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School of Life Sciences
and Facility Management

Financial issues

Tuition fees

The costs of studying on a degree programme at the ZHAW comprise the tuition fees, the costs of materials and field trips and your living expenses. The tuition fees are set by the Government Council of the Canton of Zurich and apply to all students (full-time and part-time students, resit students, students on a work placement semester, students who withdraw from a programme, etc.).

The fees for the admission process must be paid in any event, even if you are not admitted to the later stages of the process (e.g. aptitude assessment) or if you are not accepted on the programme. During your studies, further costs may arise, e.g. for software. You can find further information in the regulations on fees and contributions (in German).

Overview of costs

Description Frequency Cost
Registration fee for admission process [1] once CHF 100.–
Enrolment fee for Bachelor's and Master's programmes [2] once CHF 100.–
Tuition fees for Bachelor's and Master's programmes [3] per semester CHF 720.–
Fixed charge for students on leave of absence [4] per semester CHF 300.–
Additional tuition fees for students who are not Swiss residents [5] per semester CHF 500.–
Membership of the Academic Sports Association Zurich (ASVZ) per semester CHF 35.–
Membership of the ZHAW Students Association (Alias) per semester CHF 20.–
Fees for guest auditors (depending on the number of courses attended) per semester CHF 100.– to 600.–

[1] Fee according to § 2 ordinance on tuition fees 
[2] Applicants are exempt from paying the registration fee for the admissions process if they pass the admissions assessment/test and enrol for the next available programme start date.
[3] According to §4 of the regulations on tuition fees
[4] According to § 25, paragraph 5 of the general examination regulations for Bachelor's and Master's programmes at the ZHAW, students on leave of absence are exempt from paying tuition fees. According to the regulations on fees and contributions (in German), they pay a fixed charge per semester of CHF 300.– to cover their e-mail account, campus card, use of the University Library and general administration costs. This fixed charge also applies to students on the Bachelor’s programmes at the School of Health Sciences who attend the additional module C and to students who do delay the completion of their programme (e.g. by postponing submission of their thesis).
[5] Under Swiss law, non-Swiss nationals who come to Switzerland to study are not considered residents of Switzerland (Art. 23 Swiss Civil Code). In addition to the regular tuition fee, they pay an additional tuition fee of CHF 500.– during the entire duration of their studies (even if they move their official place of residence to Switzerland after commencing their studies). Official residency under civil law is not possible if the residence permit was issued for study/educational purposes.

Additional costs

Description Frequency Cost
Subject aptitude entrance examination   CHF 200.–
Registry fees (copies and attestations
of certificates and graduation documents) 		per document CHF 30.–
Cost of excursions, study weeks, study material per semester ca. CHF 500.–
own PC/Notebook   individual
Replacement Campus Card   CHF 25.–
Laboratory deposit for the bachelor programme Chemistry each year CHF 200.–