Switzerland

Education is organised by the cantons, so the language of instruction depends on the region — German, French or Italian. Primary and secondary school take 11 years.

A notable feature is early vocational apprenticeship: after compulsory school, about two thirds of teenagers learn a trade directly at a company, combining work with classes at a vocational school.

The academic route is the Gymnasium, which ends with the Matura certificate. It gives the right to enter any Swiss university without entrance exams.

The vocational route has its own “bridge” to universities of applied sciences — the federal vocational baccalaureate (Berufsmaturität).

The core of the system is the cantonal universities and two federal institutes of technology, ETH in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne. Both are consistently among the world’s top for engineering and the natural sciences, while tuition remains moderate.

A separate well-known niche is private schools of hotel and tourism management with compulsory paid internships; study there is expensive.

Degrees are 3 + 2; a doctorate takes 3–4 years and is usually paid as research work.

An English-taught master’s requires a strong bachelor’s and IELTS/TOEFL; local-language programmes require a corresponding B2–C1 certificate. Competition for technical subjects is high, and some universities set an entrance exam for holders of certificates from outside the Swiss system.

Education documents are checked by the swissuniversities service.

The main expense is not tuition but living: rent and food are among the most expensive in Europe. This is partly offset by scholarships, Swiss Confederation grants (ESKAS) and assistant positions in departments.

Part-time work for international students is limited and only allowed after six months of study.