Higher education in Switzerland has been growing in popularity over the years with statistics showing that the number of international students choosing Swiss higher educational institutions rising. Even during the height of the pandemic in 2020, international student enrolments in Swiss universities showed an increase of 4 percent while many other popular study abroad destinations recorded a dip in the number of international student enrollments in the same year. According to the Federal Statistics Office (FSO), the percentage of students enrolling in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level programs stood at 15 percent, 20 percent, and 50 percent respectively which highlights the trend of Switzerland becoming a more attractive study abroad option for students pursuing master’s and doctoral programs.   

For Switzerland, growing its international appeal as a global higher education hub is more than just getting more international students to enroll in their HEIs. Getting more talented students from abroad can also help the country in its drive for innovation, research, and business development. Also, the investments made by the country in education and research is one of the best among all the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations which even includes countries like Australia, Canada, US, UK, Spain and Italy all of whom are among the top international study abroad destinations in the world. Let’s analyze why Switzerland is quickly becoming one of the leading names in the international higher education and what makes it an appealing option for foreign learners.

Education, Research and Innovation  

Switzerland is one country that excels in all the different aspects of education, research and innovation. International comparisons highlight the fact that the citation ratios for the publications made by researchers in Switzerland are some of the highest in the world. Another statistic shows that more than 50 percent of all university students in the country attend one of the top 200 universities in the world.  Apart from this, Swiss HEIs give major emphasis to offering research-centric higher education to the learners which has made it a popular education destination for both foreign students and teachers alike. Educational institutions in the country have also maintained strong relationships with foreign institutions which has been opening up new opportunities of collaborative learning and research activities.  

University of Zurich is one of the leading public research universities in the country and the institute offers plethora of programs in myriad disciplines including social sciences and education, law and economics, mathematics and computing, and medicine and health to name a few. The institute facilitates and fosters impressive research activities that helps in coming up with innovative research approaches and solutions on different topics. The university has Centers of Competence which allow researchers in the institute to coordinate their research activities and reach their objectives much more efficiently. The institute goes the extra mile by transforming successful research results into innovative products and services that can be useful for the public. This also helps them in nurturing the culture of research and innovation in the campus.  

Scholarships and Financing your Education 

When compared to many other top international study abroad destinations in the world, tuition fees in Switzerland are significantly cheaper with master’s degree programs starting from 2.5 lakhs. On top of this, many educational institutions in the country offer excellent financial aid to the students who get into their institution. If you as an international student is doubtful about financing your higher education in Switzerland through student loans, then the government of the country also has myriad of scholarships and other financial aid programs for you.

The Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students is one of the most popular scholarships that are awarded by the Swiss government to students. One of the top priorities for this scholarship is promoting international exchange and research co-operation between Switzerland and more than 150 different countries. This particular scholarship covers the monthly payment and on top of that it exempts the tuition fees and many other costs. Some of the other scholarship options for international students who are aiming to get into Swiss HEIs are ETH Excellence Scholarships, University of Lausanne Master’s Grants for Foreign Students, and EPFL Excellence Fellowships.      

The Swiss Labor Market and its Appeal  

The Swiss labor market has always remained and attractive prospect for students and professionals alike. As a competitive economy, Switzerland has always welcomed human capital with the right competencies at almost all different industry verticals. There are also great companies to work for in the country and because of the liberal economic labor policies, more global companies are seeing Switzerland as a great business destination which in turn will increase the job opportunities in the country. The ever-growing list of global companies and increasing number of foreign workers enhances the international environment in the country making it easier for people from across the world to feel at home in Switzerland. Switzerland is also constantly ranked amongst the happiest countries in the world and has some of the most advantageous taxation systems in the world.    

With Switzerland already developing into one of the best study abroad destinations in the world backed by their world-class educational infrastructure and impressive career building opportunities, educational institutions in the country has now the opportunity to welcome more international students into their campuses. This in turn will help them nurture more skilled talent who can have a positive impact on the society.