500 francs per semester.

Swiss tuition fees expensive by European comparison

Though Switzerland is often considered to have cheap higher education, according to the EU education network Eurydice, in the 2023 / 24 university year, the country had the eighth-most expensive tuition fees in Europe. With local students paying 1.544 euros a year for tuition, the alpine nation is only behind the United Kingdom (except Scotland), Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy and Hungary.

What’s more, while tuition fees may be lower, student housing and living costs are far higher than they are in the UK. In terms of its neighbours, while Switzerland is cheaper than Italy, French universities only charge around 170 euros per year for tuition, tuition fees at German universities are exceedingly rare, and studying in Austria is free for locals. The alpine nation is also far behind the 12 European countries where a university education is free for locals.

Which European countries have the highest tuition fees?

In all, here are the countries with the highest average tuition fees in Europe (for local students in euros per year):

1. Wales (9.653)
2. England (9.446)
3. Northern Ireland (6.301)
4. Ireland (3.000)
5. The Netherlands (2.314)
6. Italy (1.629)
7. Hungary (1.571)
8. Switzerland (1.544)
9. Bulgaria (1.278)
10. Belgium (1.116)

If the government follows through and tuition fees are doubled, this would make Swiss higher education the fourth-most expensive in Europe, only behind Wales, England and Northern Ireland. The consultation on the austerity measures will conclude on May 5, 2025.

Thumb image credit: Judith Linine / Shutterstock.com