Universities in Switzerland will experience sharp growth, new analysis reveals. It will, at least partly, be driven by students from abroad. But will fees rise to cover the costs?
The number of students enrolled in Swiss higher education institutions will grow steadily over the next decade, according to forecasts by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
The student body is expected to grow by 21 percent between 2026 and 2035, exceeding the 300,000-mark at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels.
“This increase can be attributed in particular to population growth and a rise in the number of international students,” the FSO said.
Concretely, the number of foreign students is projected to grow by 19 percent in bachelor’s programmes and by 37 percent at the master’s level.
More students – higher costs
Annual tuition fees that students pay at Swiss public universities are relatively low because they are heavily subsidised by both the federal government and cantons, with the two federal institutes of technology – ETH in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne – receiving the largest share of public subsidies.
They also have most foreign students of all the Swiss universities – 40 and 56 percent, respectively.
With the predicted increase in the number of students over the next several years, “universities will need to expand, both in terms of physical space and staff,” said Stefan Wolter, director of the Research Center for the Economics of Education at the University of Bern.
And that, in practical terms, means more money from the government coffers.
‘International dynamism’
To cut these costs, should the number of international students be curbed in Switzerland?
This is not being considered, Wolter said.
That’s because “many of them contribute to the quality of Swiss universities; furthermore, the principle of reciprocity applies, meaning that Swiss students also gain access to universities abroad” – that is, within the European Union (read more about this below).
“Moreover, the international dynamism of Swiss universities makes them attractive to renowned international researchers and faculty members,” he pointed out.
What about charging foreign students higher tuition fees than their Swiss counterparts?
That is possible in some cases but not in others.
Let’s look at the back history: For years, international students enrolled at the ETH and EPFL had been charged the same tuition as their Swiss counterparts – that is,1,460 francs a year .
In 2025, however, both universities tripled the fees for foreign nationals, charging new students enrolling that year 4,380 francs in tuition.
These hikes were meant to compensate for lower federal contributions, because from 2025, the government’s financial aid to the two public institutes had been sharply reduced.
However, during the autumn session of the Parliament in September 2026, MPs reversed this decision, stipulating that students from the European Union enrolled at the two institutes are to be treated the same as Swiss students regarding tuition fees. (Under the terms of the agreement with Brussels, Swiss students will also benefit from equal treatment, in terms of fees, when studying in an EU country.)
READ MORE: Lawmakers back equal tuition fees for Swiss and EU students at two major universities
It is not clear whether this decision will also extend to EU nationals studying at other public universities in Switzerland; it is likely that it will, under the terms of the agreement between Bern and Brussels, which stipulates that citizens of the European Union must be treated equally with the Swiss.
On the others hand, higher fees could apply to students from outside the EU, who are not bound by any bilateral agreements with Switzerland.
Wolter, however, suggested “a more sensible strategy”: Instead of increased tuition, “stricter admission criteria could be set for students from these countries,” he said.
As a result, fewer would be admitted to Swiss universities, with the accordingly lower burden on infrastructure and finances.
