This list of universities in Switzerland lists all public and private higher education institutions accredited and coordinated according to the Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Swiss Higher Education Sector (short: Federal Higher Education Act, HEdA).
This includes all 12 publicly funded Swiss universities (10 cantonal universities and 2 federal institutes of technology) and a number of public and private Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences and other education institutions as higher education institutions. The Swiss University Conference and its accreditation body the CRUS-OAQ is responsible for their recognition; an accreditation also defines the right to call itself accordingly.
Universities
Institution Abbreviation Location Founded Language Type Enrollment (2024–25) University of Basel UNIBAS Basel 1460 German / English Public (cantonal) 13,325 University of Bern UNIBE Bern 1834 German / English Public (cantonal) 19,741 University of Fribourg UNIFR Fribourg 1889 French / German Public (cantonal) 9,872 University of Geneva UNIGE Geneva 1559 French / English Public (cantonal) 18,241 University of Neuchâtel UNINE Neuchâtel 1838 French / English Public (cantonal) 4,514 University of Lausanne UNIL Lausanne 1537 French / English Public (cantonal) 17,197 University of Lucerne UNILU Lucerne 2000 German / English Public (cantonal) 4,131 USI Lugano 1995 Italian / English Public (cantonal) 4,749 University of St. Gallen HSG St. Gallen 1898 German / English Public (cantonal) 9,992 University of Zurich UZH Zürich 1833 German / English Public (cantonal) 28,664 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL Lausanne 1853 French / English Public (federal) 14,072 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH / ETHZ Zürich 1855 German / English Public (federal) 26,198
Universities of Applied Sciences There are ten public and one private Universities of Applied Sciences (or (FH), (HES), and (SUP)) in Switzerland.
Public Bern University of Applied Sciences, BFH (), German-speaking Fachhochschule Graubünden, FHGR University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, FHNW (), German-speaking and English-speaking University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland, OST (), German-speaking University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, HES-SO (), French- and German-speaking in Fribourg only Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, HSLU (), German-speaking University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, SUPSI (), Italian-speaking Zurich University of Applied Sciences, ZHAW () Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK ()
Private Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences ()
Higher education institutions of art and music Accademia Teatro Dimitri, Verscio (part of the SUPSI) Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, CSI, Lugano (part of the SUPSI) École cantonale d'art de Lausanne (ÉCAL), Lausanne (part of the HES-SO) Dipartimento ambiente costruzioni e design, Canobbio (part of the SUPSI) HES-SO Valais-Wallis – Edhéa Ecole de design et haute école d'art, Sierre (part of the HES-SO) Haute école d'art et de design Genève, HEAD, Geneva (part of the HES-SO) Haute école de musique de Genève, HEM, Neuchâtel (part of the HES-SO) Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne, HEMU, Lausanne, Fribourg, Sion (part of the HES-SO) HE-Arc Conservation-restauration, Lausanne (part of the HES-SO) Hochschule der Künste, Bern, HKB (part of the BFH) Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst FHNW (part of the FHNW) Hochschule für Musik FHNW (part of the FHNW) Hochschule Luzern – Departement Design & Kunst (part of the HSLU) Hochschule Luzern – Departement Musik (part of the HSLU) La Manufacture – Haute école des arts de la scène, Lausanne (part of the HES-SO) Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZHdK Kalaidos Musikhochschule (part of the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences)
Universities of teacher education According to diploma recognition by the EDK / CDIP: Haute école pédagogique des cantons de Berne, du Jura et de Neuchâtel, HEP-BEJUNE Haute école pédagogique du canton de Vaud, HEP Vaud Pädagogische Hochschule Wallis | Haute école pédagogique du Valais, HEP-VS | PH-VS Haute école pédagogique Fribourg | Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, HEP | PH FR Hochschulinstitut IVP NMS Interkantonale Hochschule für Heilpädagogik Zürich, HfH Pädagogische Hochschule Graubünden | Alta scuola pedagogica dei Grigioni | Scola auta da pedagogia dal Grischun, PHGR Pädagogische Hochschule Bern, PHBern Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern, PH Luzern Pädagogische Hochschule Nordwestschweiz, PH FHNW Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen, PHSG Pädagogische Hochschule Schaffhausen, PHSH Pädagogische Hochschule Schwyz, PHSZ Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau, PHTG Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich, PH Zürich Pädagogische Hochschule Zug, PH Zug Schweizer Hochschule für Logopädie Rorschach, SHLR SUPSI – Dipartimento formazione e apprendimento (Ticino), SUPSI-DFA Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training, SFUVET
Other institutions of the higher education sector Cesar Ritz Colleges (university of applied sciences institute) Franklin University Switzerland, FUS (university institute) Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies of Geneva, IHEID (university institute) Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich, HWZ (university of applied sciences institute) Hochschulinstitut Schaffhausen, HSSH (university institute) International Institute for Management Development, IMD (university institute) Les Roches International School of Hotel Management (university of applied sciences institute) Schweizerisches universitäres Institut für traditionelle chinesische Medizin, SWISS TCM UNI (university institute) Staatsunabhängige Theologische Hochschule Basel, STH Basel (university institute) Stiftung Universitäre Fernstudien Schweiz, Brig (university institute) Swiss Business School, SBS (university of applied sciences institute) Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen, SFISM Swiss UMEF (university of applied sciences institute) Theologische Hochschule Chur (university institute) European Institute of Management and Technology (EIMT) IPEM Technological University Educrest Institute of Early Childhood Education
International rankings for the public universities
ARWU
In relation to its population size, Switzerland is the country with the highest number of universities among the 100 best of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (2014–2015).Rankings: top of the class , The Economist, 28 March 2015 (page visited on 7 April 2015).
Switzerland Top Universities in 2020/21
A list of Switzerland top universities as per three major ranking platforms ARWU (Academic Ranking of World Universities), THE (Times Higher Education) and the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds).
+World rankings University Location ARWU(2020) THE(2020) QS(2021)ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of TechnologyZürich20146 EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)Lausanne834314University of ZurichZürich567369University of BaselBasel8892149University of GenevaGeneva59149106University of LausanneLausanne101–150191169University of BernBern101–150109114University of FribourgFribourg401–500351–400601–650Università della Svizzera ItalianaLugano701–800251–300273University of St. Gallen (HSG)St.Gallen–401–500428University of NeuchâtelNeuchâtel901–1000401–500–
See also List of largest universities by enrollment in Switzerland Education in Switzerland Science and technology in Switzerland List of colleges and universities by country List of colleges and universities List of Hospitality Management Schools in Switzerland
References
External links
Official portal of Swissuniversities The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation Results of University Rankings