Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and famous for high standard education and ground-breaking research. For this reason, Swiss MBAs and PhD programmes are renowned and appreciated worldwide. As a European business hub, young adults not only dream of studying here, but they also consider pursuing a career in Switzerland after finishing their degree studies.

Why Study in Switzerland?

Switzerland is well-known for its innovative research and development industry so students endeavoring to major in biotechnology, genetics, pharmaceuticals and other cutting-edge, health and medical-related careers will find Swiss higher education brimming with exceptional science and technology programs. Alternately, the Swiss are also highly respected for their financial and business acumen. Students endeavoring to pursue a career in the financial sector will also discover that Swiss universities provide comprehensive degree programs for business and financial majors.

Geography & Climate:

The alps divide Switzerland in two different zones: North of the alps, the climate is almost continental, but the area still receives a lot of precipitation from the Atlantic ocean; south of the alps, the climate is more Mediterranean. Also the elevation has a great impact on the climate, especially on the temperature. Springtime is usually wet and cool, towards April, the weather conditions change very frequently. It may be rainy, then sunny and then some snowfall, all within one hour. July and August are usually dry and hot (30°C and more, which corresponds to the higher eighties in Fahrenheit). Fall is dry but much cooler than summer, its the best time to go to the mountains, at least as long as there is no snow yet. At higher elevations (above 1000 m or 3000 feet), they get the first snow usually in October, the roads in the mountains have to be closed in November or December the latest. Winter is supposed to be cold and dry with the lowest temperatures in January or February.

Currency:

The Swiss currency is called “Schweizerfranken” (“Swiss Francs”). CHF (“CH” derives from Switzerland’s other name “Confoederatio Helvetica”.) is the ISO representation for Swiss francs; however, the old notation sFr. is still used quite often.
1 CHF =67.48 INR/- (Approx. as in 2015).

Cost of Education & Living:

The cost of education in Switzerland is between CHF 7,000-10,000 for Undergraduate Courses and between CHF 14,000-30,000 for Post-Graduate Courses. The cost of living is approximately CHF 16000-24000 per year, this covers all the living expenses; including accommodation, food, travel, books, clothes and entertainment.

Major Cities:

Altenrhein, Basel, Bern Chiasso Chur, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano, Luzern, St. Gallen, Zürich.

Food costs in Switzerland

Most students choose to buy their food from the supermarkets and eat out only once in a while. Food bills from the supermarket would be around 180 – 200 EUR/month, but they could get higher, to about 280 – 300 EUR/month. Try making most of your shopping after 5 p.m., as many stores add 25–50 percent discounts on perishable items.

Transportation costs

Many students choose to get around Switzerland by foot, (around 11%), 10 % use the bicycle, and another 10 % use the public transport. A monthly pass on the public transportation is around 40 – 50 EUR.

Health Insurance Coverage

Anyone residing in Switzerland longer than three months must carry some kind of health insurance coverage, whether it is Swiss-based or recognized by another country. Students arriving from countries that offer international coverage may not have to obtain Switzerland’s compulsury health insurance.

Scholarship options for students in Switzerland

In Switzerland, international students can get scholarships offered by the Swiss government, based on partnerships established with several countries. Most of these scholarships are granted to postgraduate candidates and researchers.