When it comes to studying abroad, this is many’s dreams; but to come up with the final decision is no easy. Just thinking about living far away from home, family, and friends to go to a foreign land and start all over again has somehow made us – regardless of age hesitate. But for a better future, we have to do it. 

Perhaps one of many questions that all students ponder is, “Which country should I invest my study in?” Many countries in the world, including Switzerland, offer the opportunity to study for the international student community. In fact, the country was in the top 10 countries to study abroad in 2019.

This article will help you to better understand (1) why we should consider Switzerland as a study destination and (2) what has affected Switzerland’s reputation among international students? Let’s find out!

Top education system

Switzerland is applauded to be the country with the top-quality education in the world. This is the very first reason why you should consider study here. 

Many global educational sites highly recommend Switzerland’s education systems since the Swiss government sets high standards for its education industry. The teaching method encouraged here is active learning, meaning students have to actively learn via classroom discussions, problem-solving, case studies, role-playing, etc. Swiss students are encouraged to learn actively from an early age. This is completely different from the education systems in Asian countries like Vietnam, China, Korea, or Japan, etc.

One thing to know about Swiss education is that along with the high educational standard, the Swiss government does not require undergraduate and postgraduate institutions to be accredited. However, in order for a program to be recognized internationally and in the labor market, higher education institutes often have accreditation by the Swiss Confederate Government.

The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation (SIMI) is a reputable, recognized, and globally acclaimed Institute of Higher Education that has successfully obtained accreditation at institutional, school, and program levels. At the institutional level, SIMI is fully accredited by ASIC with the “Premier Institution” level. You can read more about SIMI’s accreditation here.

According to SERI statistics, more than 90% of higher education institutes in Switzerland are accredited at the institutional level (Institutional Accreditation) and more than 70% of higher education and postgraduate institutions are accredited at the program level (Programmatic Accreditation).

Since the Swiss government gives great authority to the labor market to evaluate the training institute’s quality, educational institutes in Switzerland are under great pressure to improve their training and teaching quality as well as to ensure quality assurance. 

This has a significant impact on the quality of education in Switzerland, making it one of the most competitive countries in the world education industry.

High wages and a low unemployment rate

Although the living cost in Switzerland is very high, especially if you live in Zug, the safest and most prosperous city in Switzerland, Swiss citizens get the highest salaries in entire Europe. Switzerland is one of the countries that have the highest living standard and the most stable economy.

The Swiss workforce earns an average of 6,502 CHF (around $7,140) per month. Among OECD countries, Switzerland ranks second in terms of the highest average annual wages as the average wage is 62,300 CHF ($68,400) annually.

In 2019, Switzerland’s unemployment rate stood at 4.87%. The reason behind this is that most Swiss people have a high level of education and have a certain understanding of their field of work. Therefore, the Swiss government strives to create opportunities for its people to work at high-paying jobs.

Accordingly, studying in Switzerland can open up your employment opportunities.

A multilingual country

As we all know, the four main languages spoken in Switzerland are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. However, English is also widely used in daily life. So even if you don’t speak any French, German or Italian, you can still use English to communicate daily.

Diverse international students community

Each country in the world welcomes a certain number of international students. So is Switzerland! According to Academics, around 17 percent of higher education enrolment in this country came from abroad in 2013. The percentage of international students in Switzerland is increasing over time. 

With the top educational system, safe living conditions, various working opportunities, diverse scholarship options, etc., Switzerland has attracted many foreign students to come and study yearly.

The safest country to live in

According to the Global Peace Index, Switzerland was the 10th safest country in the world in 2020, and Zug is the safest city. With a low crime rate, strict gun, and weapon control laws, students and parents can rest assured that it is totally safe to study and live here.

High living quality

As mentioned, despite being one of the most expensive countries in the world, Switzerland scored 88.87 points out of 100 in three main indexes – (1) basic human needs (housing, medical care, sanitation), (2) opportunity (freedom of choice, human rights), and (3) foundations of wellbeing (education, life expectancy, technology)

Healthy lifestyle

The Swiss people live a healthy life; although they do regularly drink alcohol, they eat a nutritional balance diet like eat clean and eat little to no sugar. They prefer home cook to eat out.

Diversity and multiculturalism

Switzerland is known for its diversity in terms of geography and culture since the neighboring countries have significantly influenced it. The proof is in the language spoken.

Moreover, the Swiss are very passionate about art. This results in the ubiquitous presence of more than 600 museums across the country. When coming to Switzerland to study, don’t forget to check these places out!

Is it safe to study in Switzerland right now?

The COVID19 pandemic has severely affected all countries in the world. Switzerland is one of the most affected European countries. However, like all of us, the Swiss government has taken the essential set of measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including closing its border or imposing restricted regulations and laws. 

In Switzerland, some of the most infected cantons are Vaud, Geneva, Ticino, and Valais. However, recent reports have shown that the situation has improved. The Swiss government has decided to open its border to countries that are not on the list of high disease transmission rates.

Those entering the country are not required to be quarantined if they don’t have any COVID19 symptoms. Travels from countries with high rates of disease transmission may need to take certain precautions.

Currently, the world is discussing the vaccine visa/passport usage, and Switzerland is also actively involved. If the process is applied, there will no longer be any obstacles for international students.

Source: The Swiss Institute of Management and Innovation