A French-speaking public university with low tuition and high living costs. How bachelor's entry depends on your school certificate, which master's are taught in English and what a year really costs.
The University of Lausanne (UNIL) was founded in 1537 to train pastors and became a university in 1890; since 1970 it has gradually moved from the old town to its present campus at Dorigny[1]. Its seven faculties range from law and forensic science to the HEC Lausanne business school and biology and medicine. For international students, two numbers frame the decision: tuition is 707 USD a semester for everyone, while the university estimates a basic student budget at about 2,497 USD a month. Teaching at bachelor's level is mostly in French, and entry depends heavily on where you finished school. At master's level, a group of programmes in business, economics, life sciences and earth sciences is taught in English.
Location
Lausanne, Switzerland
Establishment year
1537
Students
16,083
International students
3,897
Place in ratings
There's not enough data to display the dynamics of this rating.
Bachelor's and master's students pay 707 USD per semester, with no separate rate for international students[4].
English-taught master's in finance, economics and the life sciences
HEC Lausanne teaches its master's in Management, Economics and Finance in English, and the Finance programme is recognised by the CFA Institute as a CFA Program Partner[7].
A university scholarship of 1,949 USD a month
UNIL awards around ten Master's Scholarships a year to graduates of foreign universities with outstanding results; holders pay only the 97 USD semester fee[8].
Nobel-level research in the sciences
Jacques Dubochet won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work carried out at UNIL, and six laureates in total studied or worked here[9].
Drawbacks and caveats
Bachelor's entry is closed to many school leavers from Asia
With a secondary certificate from India, Pakistan or the Philippines, UNIL admits bachelor's applicants only if they already hold a university degree of at least three years[10].
Bachelor's study is mostly in French
Every international bachelor's applicant must prove French[11]. Management and Economics at HEC Lausanne are taught bilingually in French and English[12].
Living costs of about 2,497 USD a month
The university's basic budget is about 2,497 USD a month[4], and student visa holders may not work part-time during the first semester[6].
No halls of residence on campus
Most student housing comes through the FMEL foundation, which has more than 2500 students at sites around Lausanne, and some halls open registration for only 1 to 5 days[13].
Bachelor's admission: it depends on your school certificate
Swiss universities compare a foreign certificate with the Swiss gymnasium maturity. UNIL requires the highest school-leaving certificate of the country, obtained after at least 12 years of study, with six general subjects taken in each of the last three years: first language, second language, mathematics, a natural science, a humanities subject and an elective. Having the right to enter university at home is not enough on its own[14].
Certificate
UNIL bachelor's requirement, 2026/2027
India, Pakistan, the Philippines
A university degree of at least 3 years
Nigeria (WAEC, NECO)
B3 average, university admission in the same subject in Nigeria and the ECUS exam
Ghana (WASSCE)
B3 average and the ECUS exam
United Arab Emirates
80% average, university admission in the same subject in the UAE and the ECUS exam
United States
High school diploma plus Advanced Placement tests in six general subjects, each with at least grade 3
The country rules come from the swissuniversities list[10]. ECUS is the Swiss universities' supplementary exam: four compulsory subjects, including French at C1 level, plus one science or geography, held near Lausanne in August[11]. Applicants who do not sit the ECUS must pass UNIL's own French exam at B1 or hold a certificate such as DELF B1 or higher[11]. Bachelor's programmes start only in autumn, and applicants who need a visa must apply by 28 February[14].
Master's admission and English-taught programmes
Master's applicants need a degree that UNIL judges equivalent to a Swiss bachelor's in the same or a closely related field. Completing 180 ECTS credits or three years is not enough by itself: the degree must have been awarded. Programmes with more than 15 ECTS of internships out of 180, and vocational or technological degrees, are not recognised[5]. Teaching assumes C1 in the language of the programme[5].
Behaviour, Evolution and Conservation[19], Medical Biology[20], Molecular Life Sciences[21], Human Taphonomy[22]
Geosciences and Environment
Earth Sciences[23], Environmental Sciences (compulsory courses)[24], Climate, Environment and Energy[25]
Some programmes add their own conditions. Finance asks for grades of at least 4 out of 6 on the Swiss scale in 12 ECTS of economics, 12 of mathematics, 9 of statistics and 3 of programming, all within the first two years of the bachelor's[26]. Documents that are not in English, French, German or Italian need an official translation[5].
Where your degree was awarded also changes the paperwork. If the country has not ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention, you upload your documents and then post certified true copies of your diplomas and transcripts, sealed in an envelope by the issuing university. The Hague apostille and copies certified by notaries, the police or town halls are not accepted[5].
Start
If you need a visa
Without a visa
Autumn semester
28 February
30 April
Spring semester (some programmes only)
30 September
30 November
These are the deadlines for 2026/2027[5]. Visa applicants should file at least two months before them, because a visa issued after classes start means you can no longer be admitted[6].
The breakdown is the admissions office's estimate. Tuition is 707 USD per semester, and PhD candidates pay 97 USD per semester plus a one-time 244 USD[4]. If you rent privately, budget a deposit of one to three months' rent[13].
The UNIL Master's Scholarship
The scholarship pays 1,949 USD a month for the minimum length of the master's and waives tuition apart from the 97 USD semester fee. UNIL itself says it does not cover the full cost of living. Applicants need a foreign degree equivalent to a Swiss bachelor's, outstanding results and C1 in the teaching language: for English-taught programmes, for example IELTS Academic 7 or TOEFL iBT 100, no older than two years. The file includes a CV, a covering letter, academic records and two recommendation letters sent directly by professors or an employer from a professional email address[8].
The deadline is 1 November, for the online application, the letters and any certified copies sent by post. The scholarship application doubles as the application for the master's itself. Several programmes are excluded, among them the School of Medicine master, Sustainable Management & Technology and Human Taphonomy[8].
Plan around 1 November, not 28 February
If you hope for the scholarship, your file, test score and referees must be ready by 1 November, almost four months before the regular visa deadline. If your degree comes from a country outside the Lisbon Convention, leave extra time for your university to post sealed certified copies.
If you need a visa for a stay of more than three months, you must apply from abroad and arrive with a student visa. The consulate looks at your programme, its duration, your age and previous education, and funds of at least 2,558 USD per month. Within 14 days of arriving you register with the local population office to receive a B permit for education[6]. Our guide to admission in Switzerland covers the national rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is UNIL a good choice without French?
At master's level, yes, if your field is among the English-taught programmes listed above. For a bachelor's, French is unavoidable. UNIL's School of French as a Foreign Language runs a one-year preparatory programme of about 15 hours a week, and summer and winter intensive courses of 3 to 4 weeks[27].
Can I start in February?
Only on some master's programmes; the visa deadline for spring is 30 September. Bachelor's programmes admit students in autumn only.
Is the 244 USD fee refunded if I am not admitted?
No. It is non-refundable even if you withdraw or are refused[4], so check your degree's eligibility first.
UNIL suits graduates in business, economics, finance, biology or earth sciences who are comfortable studying in English at C1 and can show about 2,558 USD a month for living costs. It suits school leavers far less: depending on the certificate, the route runs through a full degree elsewhere, an extra admission certificate or the French-heavy ECUS. To compare it with other Swiss options, see our overview of universities in Switzerland and the guide to higher education in Switzerland.
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