Evolution of taxes from the 2025 fall semester
This summer, the ETH Board expressed its support for the tripling of tuition fees for foreign students. At the beginning of September, both chambers of the Swiss Parliament also voted in favor of this (link in French). The ETH Board adopted a modification of its ordinance on taxes invoiced in the ETH/EPF domain at its meeting on December 5, 2024. At this stage, the following information is known:
- only the CHF 730 semester tuition fee is tripled by this measure (it is thus raised to CHF 2190 per semester)
- the tuition fee will also be adapted every four years according to the Swiss consumer price index (first adaptation in 2029)
- Swiss nationals will not be subject to the tripling, nor people who reside in Switzerland for a reason other than their education, under certain conditions
- adaptation according to the price index will however apply for all people studying at EPFL, regardless of there nationality and place of residence
- people who started a Bachelor’s program (CMS included) at EPFL before the 2025 fall semester will not be subject to the tripling of taxes before the end of their ongoing Bachelor’s program
- people who started a Master’s program (HES/FHS gateway and admission exam included) at EPFL before the 2025 fall semester will not be subject to the tripling of taxes before the end of their ongoing Master’s program
Several practical and legal questions have yet to be clarified, notably with regard to the conditions that people residing in Switzerland must fulfill to be exempted from the tripling, conditional admissions to the Master’s cycle, or transfers from one ETH/EPF to another during the Bachelor’s or Master’s studies. The procedure to get the resident status allowing for an exemption from the tripling of taxes must also be decided.
This page will be completed once these points have been clarified, in principle during the first trimester of 2025. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Detail of taxes invoiced every semester
Every semester, Bachelor’s and Master’s students receive an electronic invoice, which they must settle in order to remain matriculated with EPFL. You will find more information about electronic invoicing on the page Semester invoicing.
The total amount due per semester invoice is CHF 780:
- CHF 730 in tuition fee
- CHF 25 in AGEPoly membership
- CHF 16 in contribution to the sports facilities
- CHF 9 in contribution to the social fund
Students who do not wish to be AGEPoly members may ask the association for the corresponding CHF 25 to be refunded to them. The other fees are compulsory and may not be waived or refunded.
Students not undertaking any credited study work for a whole semester (leave of absence or internship credited with the Master’s project) are exempted from the tuition fee and must therefore only pay CHF 50 for that semester. This does not apply to students who obtain credits outside of EPFL (academic mobility or internship worth 30 ECTS credits), who must pay the tuition fee.
Students who are at EPFL in academic mobility as part of an exchange or joint diploma are exempted from EPFL fees. Those in a double diploma are exempted from the tuition fee only.
Students doing a project at EPFL within a no-agreement academic mobility are exempted from the tuition fee. They are allowed to follow up to two courses alongside the project, under the same conditions (fee and restrictions) as auditors.