Scholarships in Switzerland

Did you know that tuition fees are relatively low at Swiss universities compared to other European countries? You can enrol for as little as $1,500 (INR 1.10 lacs) a year at a Swiss University. Therefore, the top option for all international students automatically becomes to study in Switzerland. In addition to this, Swiss scholarships are available for international students that assist with tuition fees and living costs. In this blog, we will tell you about the different scholarships in Switzerland.

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Why Study in Switzerland?

The small European country of Switzerland welcomes foreign students from all over the world. It is a nation renowned for its outstanding schools, innovative research centres, and dedication to investing in the most promising sectors of the future. Apart from the various scholarships in Switzerland, here are some reasons why you should study in Switzerland:

1. In the eight years that the Global Innovation Index has been running, Switzerland was called the most creative country. Three factors can be credited to much of its continued success: outstanding universities, massive investments in R&D, and world-class infrastructure.
2. In 2015, Switzerland was the first country in the world to send a climate plan to the UN to cut carbon emissions by 2030, when several nations were still negotiating the Paris climate agreement. The nation then made a renewed pledge earlier this year to reverse climate change, making it a go-to destination for students and graduates who want to help create a greener future.
3. Switzerland attracts people from all over the world as a global centre for banking, technology, and creativity, generating a distinctly cosmopolitan vibe within its major cities.
4. Around 25% of Switzerland’s population, including a substantial number of former international students who have remained after graduation, are foreign nationals.
5. Switzerland is home to 14 of the top Fortune 500 companies; that’s the largest concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters anywhere in the world. In addition, companies such as Nestlé, the Adecco Company, and Glencore International have working relationships with the best universities in Switzerland.

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List of Scholarships in Switzerland

Here is a list of the top Scholarships in Switzerland:

• Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students
• ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarships
• University of Lausanne Masters Grants for Foreign Students
• EPFL Excellence Scholarships
• Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships
• University of Zurich Scholarships for PhD Candidates 
• Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Scholarships
• Nestle MBA Scholarships for Women from Developing Countries
• Prima Grants
• International Postdoctoral Fellowships

Let us discuss the above-mentioned scholarships in further detail.

Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students

One of the most notable scholarships in Switzerland is the Swiss Confederation Awards Government Excellence Scholarships in order to promote international exchange and research cooperation of the country with other countries. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are offered to postgraduate researchers who wish to pursue their research in Switzerland at a doctoral or post-doctoral level.

The scholarship covers the tuition fees, health insurance, airfare, housing allowance and monthly payment. The scholarship is available to those who hold a master’s degree and are thinking of coming to Switzerland to pursue their research studies.

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ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarships

Another notable scholarship in Switzerland is ETH Zurich Scholarships which offers financial support to all students who wish to pursue their master’s degree at the institution. The university offers two scholarship programmes which are Excellence Scholarship and Master Scholarship Program. The Excellence Scholarship covers the full study and living costs of the students and the Master Scholarship program gives a partial stipend to the students along with an apprenticeship offer. All the students who have completed their bachelor’s degree from any recognized institution are eligible for this scholarship program.

The University of Lausanne Masters Grants for Foreign Students

The list of scholarships in Switzerland is incomplete without the University of Lausanne Masters Grants for Foreign Students. The University of Lausanne Masters Grants for Foreign Students offers scholarships to all those who have completed their bachelor’s and want to pursue a Master’s Degree at the University through the UNIL Master’s Grants. The scholarship program offers students an amount of CHF 1,600 per month (INR 1.32 lacs).

EPFL Excellence Scholarships 

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne offers scholarships in Switzerland to students wishing to pursue master’s at the university. The scholarship is only applicable to master’s students. The scholarship contains a financial package of CHF 16,000 per academic year(INR 13.21 lacs). It is split into 8,000 per semester and the cost of room accommodation.

Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships

The Graduate Institute believes in attracting talented scholars from all over the world and thus, invests a considerable amount of money in it. The institute offers a number of scholarships in Switzerland as opportunities for all students. It provides a full scholarship of CHF 20,000 and a monthly scholarship (INR 16.51 lacs) of CHF 10,000 (INR 8.25 lacs). It also awards a merit scholarship on the basis of academic excellence which might be an offer to be a teaching assistant or a need-based tuition reduction. 

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University of Zurich Scholarships for PhD Candidates

With over 26,000 students, the University of Zurich is one of the biggest universities in Switzerland. They offer a lot of scholarships in Switzerland to international students on the grounds of outstanding academic merit. The scholarship program welcomes applications from all areas of discipline, however, preference is given to those whose research plans interest the UBS International Center of Economics in Society the scholarship covers living expenses along with other fees of approximately CHF 42,500 plus the tuition fees (INR 35.9 lacs).

Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Scholarships

The Geneva Academy offers scholarships to students in LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law. They offer both full as well as partial scholarships. Full scholarships cover tuition expenses and living expenses whereas partial scholarships cover just the tuition fees. Candidates with a law degree and a strong academic record are eligible for this scholarship.

Nestle MBA Scholarships for Women from Developing Countries

Nestle MBA scholarships in Switzerland are offered to women from developing countries who wish to pursue MBA studies at IMD, Switzerland. The scholarship program was started by a group of IMD MBA participants who wanted to encourage more women to pursue an MBA. The scholarship covers an amount of CHF 25,000 for the duration of the program (INR 20.6 lacs). In order to be eligible for the program, you must be a woman from a developing country and show the need for financial assistance by filling out a financial aid form.

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Prima Grants

Prima Grants focuses on female researchers with strong research backgrounds who aspire to become a professor in Switzerland. The scholarship program covers the candidate’s salary and project funds for a duration of up to five years. It is one of the most important scholarships in Switzerland.

International Postdoctoral Fellowships

The University of St. Gallen offers fellowship programs in the field of management, economics, law, social sciences and international affairs for researchers. The fellowship program provides the salary, indispensable research costs and subsidies of about CHF 2,500 per annum (INR 2.06 lacs). The duration of the fellowship program is 36 months and in order to be eligible for this program, you need to have a PhD degree.

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University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships

The University of Geneva Excellence Master Fellowships is one of the most prestigious scholarships in Switzerland. The Faculty of Science of the University of Geneva has come up with an Excellence Fellowship Program. The aim of this program is to assist exceptional applicants who are highly motivated and who wish to pursue a Master of Science in any of the disciplines covered by the Faculty. The Excellence Fellowship is made up of an annual grant of CHF 10,000 to CHF 15,000 (INR 8.30 – 12.46 lacs.)

IMD MBA Scholarships

The IMD MBA scholarships also holds an important position in our list of scholarships in Switzerland. For foreign students from various countries and backgrounds, IMD offers a variety of scholarship programmes. About CHF 25,000-50,000 (INR 20.76 – INR 41 lacs) are awarded by each scholarship programme.

Switzerland Scholarships for International Students 2023 Undergraduate

There are many other scholarships in Switzerland which are available to students who wish to pursue their studies there:  

• University of Zurich Scholarships.
• Alfred Werner Masters Scholarships.
• Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarships.
• University of Basel Scholarships.
• Scholarships by Aristotle College.

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We hope we have answered all your queries related to scholarships in Switzerland with this blog. If you still have doubts or need help in applying for these scholarships then get in touch with our experts at Leverage Edu. Sign up for a free session today!