University fees might seem nominal compared to the Anglo-Saxon system. The Universities actually belong to the public domain and are still financed in large part by Swiss taxpayers, with the exception of the semi-private Italian University of Switzerland. Some universities require foreign students to pay an additional fee, a pittance when compared to the actual cost of a student to the society, which varies by faculty between SFR 50,000 and SFR 150,000 per year.

Fees per semester (SFR/month)	BS	BE	FR	GE	LA	NE	ZH	SG	ETHZ	EPFL	LU	USI
Course fees	600	600	450	500	500	500	600	700	550	550	600	2000
Obligatory semester fees	12	55	92	-	60	-	42	123	57	42	15	-
Additional fees for foreign students	-	-	150	-	-	275	100	150	-	-	-	2000
Total foreign student costs per semester	600	655	692	500	560	775	742	973	607	592	615	4000
Total foreign student costs per year	1200	1310	1384	1000	1120	1550	1484	1946	1214	1184	1230	8000

Your budget
A student’s monthly budget amounts to approximately SFR 1,800: food and upkeep from SFR 800 to SFR 850, lodging SFR 400 to SFR 600, tuition fees and supplies, transportation, insurance (approximately SFR 250). Students should be aware that several payments fall due simultaneously at the onset of their studies, for example:

• First term health insurance payment

• First semester tuition fees

• First rent payment, which often includes an obligatory security deposit

• Foreign student medical exam bill

As such, you can anticipate a minimum cost of SFR 16,000 to SFR 24,000 per year, depending on where you study (Geneva and Zurich being considered as more expensive) and your standard of living.