Dreaming about studying in Switzerland, but worried about the expenses?
Please check out the university website and find out more about our scholarships.
USI is a young and agile university that offers its students a quality education and an enhancing study experience. International faculty teach students with an interdisciplinary, engaging, and interactive approach, leaving room for practical application.
The quality of the study curricula is complemented by USI's small size, its cosmopolitan environment, and its informal and dynamic culture.
These elements make USI a hub of opportunity open to the world, where students can engage in direct dialogue with their professors and define their educational path, discover unexpected horizons, and embrace international careers.
USI. Create freely,
act responsibly.
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) is one of the 12 certified public universities in Switzerland and member of swissuniversities. It is organised in six faculties and is active in several study and research areas, among which: architecture, communication sciences, computational science, data science, economics, health studies, humanities, informatics, law, medicine and biomedicine.
USI is a young and lively university, a hub of opportunity open to the world where students are offered a quality interdisciplinary education in which they can be fully engaged and take centre stage, and where our researchers can count on having the space to freely pursue their initiative.
3'922 students and 1'008 professors and researchers, hailing from 114 countries, convene every day on the four campuses in Lugano, Mendrisio and Bellinzona. The relatively small size of the campuses encourages the free flow and open exchange of ideas. USI encourages faculty, students and researchers to develop their potential, and appreciates their curiosity and willingness to experiment with new ways of thinking, learning, teaching and working.
Established in 1996, USI is in constant evolution, always taking on new challenges while remaining true to its three guiding principles: quality, openness and responsibility.
Seven reasons for choosing USI:
Based on the Law that regulates the Università della Svizzera italiana, USI mission consists of:
USI aspires to become the natural choice for those yearning to grow intellectually, humanly, and responsibly.
USI envisions to be a way for the future and strives to be known as:
In pursuit of its mission, USI draws inspiration from three main values:
Moreover, USI has made some specific commitments: to gender equality in the organisation of public events and to sustainable development.
The Dies academicus is the annual celebration of the University, a significant moment to share and learn about USI and its developments.
The Dies includes an official address by the Rector and speeches by guest speakers, both from within and beyond USI. It is also an opportunity to welcome at USI the Rectors from other universities, to award the Honorary Doctorate, to appoint Honorary Members of the University, and to assign the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching, which rewards the best teacher of one of the USI Faculties (in turns).
Next Dies academicus (27th): May 6, 2023.
USI works with a number of international, national, and regional entities in its education, research, and knowledge dissemination activities.
Research projects, study programs, doctoral programs, and mobility programs, in cooperation with universities and research centres in Switzerland and elsewhere, are coupled with applied studies, field projects carried out by students, other educational initiatives (such as internships), and events with institutions and businesses in Switzerland and abroad.
In the academic environment, the USI network is based on:
The Lugano campus is divided in West and East campus.
The Campus of Mendrisio is allocated to the Academy of Architecture. The campus is located in various administrative, educational, research, study and service buildings in the centre of the small town of Mendrisio, most of them laid out around a very fine urban park.
This arrangement makes the school similar to certain prestigious university campuses that we find in small English cities or the United States.
The Academy’s location in a setting close to (yet outside) the metropolitan areas facilitates student life, while the young people have easy access to the nearby cities.
The best option for our students is to find a shared apartment (with other students or with locals) or a studio apartment for a bit more privacy: a series of links and suggestions are available at our Housing Service Facebook Page as well as by contacting directly our Housing Service.
Students who come to USI for an exchange Semester are invited to contact the Housing Service directly.
Dreaming about studying in Switzerland, but worried about the expenses?
Please check out the university website and find out more about our scholarships.
USI in the Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS), which are amongst the world's most popular and well-known global rankings - latest available data:
With 16 "A" in the indicators taken into consideration, USI ranks 3rd in the ranking of Swiss universities (Country Report Switzerland).
In addition to the global university rankings, USI has made significant progress in subject area rankings:
USI is a young and lively university, a hub of opportunity open to the world where students are offered a quality interdisciplinary education in which they can be fully engaged and take center stage.
Seven reasons for choosing USI:
QS World University Rankings (2024)
THE World University Rankings (2023)
THE Young University Rankings (2023)
THE World's Best Small Universities (2022)
QS Top 50 Under 50 (2021)
Live your student life at 360°: if you need a break from your studies you have a wide range of possibilities. The Sport Services organizes each week over 50 indoor and outdoor activities, over 15 student associations allow you to actively participate to the student life as well as more then 120 public events organized directly by the Universities offer an interesting learning opportunity. If you want to improve your language skills during your studies weekly free language courses can help you give a nice extra on your study curriculum.
Lugano is a beautiful city on the Lugano Lake surrounded by mountains. The best way to discover Lugano is by walking or through the public bike (with an attractive price for students). Lugano is the biggest city in the Italian Speaking region of Switzerland and offers a big variety of free time activities (sport, wellness, shopping and hikes), a wide range of cultural activities as well as several free events offered all year round.