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 who take up residence in Switzerland for study purposes. 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.
This decision will apply as follows:
- 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 (see detail below)
- adaptation according to the price index will however apply for all people studying at EPFL, regardless of there nationality and place of residence
- to not be subject to the tripling, foreigners who reside in Switzerland must prove that they already resided in the country prior to the beginning of their studies at EPFL for one of the following reasons: work (working in Switzerland), family regrouping (residence with one’s parents) or protection (refugees)
The entry into force of this raise is further accompanied by transitory measures for people who have already started their studies:
- people who started a Master’s program (HES/FHS gateway, prior admission exam, and architect’s internships 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, even if they switch to another program during their Master’s studies (admission to another Master’s program with transfer of all or part of the credentials acquired in the current program)
- people who transfer from ETH Zürich to EPFL during their Bachelor’s or Master’s program will not be subject to the tripling of taxes before the end of their ongoing program (this does not apply to people accepted to a Master’s program at EPFL on the basis of a Bachelor’s degree completed at ETH Zürich, not to people coming from another Swiss higher-education institution)
- people conditionally accepted to a consecutive Master’s program prior to the completion of their Bachelor’s program at EPFL will be subject to the tripling as soon as they start acquiring credits toward their Master’s degree (they may however choose not to accept the conditional admission and thus not be subject to the tripling until the completion of their Bachelor’s program)
EPFL will inform at the end of the 2025 spring semester the people currently studying at EPFL who will be subject to the tripling of taxes should they start a new program in the fall of 2025 or later. A form will be made available to them to provide the necessary proofs should they think that they fulfill the criteria to not be subject to the tripling.
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 2240 for some students from the fall semester, 2025; see above):
- CHF 730 in tuition fee (CHF 2190 for some students from the fall semester, 2025; see above)
- 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.