How much universities charge foreigners compared to locals

Foreign students pay significantly higher tuition fees in Swiss universities than locals, a new study reveals, writes Helena Bachmann for The Local.

In some establishments, students coming from abroad pay higher tuition fees. Swiss universities are public, which means they are partly supported by tax revenue, so people who don’t reside in Switzerland have to shell out more money to study here. At the University of St Gallen, for example, foreign bachelor degree students have to pay a semester fee which is 2.5 times higher than that of Swiss residents – CHF3,129 (US$3,376) compared to CHF1,229. In the masters programme, the ratio is also 2.3 (CHF3,329 against CHF1,429).

Regardless of the fact that foreigners are not entitled to the same pricing scheme as Swiss residents, “one could wonder if foreigners are not taken for cash cows”, Leo Hug, a Comparis expert, said, adding that in some cantons, like in Valais, “the costs are exaggerated”.
Full report on The Local site