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EPFL

Lausanne, Switzerland L permit + 6-mo job search Public Est. 1969 Suburban

QS #12THE #33
#12
QS World Ranking
20%
Acceptance Rate
12,000
Total Students
~7,200
International students (60%)

About

French-speaking Swiss tech institute; lakeside campus

Type
Public
Founded
1969
Campus
Suburban
Total students
12,000
International students
~7,200 (60%)
Acceptance
20%
Intl applications

Notable Alumni

Daniel Borel (Logitech)Andreas CaminadaJean Pierre Hubaux

Admissions Snapshot

Indicative cutoffs and deadlines. Always confirm on the official admissions page.

Test Cutoffs

A-LevelsAAAIB38+IELTS6.5+TOEFL95+EPFL CMSRequired (Indian 12th holders)

Eligibility

Indian 12th holders must complete EPFL Cours de Mathématiques Spéciales (CMS) preparatory year OR have a recognized international qualification.

Intake Deadlines

Autumn (Sep) — UGApr 30
Autumn — MSDec 15 (most)

Payback math at EPFL

Total program cost vs median annual salary, using Robotics Engineer as the proxy career. Lower payback = better ROI.

Payback for Robotics Engineer
0.4 yrs
fast payback band
Total cost: ₹37.4 L
Median salary: ₹1.2 Cr
Program: MSc Mechanical Engineering

Payback = total program cost ÷ (median annual salary − annual living cost). This uses Robotics Engineer as the proxy career; for the full per-role payback grid see the Robotics Engineer career page.

Compare EPFL with another university

Pick another university and put them head-to-head on QS, NIRF, fees, placement, payback — all on one row.

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Scholarships Available

Scholarships matched to EPFL or SWITZERLAND. Check eligibility on the official page before applying.

EPFL Excellence Fellowships official ↗
PG · Top MSc applicants; competitive · CHF 16,000–32,000/yr
CHF 32,000/yr
ETH Excellence Scholarship official ↗
PG · Top 10% MSc applicants · CHF 12,000/semester + tuition waiver
Full funding

Programs Offered

Postgraduate (PG)

Program Duration Fees Intake Scholarship
MSc Mechanical Engineering 2 Years CHF 1,460/yr — —

Studying in Switzerland 🇨🇭

Estimated Costs

  • ETH Zurich / EPFLCHF 1,460 / year
  • Other PublicCHF 1,000 – 4,000 / year
  • Private UniversitiesCHF 15,000 – 40,000 / year
  • Living CostsCHF 1,500 – 2,500 / month
  • Visa FeeCHF 88

Visa & Work

  • Visa TypeStudent Residence Permit
  • Work Rights15 hr/wk after first year
  • Post-Study6-month job search extension
  • B PermitFor employment after graduation

Admissions

  • Major IntakeSeptember
  • Secondary IntakeFebruary (some programs)
  • ApplicationDirect to universities
  • TestsIELTS/TOEFL + entrance exams at ETH
  • LanguageGerman, French, or English (varies)

Data Sources

L2 QS World University Rankings (qs_ranking)
L2 Times Higher Education Rankings (the_ranking)
L1 Official