Switzerland 2023/24 - student fees and grants

National student fee

In Switzerland all students pay fees. Each higher education institution sets its own fees, so the amount depends on where you study. There is no official part-time student status and there are no short-cycle programmes.

In 2023/24 home students paid from about EUR 617 to EUR 2,264 a year, in both Bachelor's and Master's programmes; a typical fee, estimated from the average, was around EUR 1,544. Fees usually do not depend on the field of study, although some universities charge more for medicine.

International students may pay more, but not every institution charges them extra – their fees range from about CHF 1,400 to CHF 10,000 a year. Some institutions also charge more if you study longer than planned, but this is not a general rule. Institutions can reduce or waive fees for social reasons, but only very few students get this.

Student grants

Switzerland offers need-based grants to full-time home students up to the age of 35; no merit-based or universal grants are reported. There is no minimum grant. The maximum follows the standard set in the Intercantonal Agreement on grants and loans, and individual cantons can set a higher one.

In 2023/24 the maximum grant was EUR 16,464 a year and the average grant was about EUR 9,453. Only a small share of students get a grant: about 5.5% in the first cycle and 1.3% in the second cycle (grant only).

Loans

Publicly subsidised loans are available to full-time home students in Bachelor's and Master's programmes up to the age of 35, and they can be combined with a grant. Very few students use them: about 0.2% of first- and second-cycle students have only a loan, while 0.4% (first cycle) and 0.2% (second cycle) combine a loan with a grant. There is no data on loan amounts.

Tax benefit for student's parents

Parents of students can get tax benefits, with no age limit.

Family allowances

Parents can receive family allowances for a student child up to the age of 25.