Adjust the financing of ETH and EPFL to Swiss economic growth. — Problem

Problem

More and more foreign students are studying at ETH and EPFL. We finance their education, and the know‑how partly flows abroad (e.g., China). The tuition fee should be adjusted in accordance with the economic benefit for Switzerland.

Discussion

• O. H. (2026-04-03): The problem lies less in a lack of interest from graduates or the economy, and more in bureaucratic hurdles: While we train top talent from non‑EU countries at ETH and EPFL with high tax revenues, we push them out of the Swiss labor market after graduation through strict quotas and a preference for locals. This is an economic blunder.
• O. H. (2026-04-03): The tuition fees for international students were tripled for fall 2025. The tuition fees are also regularly adjusted for inflation. The topic was recently examined and the fees were increased accordingly. [Triple fees for international students: implementation approved](https://ethz.ch/staffnet/de/news-und-veranstaltungen/intern-aktuell/archiv/2024/12/dreifache-gebuehren-fuer-auslaendische-studierende-umsetzung-verabschiedet.html)
• ↳ K. D. (2026-10-02): I would be interested in the numbers. However, I hear that a university education (master’s) in Switzerland is significantly cheaper for foreigners—such as those from India or China, for example—compared to other top universities elsewhere. What makes the issue worse is that a bachelor’s degree from a Swiss university or college is harder to obtain. Swiss kids are indirectly disadvantaged by this.
• ↳ O. H. (2026-10-05): The demand for study places in Switzerland remains consistently high, and the number of students has been increasing for a long time. Switzerland has no problem attracting good students. Numbers: [Tertiary level – Universities](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bildung-wissenschaft/bildungsabschluesse/tertiaerstufe-hochschulen.html) It is also not a sensible goal to have as many people as possible study and obtain a bachelor’s degree. In Switzerland, on average, one earns more after an apprenticeship and with a university of applied sciences degree than after a university degree. The academisation of education offers no societal added value. Vocational education, on the other hand, is a success model. [Employment income](https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bildung-wissenschaft/eintritt-arbeitsmarkt/tertiaerstufe-hochschulen/erwerbseinkommen.html)