Study Masters in Switzerland: Tuition, Application Process and Cost of Living

Are you a student who is in love with chocolate, high-end activities, and amazing landscapes, then Switzerland is made just for you.

A fantastic plus is its nice population, the well stocked shops and booming economy, plus the international atmosphere, where local and international students from across the world come in search of high quality and low tuition education and living conditions.

We cannot overemphasize how great your decision of studying in Switzerland is, but we can talk on some points and break some of the stereotypes of yodelling and shady banks where mobsters keep their money.

Why Should I Study in Switzerland?

Switzerland is the sort of country that excels at virtually everything: from learned psychologists like Jung and Piaget, to accomplished sportsmen and women, like Federer and Hingis, and even world renowned physicists like Einstein – the degrees and fields are top class.

Also, Switzerland is in the heart of Europe and considering the fact that most of the countries are compact, there’s no wonder you could visit 3 countries within a few hours, and thus experience the true international student experience.

Tuition fees in Switzerland

Although Switzerland is not in the EU, it doesn’t discriminate between tuition costs of European and non-European students. That’s why both groups of students pay the same tuition fees, which is roughly 1.600 EUR / year for Bachelor’s and Master’s courses.

Comparatively, PhD programs would cost around 100 or 200 EUR / year.

Still, the tuition cost may depend and rise based on the program you wish to study. For example, Medicine can go up to 16.000 EUR / year.

Interestingly, students who travel to Switzerland on exchange programmes are not expected to pay any tuition fee, while universities from Fribourg, Lucerne, Neuchatel, St. Gallen, Zurich, and Lugano charge extra tuition fees for international students.

Accommodation, housing, food and other expenses

If you didn’t know, Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, but every cash you spend there will be worth it, due to it high standard of living the average salary can go up too. Inorder to live there as an international student you have to put together a budget of at least 1,200 EUR/month.

But, for the sake of this article, we will discuss some of the standard prices you will find in the shops, and how much the accommodation and transportation will go for.

For example:

1 litre of milk will go for 1.30 EUR;
A loaf of bread of 500g is roughly 2.30 EUR;
A meal at a cheap restaurant can be around 20 EUR;
A monthly pass for your transportation will go up to 65 EUR;
The rent per month in a one-bedroom apartment outside the centre can cost up to 1.000 EUR;

The average monthly NET salary will be roughly 4.000 EUR, but will depend largely on the course you studied, how old you’ve been in that position, and if you’re an intern or a permanent employee.

How to Apply to a Master’s in Switzerland

If you’ve decided to study a Master’s degree at a university in Switzerland, you will have to gather the right documents to prove that you fit the university requirements. Provide complete personal information, previous qualifications, financial information, and a personal statement.

What documents do I need to provide to apply in Switzerland?

You’ll be expected to submit the following supporting documents:

Completed application form;
two passport-size photos;
copy of your international passport;
academic transcript(s) from the university you attended;
high school or Bachelor’s diploma;
language proficiency certificates (German/French/English);
resume;
receipt of the application fee;
motivation letter.

Note that If your document/statement is not written in English/French/ German a translation will be required, from a recognized translator – confirmed by an official stamp. In a few cases, universities may request for additional documents after you have submitted your initial application.in order to avoid delays or lateness, do well to submit your application with plenty of time in advance.

Prove your language skills

Inorder to show that you have the right English skills, you’ll also present an IELTS or TOEFL language certificate. If you fail to meet the minimum language scores you will be required to improve them by taking an English preparation program.

If you desire to study in French or German, you’ll need to have one of the following certificates:

German: DSH, TestDaF, OSD, Telc and others
French: DELF or DALF

Application deadlines for Switzerland

The typical deadline for applying to a Master’s program in Switzerland are usually during autumn (November), or in spring (April). Most times, universities operate rolling applications, which means you can apply whenever you want to.

How to Apply to a university in Switzerland

Choose a programme offered by any of the universities and begin the application process. You are expected to answer a few questions about who you are and what you intend to study and create your online account. After you upload required application documents, you will be contacted by one of their admission counsellors. The counsellor will make sure you’ll have the best chances of getting into the university and study on cheapest tuition.