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Europe
Switzerland
Research intensity, high salaries, very high costs
- 3
- Partner institutions
- CHF 1.5k
- From, per year
- 6 mo
- Post-study search
Capital
Bern
Currency
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Language
German, French, Italian
Tuition / year
CHF 1,500 – 8,000 / year
Living / month
CHF 1,800 – 2,800 / month
Intakes
September · February
Post-study work
6-month post-study job search
Residency route
Settlement permit after qualifying residence
The honest read
Why Switzerland, and what to watch
Switzerland pairs remarkably low public tuition with the highest living costs on this list. For research-track candidates in engineering, pharmaceuticals or finance, the salaries at the far end justify it. For most other profiles the arithmetic is harder.
Admission is genuinely selective and the research environment is exceptional. We recommend it to a narrower band of candidates than any other destination we cover, and we would rather say that plainly than sell it broadly.
Opportunities
Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, precision engineering, banking and finance, and internationally funded research.
Work culture
Exacting, punctual and quality-obsessed. Commitments are treated as binding and deadlines are not negotiable.
Lifestyle
Immaculate public infrastructure, mountains within reach of every city, and prices that reshape every budget decision.
Questions we get about Switzerland
Tuition is low; living is not. Budget two to three times what you would in Germany. For research-track candidates the eventual salaries justify it — for many other profiles they do not, and we will tell you which you are.
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