Comparing the Top Universities in Switzerland: ETH Zurich or EPFL?

ETH Zurich and EPFL are based in Zurich and Lausanne respectively, and the two locations share many similarities. Both cities are on the shores of a lake (Lakes Zurich and Geneva) and both boast magnificent views of the Alps mountain range, offering opportunities for outdoor exploration along with a broad spectrum of cultural venues.

Both cities also have significant student populations, being home to several universities. Notably, ETH Zurich is joined by the University of Zurich (ranked 69^th in the QS World University Rankings 2021) and EPFL by the University of Lausanne (joint 169^th). As is generally true of Switzerland, both cities come with a relatively high cost of living, though this is offset by relatively low tuition fees.

The major difference is one of size and pace. Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city, home to the Swiss Stock Exchange, and known as one of the world’s most important financial and business hubs. Lausanne, the country’s fourth-largest city, can’t compete in terms of density of industry or entertainment – though it is the headquarters for a number of international companies and organizations, including the International Olympic Committee. However, neither of these cities are likely to leave students short of things to see and do, either indoors or out.

Mesot said: “Swizerland and ETH Zurich are located in the heart of Europe’ and Zurich often ranks highly for quality of life. The city boasts a wealth of historical buildings, beautifully situated in proximity to a lake and the Swiss Alps. The campus locations benefit from both historical tradition and modern lab facilities”.

Zurich is in the German-speaking area of Switzerland (though what you’ll hear on the streets is actually the local Swiss-German dialect). Meanwhile, Lausanne is in the French-speaking region, although again Swiss-French may differ slightly. So, if either of these languages is your first language, you may prefer one location over the other, with only a few minor language differences to adjust to.

EPFL claims to be “Europe’s most cosmopolitan technical university” – and it has some foundation for this. In the QS World University Rankings 2021, it ranks 12^th in the world for the international diversity of its students and 15^th for the international diversity of its academic staff. ETH Zurich is also within the world’s top 20 for international diversity of staff, but a little further behind in terms of international student representation (59^th in the world).

While EPFL has a higher ratio of international students, ETH Zurich has a much larger student community overall – with around 22,193 students, it’s around twice the size of EPFL. As is to be expected of universities with a strong research focus, both have a high proportion of master’s and doctorate students. Postgraduate students account for almost half of the student community at each.

Compared to other top study destinations, such as the US or UK, tuition fees at universities in Switzerland are relatively low for domestic, EU and international students.

At ETH Zurich, current fees for all bachelor’s, master’s and diploma courses currently stand at CHF 730 per semester (~US$760).

There are two semesters per year, and students at ETH Zurich also need to pay a compulsory semester fee of CHF 69, meaning that your total fees per year will be CHF 1,598 (~US$1670).

Students also pay a fee for examinations, of up to CHF 800 (~US$840). At EPFL, the fees are very similar – CHF 710 (~US$740) per semester (including other fees) for bachelor’s and master’s students.

Doctoral students at both institutions are typically employed as research assistants, receiving a salary.  However, they are required to pay a one-off fee of CHF 1,500 (~US$1,580) when registering for the final doctoral examination.

While tuition fees are low, the cost of living in Switzerland is notoriously high. Both universities advise students to budget around CHF 1,870-2,056 (~US$1,950 – 2,150) per month to cover study and living costs – including university fees, accommodation, food, transport, health insurance, course supplies and personal items.

At ETH Zurich, bachelor’s students who have passed their first-year exams, and master’s and doctoral students who completed an undergraduate degree at the institution may be eligible to apply for an interest-free loan of up to CHF 12,000 (~US$12,650). Students still in their first semester can also apply for interest-free short-term loans of up to CHF 5,000 (~US$5,270).

The university offers scholarships which aim to cover some of the costs of study. Students can get an estimate of how much they may be eligible to receive using an online calculator.

In addition, the Solidarity Fund for Foreign Students in Zurich is available for international bachelor’s students who have completed their first semester. This provides up to CHF 750 (~US$790) per month, for up to 10 semesters. International master’s applicants with a very strong academic background can apply to the school’s highly competitive Excellence Scholarship and Master Scholarship programs. Recipients of these graduate scholarships do not have to pay tuition fees and receive a monthly stipend to help cover living costs.

Similarly, EPFL offers financial aid for existing students who have completed at least one year of their studies, via grants from the Fondation pour les Etudiants de l'EPFL. It also has an Excellence Fellowship scheme, for those applying to study a master’s degree, which is open to international students.

Further scholarships for graduate-level international students are offered by the Swiss government, via the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).

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Which of these top universities in Switzerland gets your vote? Let us know in the comments below.

This article was originally published in September 2013. It was last updated in June 2020 to include the latest data from the QS World University Rankings and other sources.

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