Switzerland · Universities of applied sciences

University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana · University of applied sciences (SUPSI) · canton of Ticino

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Students, 2025/26

7,146

Educated abroad

28.3%

1,902 of 6,712 diploma, bachelor's and master's students

Largest field

Business, Management and Services

27.1% of students

Of its 7,146 students, 572 are in teacher education or therapy — Department of Education and Learning (SUPSI-DFA), 572 — which the Federal Statistical Office also lists with the universities of teacher education. The Federal Statistical Office counts three types of institution separately. Teacher-education schools that belong to a university of applied sciences — such as the FHNW's School of Education — are counted here with that university, as the Office's combined table counts them; the independent universities of teacher education are listed on their own.

“Educated abroad” (Bildungsausländer) means the student gained their university entrance qualification outside Switzerland. It is not nationality: a foreign national who went to school in Switzerland counts as educated in Switzerland. For universities of applied sciences the Office publishes it for diploma, bachelor's and master's students only, so continuing-education students are left out of that share. Students are everyone matriculated at a Swiss higher education institution in the autumn (winter) semester, as the Federal Statistical Office defines them.

Students, 2006/07–2025/26

2006/07: 2,2342025/26: 7,146
2025/267,146
2024/256,890
2023/246,718
2022/236,512
2021/226,362
2020/216,115
2019/205,944
2018/195,726
2017/185,442
2016/175,221
2015/164,918
2014/154,581
2013/144,522
2012/134,290
2011/124,037
2010/113,661
2009/103,400
2008/092,695
2007/082,427
2006/072,234

Fields of study, 2025/26

The Federal Statistical Office's own English field names.

  • Business, Management and Services1,940 · 27.1%
  • Engineering and IT1,827 · 25.6%
  • Health1,338 · 18.7%
  • Teacher education572 · 8.0%
  • Music, Theatre and Other Arts387 · 5.4%
  • Social Work376 · 5.3%
  • Architecture, Construction and Planning373 · 5.2%
  • Design333 · 4.7%

Level of study, 2025/26

  • Bachelor's5,525 · 77.3%
  • Master's1,187 · 16.6%
  • Continuing education434 · 6.1%

Fees

Each institution sets its own tuition — for ETH Zurich and EPFL the ETH Board does, by ordinance — and many charge students from abroad more. Fees are not published as open data, and swissuniversities' fee tables may not be reused, so no fees are shown here: check each institution's website.

Other universities of applied sciences: University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Bern University of Applied Sciences, OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, Zurich University of the Arts, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, HWZ University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich, SBS Swiss Business School, Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen, César Ritz Colleges Switzerland

Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO/BFS), Students and Degrees in Higher Education (SHIS-studex) — tables “Studierende an den universitären Hochschulen nach Jahr, Fachbereich, Studienstufe, Bildungsherkunft und Hochschule” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040100_108); “Studierende an den Fachhochschulen und pädagogischen Hochschulen nach Jahr, Fachbereich, Studienstufe, Geschlecht und Hochschule” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040400_136); “Studierende an den Fachhochschulen und pädagogischen Hochschulen nach Jahr, Fachbereich, Bildungsherkunft und Hochschule, nur Studierende auf Stufen Diplom, Bachelor und Master (ohne Weiterbildung)” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040400_138); “Studierende an den Fachhochschulen (ohne PH) nach Jahr, Fachbereich, Studienstufe, Geschlecht und Hochschule” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040200_170); “Studierende an den pädagogischen Hochschulen (ohne FH) nach Jahr, Fachrichtung, Geschlecht und Hochschule” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040300_191); “Studierende an den pädagogischen Hochschulen (ohne FH) nach Jahr, Fachrichtung, Staatsangehörigkeit (Kategorie) und Hochschule” (https://www.bfs.admin.ch/asset/de/px-x-1502040300_192). Terms of use: opendata.swiss “Open use. Must provide the source” (https://opendata.swiss/en/terms-of-use). Sums and shares, English names, the English names of university and teacher-education fields, cantons, cities and websites are CollegeMatcher's additions, not the FSO's.