With a population of around 8.7 million and an area of 41’285 Switzerland sqm is a small country located in the heart of Europe with 26 federals states (Cantons) and four official languages. You can experience the French, Italian, and German Culture and their differences while travelling through Switzerland, using the perfect public transport system. The Greater Zurich Area with Winterthur is the economic hub of Switzerland and a main economic centre in Europe. It is known as being multilingual, hosting and around 150’000 companies employing 1.5 million people. Around 1.4 million citizens form EU EFTA and UK live in Switzerland.

The School of Engineering (SoE) is located in Winterthur, just a 15-20 min. train ride from Zurich.  The city of Winterthur dates offers all you need such as shops, bars, museums culture and festivals/events and a beautiful surrounding to relax in the nature. Student accommodations are all close to the SoE and the old town centre.

As an exchange student you can explore the Swiss culture, nature and cities all nearby. The Swiss alps with the Dufour Peak (altitude: 4’634 m) or the Lago Maggiore (altitude of 193m) offer various opportunities for relaxed hiking (65’000 km hiking trails) or more thrill-seeking sports such as climbing canyoning or bungy jumping. 

The cities and villages are known for their rich cultural programs, festivals or traditional events - worth to attend and to meet the Swiss. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) offers a wide range of activities for students, so it’s easy to connect to the student community.

You can reach famous destinations such as Rome, Milano, Barcelona, London, Paris, Vienna, Prague and Berlin in Europe within a few hours using public transportation systems. Spend a weekend there and be back for your studies in time.  

The cost of living in Switzerland is on a par with other European cities. Depending on lifestyle, the cost of living it is in the region of CHF 1'200–2'100 per month. Incoming students completing a SEMP/Erasmus+ exchange semester are supported with a contribution of up to CHF 420 per month and do not pay any semester fees. Accepted freemovers on the other hand do need to pay the tuition fee. However, both exchange students may apply for a ZHAW School of Engineering (SoE) scholarship which is unique at ZHAW.

Switzerland is very well known worldwide for its high quality of life and to be one of the saftest countries in the world. In case of any incidents or accidents you can rely on the excellent health care system or the emergency number of ZHAW-SoE operated 24/7.  

For further useful links, please check our factsheet.