Public university in Lugano, Switzerland, founded 1996

Università della Svizzera italiana Admission Requirements 2027

Universita della Svizzera italiana (USI) is Switzerland's Italian-speaking university, based in Lugano, teaching many programmes in English alongside Italian. USI charges international students the highest flat semester tuition of any Swiss university researched for this file, alongside a modest master's registration fee.

Verified 7 Sep 2026 Sources Official site
Next deadline
31 Oct 2026
Spring 2027, Master, regular, 54 days left
Tuition
CHF 4,000
per semester
English test
IELTS 6.5
TOEFL 85, waiver possible
Acceptance rate
Not published
Application fee
CHF 100

Requirements

Bachelor

  • A secondary school leaving certificate USI recognises as granting access to higher education.
  • Italian or English proficiency depending on the programme; USI's B2+ (IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL iBT 85) standard applies to English-taught programmes for applicants whose prior education was not in English.
  • Application by the published deadline; USI's own pages describe an around 30 April deadline for non-EU/EFTA candidates for autumn entry.

Master

  • A bachelor's degree; holders of a USI bachelor's in the same subject area are admitted unconditionally, while a degree in a different subject can require levelling coursework the faculty sets.
  • For a programme taught in English: CEFR B2+ (IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 85), waived for a prior degree taught entirely in English.
  • A CHF 100 registration fee at the time of application, non-refundable but deducted from the first semester's tuition if enrolled.

Documents

Secondary school certificate or bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts; a valid English test certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge or TOEIC) where the programme is taught in English and the applicant's prior degree was not; passport or ID copy; and the CHF 100 registration fee payment for master applicants.

How to apply

  1. Confirm your access route and the teaching language of your chosen programme.
  2. Prepare transcripts, certificates and, where needed, an English test certificate.
  3. Apply online by the published deadline for your intake.
  4. Pay the CHF 100 registration fee (master applicants); this is deducted from the first semester's tuition if you enrol.
  5. Wait for the admission decision, then use it to apply for the Swiss national student visa if required.
  6. Complete enrolment and pay the CHF 4,000 (non-resident) or CHF 2,000 (resident) semester fee once admitted.

English test waiver

Confirmed across several of USI's master's programme language-requirement pages (International Tourism, Corporate Communication, Management, Digital Fashion Communication, Marketing and Transformative Economy, Finance): a CEFR B2+ level is required for applicants whose previous degree was not obtained in English, corresponding to IELTS 6.5 and TOEFL iBT 85; Cambridge and TOEIC certificates are also accepted. Applicants who completed their previous degree in English are commonly exempt.

Sources, checked 7 September 2026
  1. https://www.usi.ch/en/education/tuition-and-scholarships
  2. https://www.usi.ch/en/education/master/admission
  3. https://www.usi.ch/en/education/master/management/admission/language-requirements
  4. https://www.usi.ch/en/education-application