Switzerland has ten cantonal universities, two federal institutes of technology (ETH Zurich and EPFL), universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education and a group of private schools. International students can apply to all of them, but public bachelor's degrees are mostly taught in German, French or Italian, and each university sets its own rules for foreign school certificates.
We're the admissions team at BHMS, a private hospitality and business school in Lucerne, so we're one of the options on this page. We've kept the public side factual and sourced, and we say plainly where a public university is the better choice.
How is Swiss higher education organised?
Swiss degrees follow the international three-tier model: bachelor's, master's and doctorate, and only the universities award PhDs. About two thirds of each year's degrees go to university graduates and one third to graduates of universities of applied sciences.
| Type | Who they are | Usual way in for Swiss students |
|---|---|---|
| Cantonal universities (10) | Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano), Zurich | Baccalaureate (Matura) |
| Federal institutes of technology (2) | ETH Zurich, EPFL (Lausanne) | Baccalaureate (Matura) |
| Universities of applied sciences | Ten are swissuniversities members, among them Bern, Lucerne, Northwestern Switzerland, Western Switzerland, ZHAW and the Zurich University of the Arts | Federal vocational baccalaureate |
| Universities of teacher education | Teacher training in each region | Baccalaureate (Matura) |
| Private schools | Many in hospitality and business, BHMS among them | Each school's own admission rules |
What do Swiss public universities ask of international applicants?
This is where most international plans change. swissuniversities publishes the rules for every country's school certificate, and they're strict. Here's the 2026/27 picture for four common certificates.
| Your school certificate | Most cantonal universities | ETH Zurich |
|---|---|---|
| US High School Diploma | Diploma + Advanced Placement tests in six subjects, each scored 3 or higher | Reduced entrance exam with at least three AP tests (math, a science, a language) scored 3+, otherwise the comprehensive entrance exam |
| Mexican Bachillerato General | Grade average of 7/10 + admission to a recognised Mexican university in the same subject + ECUS exam | Admission at home in the subject + reduced entrance exam |
| Colombian Bachiller | A university degree of at least three years | Admission at home in the subject + reduced entrance exam |
| Brazilian Certificado de Conclusão do Ensino Médio | 9 + 3 years of schooling, average 7/10 (bom) + admission to a recognised Brazilian university + ECUS exam | Admission at home in the subject + reduced entrance exam |
ECUS is the central supplementary exam that Swiss universities set for applicants with a foreign certificate. EPFL sets its own entrance exam for all four certificates above. Then there's language: ETH Zurich says the main teaching language of its bachelor's studies is German, and a C1 German certificate must reach it by 31 March.
Don't have the certificate a public university wants? A foundation programme can be a way in for a BHMS degree: see University Pathway Switzerland, our certificate route into Year 1.
How much do universities in Switzerland cost?
Public tuition is low, and it's no longer the same for everyone. From autumn 2025 ETH Zurich charges CHF 2'190 per semester to students who came to Switzerland to study, against CHF 730 for Swiss students. ETH estimates the full cost of a year in Zurich, tuition and living, at about CHF 28'100 (about US$34,000 at the October 2026 rate). Each university sets its own fees, so check the one you want.
A private school costs more. A BHMS bachelor's year is CHF 39'700 in Year 1 on the business track (about US$48,000), and that total already includes the academic semester's shared room and meals, Swiss health insurance, visa administration and internship placement. The other half of each year is a paid internship at CHF 2'390 a month gross in Switzerland. Line by line on the fees page.
Business schools in Switzerland
"Business school" covers three different things here. The cantonal universities run economics and management faculties; at the University of St. Gallen, for example, some applicants also go through its own selection procedure. Universities of applied sciences offer business programmes too. And private business and hospitality schools set their own admission rules.
If you want a business degree with work experience built in, look at the BA in Global Business Management or the BA in Hotel & Hospitality Management. Both are taught in English in Lucerne and dual-awarded with Robert Gordon University, and every year alternates six months of study with six months of paid work.
Where does BHMS fit?
BHMS Business & Hotel Management School is a private school in Lucerne with 27+ years of teaching. It's eduQua certified and regulated by the Canton of Lucerne, and it's ranked #12 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 for Hospitality & Leisure Management (the ranking announcement on bhms.ch). It isn't a research university and it doesn't award PhDs.
What it does differently:
- English throughout. Year 1 asks for IELTS 5.5 or equivalent, a high school diploma and a minimum age of 17.
- Two degrees. Every BA carries 180 ECTS and is awarded by BHMS and Robert Gordon University, UK.
- Paid work every year. Three six-month internships across the degree.
- Credit for what you've done. Students with one or two years of hospitality or culinary studies can apply for direct entry into Year 2 or Year 3.
Public university or private school: which fits you?
Choose a public university if you're aiming at a research subject (medicine, engineering, natural sciences), you speak or can reach C1 in German or French, and your certificate meets the table above. It's excellent value.
Choose a school like BHMS if you want hospitality, culinary arts or business taught in English, admission based on your diploma, your English and an interview, and Swiss work experience on your CV before you graduate. For the wider view of study costs and visas, read our guide to studying abroad in Switzerland.
Published 19 October 2026 by the admissions team of BHMS Business & Hotel Management School, Lucerne.