Top 10 Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students

Did you know Swiss universities have relatively low tuition fees compared to other European nations? The cost of enrolling in a Swiss university can be as low as $1,500 per year. It is for this reason that Switzerland is a top choice among international students looking to study in Europe. Moreover, there are available scholarships in Switzerland for international students that help with tuition fees and living costs.

The best way to go to study in Switzerland, without paying out of pocket, and without accumulating debt, is through scholarships. But where do you find them? There are plenty of scholarships available to international students who wish to study in Switzerland. In fact, there are so many that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worthwhile and which ones aren’t! The Swiss government offers many scholarships for international students, but some of them are given only to Swiss citizens, not foreign nationals.

As an international student looking to study in Switzerland, you’ll be competing with both Swiss nationals and other international students in the country who are searching for the same scholarships you are. Luckily, there are plenty of other resources available to fund your education in Switzerland as an international student, so you’ll never need to worry about how you’re going to pay tuition again!

There are plenty of Swiss government and private organizations that offer hundreds of international scholarships specifically targeted toward international students like you. To help ease the process of searching for scholarships in Switzerland and enable you to spend your time wisely, we have researched, compiled, and ranked the top 10 scholarships available to international students in Switzerland. Here are the top 10 scholarships in Switzerland for international students!

Government Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students

Here are the scholarships offered by the Swiss Government to international students.

Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students

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 scholarships for International Students

Furthermore, here are university scholarships in Switzerland 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 Master’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’s 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’s 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; tuition reduction or a teaching/research assistantship. For the most highly ranked Ph.D. students, a 4-year package combining 2 years of a full scholarship and 2 years of teaching assistantship is also offered.

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.

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Scholarships

The Geneva Academy offers partial and full scholarships for its LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) and Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law (M TJ). Full scholarships cover tuition fees and living expenses in Geneva for 10 months. Partial scholarships cover tuition fees.

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.

Final Thoughts

If you want to study free in Europe, there are thousands of international scholarships in Switzerland for short courses, undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. degree programs in top Switzerland universities. These funded and fully funded scholarships in Europe international students from all over the world. Moreover, the Swiss government is also playing its role side by side by promoting quality education and offering the Swiss government fully-funded scholarships for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees.

All you need is to widen your search network and opt for the best suitable scholarship program relevant to your chosen degree. No wonder the beautiful sites of Switzerland are indeed a blessing factor, but their education system is a cherry on the top. Low tuition costs, innovative yet practical approach programs, and advanced teaching methodologies have made this spot the top favorite destination of international students.