5 Best Engineering Universities in Switzerland

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Switzerland is renowned for its engineering marvels, especially for its construction and automobiles. It also holds some of the greatest engineering universities in the world, where students receive best in class study and research facilities.

The very low tuition fees, international student-friendly programs, and access to cutting-edge technologies make the country a very favorable choice for aspiring engineers. With that, here are the 5 best engineering universities in Switzerland.

Best Engineering Schools in Switzerland

1. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich

  • Engineering Program Link
  • Degrees offered: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD
  • Language of Instruction: Bachelor (German), Master and Ph.D. (English, German)

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) is the best engineering university in Switzerland. Founded in 1854, it is situated in Zurich, which is the largest city in Switzerland. It is among the top 10 best universities in the world.

ETH Zurich contains a total of 22,200 students with 528 professors from 126 countries. Students enjoy very low tuition fees, but they undergo some of the busiest schedules in any educational institution. All bachelor’s degree programs begin in German.

Among the 5 focus areas of study, the Engineering Sciences, and Architecture, and Civil Engineering are the destinations of aspiring engineers. Apart from these, the university holds over 100 student associations for various activities.

ETH offers one of the best research facilities on the continent. About 4,170 doctoral students and 6,280 scientific staffs work here, achieving 90 patent applications and 200 invention disclosures every year. Notable alumni include 21 Nobel prize winners including Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Pauli.

The ETH Zurich is ranked 6th best in the world according to the QS World University Ranking, and 4th best worldwide for engineering studies. US News placed it 13th best for technical studies.

2. École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne

  • Engineering Program Link
  • Degrees offered: Bachelor, Master, and PhD
  • Language of Instruction: Bachelor (French), Master and Ph.D. (French, English)

Founded in Lausanne in 1853, the École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne (EPFL) is one of the greatest institutions for engineering in the country. It is also a sister institution of the ETH Zurich. But while ETH Zurich is focused on German, the EPFL has French as its primary language.

Currently, 11,449 students are enrolled here, along with 3,971 academic staff. They reside and study on 5 campuses. There are 8 schools or faculties here. The School of Engineering offers 4 Bachelor and 6 Master technical programs. School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and School of Basic Sciences also contain numerous engineering programs. Almost all bachelor’s programs are in French here.

Students from 125 countries study here and are benefitted from top-notch research facilities. As one of the top engineering schools in Switzerland, École Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne has numerous professors with many citations. In 2019 alone, the EPFL had 4,400 publications. As of now, 23 startups have been created. It is also highly ranked, being the 14th best university and 11th best engineering institution in the world.

3. University of Zurich

  • Engineering Program Link
  • Degrees offered: Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral
  • Language of Instruction: Diploma and Bachelor (German), Masters and Doctoral (German, English, French, Italian, and Spanish)

University of Zurich (UZH), next on our list of best engineering universities in Switzerland, is the largest university in Switzerland and offers programs in more than 5 languages. Currently, about 28,000 students are enrolled here, taught by 3,702 academic staff and 678 professors on 4 university campuses.

Students can choose among 7 faculties of study, offering a total of 150 academic departments. 5,686 degrees are awarded annually by the university. The Faculty of Science holds 13 departments, 8 joint departments, and 3 associate departments. Apart from these, the university holds one of the biggest libraries in the country. The Zurich Central Library contains more than 5 million volumes.

UZH is a renowned place for research. It is a member of both LERU (League of European Research Universities) and U21 (Universitas 21 Network). The research base has 20 centers of competence and currently holds 5,517 Ph.D. candidates. Notable alumni include 12 Nobel prize winners. QS ranked UZH in 69th place globally and 218th best for technical studies.

4. University of Geneva

The University of Geneva (UNIGE) was established in 1559 in the populous city of Geneva. More than 17,000 students from 151 countries study here in 6 different locations, but all undergraduate students require elementary French language proficiency to study.

UNIGE contains 9 faculties and 14 interfaculty centers that unite multiple faculties for better understanding. It offers a total of 500 programs, among which 136 are bachelors and masters, 87 doctoral and 343 continuing education programs are given.

The university also provides degrees completed abroad. It has a large number of collaboration institutes to study a semester or a year abroad. UNIGE is a member of LERU as part of research excellence. It has 7 centers of competence recognized nationally and 6 research centers. Notable alumni include 10 Nobel prize winners including Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the United Nations. The University of Geneva is ranked 106th best university globally.

5. University of Basel

  • Engineering Program Link
  • Degrees offered: Diploma, Bachelors, Masters, and PhD
  • Language of Instruction: Bachelor (German), Master and Ph.D. (English, German)

We end our list of the best engineering schools in Switzerland with the University of Basel. This university is the oldest in the country, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It was founded in 1460 in Basel, Switzerland, and currently holds 12,811 students. It also offers a broad range of studies from life sciences to quantum physics.

Students are taught by 378 professors here and choose among 7 faculties and 26 departments. The Faculty of Science contains 2,942 students. There are 50 bachelor programs all in German, and 81 master programs, among which 22 in English. It’s a great place for international students and holds 3,102 students from all over the world.

The University of Basel excels at research works. It has the largest library in the country, the Basel University Library. It also contains 9 museums, 7 research networks, and numerous collaborations with renowned institutions and organizations. 2 Nobel prize winners are among the alumni. The University of Basel is ranked 149th best university in the world according to the QS, and 451st best for technical studies.

 

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