Best Law Schools in Switzerland [2022]

Even though Switzerland has some of the most known public universities in Europe, only nine have law schools. However, the low number of law schools in the country doesn’t imply anything about their quality. Most of them are on the list of best law schools in Europe. We include seven from the nine law schools in the country, starting with the top Swiss universities.

Disclaim: The following list of higher education does not represent a ranking.

Universität Zürich – Faculty of Law

With 26.000 enrolled students, the University of Zurich is the largest one in Switzerland. Today, the University of Zurich is the leading university in the German-speaking cantons. That this university is one of the foremost educational institutions in Switzerland proves its position on most of the world university rankings. Worldwide, it has achieved ranking as the 90th best university in the world.

Zurich Law School also ranks in leading positions for research and as the most diverse faculty in Europe. The university’s membership in the League of European Research Universities has turned this university into one of the most prestigious research institutions.

Specializations

Zurich Law School offers various programs starting with Civil Law, Commercial Law, Criminal Law, and State, Administrative, and International Law.

UZH Admission Requirements

Admission requirements of the Faculty of Law of Zurich focus mostly on the obtained high school diploma and the study program’s language requirements. Your secondary level of education qualification must be equivalent to the Swiss Matura. Law Program courses are delivered in the German language; therefore, you need to provide evidence of your C1 level of German competence.

UZH Tuition Fees

All interested students who choose the University of Zurich pay an amount of CHF 100 for the application fee. This fee is non-refundable in the case you’re not admitted. In the case of your successful admission, the tuition fee per semester will cost you CHF 720, and another total of CHF 54 goes for the mandatory semester fees, which are considered compulsory contributions.

Universität Basel – Faculty of Law

Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is the oldest in Switzerland. It holds a reputation for outstanding achievements in research and teaching. With its various teaching methods, the University of Basel is the Mecca of legal training in Switzerland. What characterizes this university is that more than half of all the students are female, respectively 55,7%. Moreover, four of the most prominent international university rankings have ranked this university as one of the world’s top 150 universities. It is also continuously ranked highly in the list of top ten universities in German-speaking regions.

Being part of the oldest university in Switzerland, Basel Law School has a long tradition of legal training. However, this hasn’t stopped the faculty to adjust to contemporary legal developments in research and training. The teaching methods in the Basel Law School are tailored to practical requirements.

Specializations

Basel Law School offers Bachelor’s students the program of law as a general course without further subjects. The Master’s students can choose a law specialization.

UniBAS Admission Requirements

The University of Basel has a list of admission requirements. First things first, you’ll need to make sure that this university recognizes the diploma of the second-level education you got in your country. The university has a list of criteria that you’ll have to fulfill for your qualifications to be recognized. The lectures are delivered in two languages, German and English. Therefore, you may be required to submit proof of sufficient knowledge of those languages (level B2 or C1).

UniBAS Tuition Fees

The university has an official university regulation to which they base the sum of their fees. Students-to-be have to pay an application fee of 100 CHF. In the case of a late application, they’ll get charged an amount of 150 CHF. Students spend their tuition fees semesterly. A semester at this university will cost you CHF 850.

Universität Luzern – Faculty of Law

The University of Lucerne was founded in the 2000s, however, its roots stretch back to the 1600s. The university aims to be a center of research and teaching that provides different academic programs and shares the findings with the world.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Lucerne is the youngest law faculty in Switzerland. It has been offering courses in law since October 2001 and has since developed into the third-largest law faculty in German-speaking Switzerland.

Furthermore, the Faculty of Law offers over 60 ECTS credits through the medium of English each semester, making it an ideal study destination for exchange students wishing to study international law.

Specializations

Lucerne Law School offers students several law programs to choose from, starting with Criminal Law, Public Law, and Private Law.

UNILU Admission Requirements

For you to be considered for admission, you need to submit your secondary school leaving diploma or any other qualification and proof of German language competence.

UNILU Tuition Fees

All interested students who have chosen this university as their higher education institution need to pay the application fee of CHF 100, which is the same for all study and study programs. Tuition fees at this university will cost you CHF 1800.

Universität Bern – Faculty of Law

The University of Bern is located in the center of the Swiss capital. The academic excellence of this university has helped in building a reputation internationally for the city. The University of Basel, as a comprehensive university, follows the tradition of the European universities. According to some of the renowned international university rankings, the University of Bern is one of the world’s top 200 universities. The World University Rankings ranks this university in 113th place. Nevertheless, the rankings don’t necessarily imply the quality management of it.

Specializations

The University of Bern offers students a range of programs to choose from, starting with Legal Theory and History of Law, Public Law, Private Law, Penal Law, and Economic Law.

UNIBE Admission Requirements

The admission requirements of this university depend on where the prospective students got his secondary education. All international students have to fulfill one of the elements. You must have a school-leaving diploma equivalent to a Swiss certificate (Matura). However, there are some country-specific requirements you need to fulfill to be admitted. Another admission requirement is language efficiency. The University of Bern offers its programs in the German language. Therefore, it’s required of you to submit evidence of your knowledge of the German language. Otherwise, you’ll have to enter a language test the university offers. The university recognizes several language efficiency certificates.

UNIBE Tuition Fees

The University of Bern has issued an application fee which will cost you CHF 100. In case of your successful enrollment, this fee will also serve as a registration fee. Per semester, students are asked to pay CHF. 750. Non-Swiss students will pay an additional fee of CHF 200 if they don’t have their civil law residence in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein at the time of their admission.

Université dé Genéve – Faculty of Law

The University of Geneva is on the list of the top 100 universities in the world. This university takes pride in the fact that more than 40% of the students are from foreign countries. Many world university rankings have ranked this university in the top 100 universities out there. Geneva’s University is one of the members of the League of European Research Universities, which also includes a list of other renowned higher education institutions such as Cambridge, Amsterdam, Milan, Helsinki, and Heidelberg. Together with twelve other distinguished European law schools, the University of Geneva is part of the Strategic Alliance of Research Faculties of Law.

Specializations

Geneva Law School offers students several law programs to choose from, with a strong emphasis on International Law and Comparative Law.

UNIGE Admission Requirements

Students who decide to apply to the University of Geneva have to fulfill the university’s admission requirements. The high school diploma they obtained must be equivalent to the Swiss certificate in hours, duration, and subject. In some instances, the university may add other requirements, such as the successful completion of the complimentary exam organized by the UNIGE and the successful completion of the French language exam.

UNIGE Tuition Fees

If you’re considering becoming part of this academic institution, you’ll initially be asked to pay an application fee, which will cost you CHF 65. In total, in fees per semester, you’re going to pay CHF 500. This price includes both the registration fee of CHF 65 and the administrative fee of CHF 435. The payment is made in a single installment.

Université dé Lausanne – Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration

The University of Lausanne is a higher education and research institution located at the heart of Switzerland’s French-speaking region. The law school here provides various courses that help to acquire the knowledge of the law and the critical and analytical skills essential to the exercise of any legal profession.

In this university, you can feel the international atmosphere as ⅕ of the students and ⅓ of the academic staff are from foreign countries. Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks this university in the seventh-place from Swiss universities, whereas Times Higher Education World Rankings ranks it at 198th globally.

Specializations

Lausanne Law School offers Bachelor’s students the program of law as a general course without further subjects. In contrast, Master’s students can choose a law specialization.

UNIL Admission Requirements

Prospective international students of this university have to fulfill one crucial admission requirement. The high school diploma must be equivalent to a Swiss secondary school diploma issued by an institution recognized by the government. This diploma must be related to the six branches of education: first language, second language, mathematics, natural sciences, human and social sciences, and free choice. These branches must have been taken during each school year for the last three years of secondary education.

UNIL Tuition Fees

The University of Lausanne requires its students to pay fees. Starting with a non-refundable 200 CHF for the application fee and the tuition fee of 580 CHF per semester.

Universität Freiburg – Faculty of Law

The University of Fribourg is the only bilingual university in Switzerland. All the courses are offered both in German and in French. Also, it offers courses with an international aspect delivered in the English language. The university has an outstanding reputation in research. Its rankings in the Times Higher Education show that this university is perceived as a strong university internationally. According to this ranking, the University of Fribourg ranks in 300th place.

Specializations

This faculty offers its students an array of programs starting with Private Law, Public Law, Criminal Law, International, and European Law.

UNIFR Admission Requirements

The University of Fribourg considers students eligible for admission when their high-school diploma is equivalent to the Swiss Maturity certificate. Additionally, international students have to present proof of language proficiency in German and French.

UNIFR Tuition Fees

International students will have to pay a total sum of CHF 985 for the semester fee. CHF 870 will go to the tuition fee, and CHF 115 goes to the basic registration fee.

Having to decide what university to pursue your dream major is, undoubtedly, one of the hardest decisions to make. It is especially challenging for international students, as they’ll have to take into account tuition fees and the living costs in a new country and everything else in between. What’s important is that you have now decided on the program you want to pursue—law—which means you have one less thing to worry about, and it will make deciding on an institution much easier.

We hope that this list will come in handy in your educational journey, and you achieve your goal of getting your law degree from one of these seven renowned Swiss universities.