Top Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students 2024-2025
Did you know that tuition fees at Swiss universities are relatively low compared to other European Countries? You can enroll at a Swiss University for as low as $1,500 a year. This makes Switzerland one of the top choices for international students looking to pursue studies in Europe. Moreover, there are available Swiss scholarships for international students that help with tuition fees and living costs.
Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. The research scholarship is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level. The scholarship covers a monthly payment, exemption of tuition fees, health insurance, airfare, housing allowance, etc.
Swiss Universities that Offer Scholarships for International Students
ETH Excellence Scholarships
ETH Zurich supports excellent students both from the ETH and from other universities (national and international) wishing to pursue a Master’s degree at ETH with two scholarship programs: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) which covers the full study and living costs of the students and the Master Scholarship Programme (MSP) wherein students receive a partial stipend and the offer of an assistantship.
University of Lausanne Master’s Grants for Foreign Students
The University of Lausanne in Switzerland offers scholarships to international students who wish to pursue a Masters’s Degree at the University through the UNIL Master’s Grants. The amount of the grant is CHF 1,600.- per month from 15 September to 15 July, for a duration not exceeding the regulation minimum period of the program.
EPFL Excellence Fellowships
Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) offers a limited number of fellowships at the Master level to students with outstanding academic records. Anyone applying to an EPFL Master’s Program is eligible. For external applicants, each fellowship consists of a financial package of CHF 16,000 per academic year plus a reservation of a room in student accommodation.
Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships
The Institute invests considerable resources in financial aid, with the goal of attracting talented scholars from around the world, regardless of origin and financial ability. Financial aid may take the following forms: a full scholarship in the amount of CHF 20,000; a partial scholarship in the amount of CHF 10,000; a tuition reduction or a teaching/research assistantship. For the most highly ranked Ph.D. students, a 4-year package combining 2 years of full scholarship and 2 years of teaching assistantship is also offered.
The University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships
The University of Geneva Faculty of Science, in collaboration with several sponsors, has established an Excellence Fellowship Program to support outstanding and highly motivated candidates who intend to pursue a Master of Science in any of the disciplines covered by the Faculty. The Excellence Fellowship consists of a grant amounting to CHF 10,000 to CHF 15,000 per year.
IMD MBA Scholarships
IMD offers a number of scholarship programs for international students from different countries and backgrounds. Each scholarship program awards around CHF 25,000-50,000.
UNIL Master’s Grants in Switzerland for Foreign Students
University of Lausanne
Masters Degree
Deadline: 1 Nov 2023 (annual)
Study in: Switzerland
The course starts September 2024
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students
Swiss Government
Ph.D./Postdoctoral Degree
Deadline: varies, Sept-Dec 2023
Study in: Switzerland
The next course starts in 2024
Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarship for International Students
Friedrich Naumann Foundation
Masters/PhD Degree
Deadline: 31 Oct/30 Apr (Annual)
Study in: Germany, Switzerland
The course starts in April/Oct 2024
University of Geneva Excellence Masters Fellowships
University of Geneva
Master’s (MS) Degree
Deadline: 15 March 2023 (annual)
Study in: Switzerland
The course starts September 2024
ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarships
ETH Zurich
Masters Degree
Deadline: 15 Dec 2023 (annual)
Study in: Switzerland
The course starts Fall of 2024
EPFL Excellence Fellowships
EPFL
Bachelor/Masters’s Degree
Deadline: 15-30 April/15 Dec (annual)
Study in: Switzerland
The next course starts September 2024
Nestle MBA Scholarships for Women from Developing Countries
Nestle/IMD
MBA Degree
Deadline: 15 July (annual)
Study in: Switzerland
The course starts Jan 2024