Switzerland to drastically reduce university tuition fees for EU students

Future students from the European Union looking to study at a university in Switzerland will soon pay the same tuition fees as Swiss students. The Council of States recently made the decision as part of the ongoing approval of the Bilateral III treaties with the EU.

EU and Swiss university students must be treated equally

This week, the upper house of the Swiss parliament has been deciding on several key issues included in the signed agreements between Switzerland and the EU. After supporting a proposal that would allow Switzerland to introduce an EU immigration tax, the Council of States has now approved a change to how university tuition fees will be handled.

Under the EU deal, universities across Switzerland will have to charge the same fees to both EU undergraduates and students from Switzerland. This “rel[ies] on the principle of equal treatment for students” from the EU, explained a parliamentary press release.

Decision undoes recent tuition hikes in Switzerland

The decision comes after several Swiss universities raised their tuition fees for international students to “offset their rising deficits in the light of the planned cuts in federal funding starting in 2027.”

ETH Zurich and EPFL tripled their fees for international students in 2025, raising them from 730 Swiss francs to 2.190 francs per semester. Under the agreed plans, the price for EU students will likely return to the previous fee.

To help universities cover the funding gap, the federal government will “fully cover the resulting revenue shortfalls” for up to four years. Tuition fees will not change for students from outside the EU.

As the EU treaties still need to be approved by the National Council, the 26 Swiss cantons and the voting population, no date has been set for when the tuition changes will apply.