Contents
University of Lausanne (UNIL) admission at a glance
To start a Bachelor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) with a foreign school-leaving diploma, that diploma must be essentially equivalent to a Swiss maturité gymnasiale, and if French is not your mother tongue or you hold no Swiss maturité, and you are not subject to the ECUS, you need French at minimum B1. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest UNIL has published, applications for all programmes closed on 30 April 2026; the 2027-2028 conditions and dates are not yet published.
UNIL admits first-year Bachelor applicants on the basis of their school-leaving diploma. The university states that a diploma giving access to university in the country that issued it is not enough on its own: what counts is equivalence in hours and subjects with the Swiss maturité, checked against UNIL's country list.
The UNIL deadlines above are the ones published for the 2026-2027 academic year and have passed. The university has not yet published its 2027-2028 dates, so treat them as a guide to the pattern, not as the 2027 rule.
UNIL in numbers
UNIL's Bachelors page lists 15 Bachelor programmes, and its home page counts some 5’000 researchers. A UNIL jobs page speaks of some 14'000 students, a round figure. These figures describe the university; they are context, not an admission target.
UNIL rules that catch applicants out
- Recognised but non-equivalent diploma: UNIL requires you to pass the ECUS, the complementary exam of Swiss universities, before you can enrol.
- French: the UNIL French exam (or an accepted certificate) is compulsory before final enrolment in a Bachelor for the group named above.
- Medicine: foreign nationals must also meet the criteria of the cantonal regulation of 9 December 2020 on admitting foreign candidates to medicine at UNIL.
- Visa: for applicants who need a visa to study in Switzerland, UNIL sets the application deadline two months before the general deadlines.
- Medicine also required a separate registration with swissuniversities, which closed before 15 February 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Each of these UNIL rules has its own chapter below: diplomas by country, the ECUS, French, medicine, and the steps and deadlines.
| Topic | What UNIL publishes |
|---|---|
| Diploma | Must be essentially equivalent in hours and subjects to a Swiss maturité gymnasiale |
| French | Exam at minimum B1 before final enrolment if French is not your mother tongue or you hold no Swiss maturité, unless you are subject to the ECUS |
| Deadline | 30 April 2026 for all programmes; 28 February 2026 if you needed a visa or were subject to the ECUS |
| Fees | Application fee CHF 200, not refundable; CHF 580 per semester for regular enrolment (fees page, conditions for 2026-2027) |
| Channel | Online application to UNIL, plus certified copies by post for some countries |
UNIL is not EPFL: history, faculties and the Dorigny campus
The University of Lausanne (UNIL) is a general university that traces its birth to 1537, received the name and status of a university in 1890 and teaches its Bachelors in seven faculties, from biology and medicine to theology. It is a separate institution from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), its neighbour on the lakeside site at Dorigny.
UNIL's own history page says the university was born in 1537 to train pastors, and that at the time it was the only French-language school of Protestant theology. The Academy became a university in 1890.
The UNIL move to Dorigny began in 1970, when the university gradually left the centre of Lausanne. UNIL describes the result as a campus on the shore of Lake Geneva.
UNIL and EPFL: neighbours, not one university
UNIL and EPFL are two institutions. They run some services together: the two jointly offer a housing database, and sport takes place at the shared Centre Sportif UNIL-EPFL at Dorigny. Admission, fees, rules and degrees on this page are UNIL's only; EPFL publishes its own.
UNIL's history page places the cooperation with EPFL in a late 20th century project between the universities of Lausanne, Geneva, Neuchâtel and EPFL. Out of that project, UNIL created two new faculties in 2003: biology and medicine, and geosciences and environment.
UNIL's seven faculties
UNIL's Bachelor list is grouped by faculty: biology and medicine; law, criminal sciences and public administration; geosciences and environment; business and economics; arts (Lettres); social and political sciences; theology and religious studies. The Faculty of business and economics is commonly called HEC Lausanne, the name you will see on its programme pages.
How big UNIL is
A UNIL jobs page speaks of some 14'000 students, a round figure. It is context about the student body, not an admission figure.
On research, UNIL's home page says some 5’000 researchers work in its institutes, laboratories and libraries.
University of Lausanne rankings and reputation
UNIL's own pages do not list an overall position in the QS, Times Higher Education or ShanghaiRanking (ARWU) tables with an edition. What UNIL does publish is a reputation claim for HEC Lausanne, research indicators such as some 5’000 researchers, and membership of the CIVIS European university alliance.
For an overall position, the publishers' own sites are the only reliable source: QS, Times Higher Education and ShanghaiRanking each publish their tables with an edition year. A rank quoted without that edition, on any site, is not something to plan around.
What UNIL says about its reputation
The only ranking claim on UNIL's Bachelor pages comes from its business faculty. According to UNIL, HEC Lausanne stands out for its teaching, its recognition in international rankings and its close links with the professional world. HEC Lausanne does not name the ranking or the edition on that page, so read it as the faculty's own description.
On research, UNIL's home page says some 5’000 researchers work in its institutes, laboratories and libraries on national and international projects.
UNIL's international networks
| Network or link | What UNIL publishes |
|---|---|
| CIVIS alliance | A European civic university formed by an alliance of eleven institutions of higher education |
| Privileged partners | Partnerships with a restricted number of universities, set by UNIL's international strategy |
| Strategy | 5 main objectives for internationalisation, including UNIL's international reputation |
| Medicine exchanges | Agreements with about forty European medical faculties |
UNIL's School of medicine says it was a pioneer of international exchanges in Switzerland, and that a third of each first-year Master class goes abroad on mobility. That figure concerns the Master stage of medicine, not first-year Bachelor students.
UNIL acceptance rate and student numbers
UNIL publishes no acceptance rate and no count of Bachelor applications or offers. Bachelor admission is an eligibility check: the admissions service checks whether the formal conditions for your chosen programme are met.
The UNIL Service des immatriculations et inscriptions processes each file and verifies whether the formal admission conditions of the programme are fulfilled. There is no ranking of applicants against each other at this stage: if your diploma and documents meet the conditions, you are admitted to the programme.
Eligibility, not selection
UNIL calls the requirements in its country list minimum requirements. Even when your diploma type is on the list, the other conditions, in particular the required set of subjects, must also be met. A minimum is a gate you pass, not a measure of how strong other admitted students were.
Timing matters as much as the diploma. UNIL states that only complete files, meeting every enrolment condition and sent within the deadlines, are examined. A file that arrives late or incomplete is not assessed at all.
Selection at UNIL happens later or elsewhere for a few programmes: medicine has a competitive exam during the course, and sport science requires an aptitude test before entry. Both are covered in the tests and medicine chapters.
UNIL student numbers
For size, a UNIL jobs page speaks of some 14'000 students. That round figure is context about the university, not an admission target or quota.
How UNIL admits Bachelor students: eligibility, not ranking
UNIL admits Bachelor applicants with a foreign diploma by checking eligibility: only general-education diplomas earned after at least 12 years of schooling qualify, subject to some average requirements and complementary exams, with at least six subjects followed continuously in the last three years. If your diploma meets every condition, the Service des immatriculations et inscriptions admits you; if it does not, enrolment is refused. These are UNIL's 2026-2027 conditions, the latest published; the 2027-2028 conditions are not yet published.
The UNIL Service des immatriculations et inscriptions (SII) decides admission. It looks at your file only if it is complete, meets every condition and arrives on time. Credit for earlier studies is a separate step: the dean's office of the faculty decides equivalences only after the SII has accepted your application.
UNIL also warns that a diploma giving access to university in the country that issued it is not enough by itself. The diploma has to be essentially equivalent in hours and subjects to a Swiss maturité gymnasiale, and meet UNIL's own criteria below and the country list in the next chapter.
UNIL's general criteria for a foreign diploma
- It is the highest school-leaving diploma of the issuing country, obtained after at least 12 years of schooling.
- It ends an upper-secondary course of at least three years.
- The course was not shortened and, in principle, completed at a recognised school.
- It gives general access to university studies in the issuing country, including admission to a UNIL-recognised university there in a programme of the same orientation.
- It was issued by the State or by an institution the State authorises to issue it.
- At least 90% of the upper-secondary course consists of general-education subjects.
- If you were not regularly schooled at a recognised school during the last three upper-secondary years, the final exams of your diploma must meet articles 14 and 15 of the Swiss ordinance on the maturity exam of 7 December 1998, with a separate exam in each subject.
If you do not meet all these UNIL conditions, your enrolment is refused, and admission becomes possible only after you obtain a university degree that UNIL recognises.
The six-subject canon
| Rule | What UNIL publishes |
|---|---|
| Number of subjects | At least six disciplines, followed continuously in the last three upper-secondary years |
| Experimental science | Biology, chemistry or physics |
| Every year | All six subjects in each of the last three years of upper-secondary school |
| Free choice | The free-choice subject stays in the same category (2, 4 or 5) for all three years |
UNIL requires these six subjects in each of the last three years, not just in the final year, so check your timetable for all three years against the canon on UNIL's page before you apply.
Diplomas UNIL does not recognise
UNIL does not recognise vocational, teacher-training, commercial or technical school-leaving diplomas, specialised diplomas (construction, art and similar), diplomas from evening, correspondence or adult courses unless certified identical to the regular diploma, or the admission exams of another Swiss or foreign university. According to UNIL's FAQ on secondary diplomas as of October 2026, the DAEU, the DUT and the BTS, among others, do not give access to UNIL's Bachelor programmes.
When you need a home-university admission
For some countries, UNIL's country list asks for an admission certificate from a recognised university in the country that issued your diploma. The admission must be for a place in the same field as your UNIL choice, without any reservation or condition. Under the 2026-2027 conditions, the latest published, the original is due as soon as you obtain it and in any case before 31 July; the page gives no year for that date. The German row lists it as one of two options; the countries below list it as a condition. Their rows also name further conditions, such as the French exam or the ECUS, so read your own row in the PDF.
| Country | Diploma on UNIL's list | Admission condition on the list |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Diplomë e maturës shtetërore | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
| Greece | Apolytirio Genikoy Lykeioy | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
| Hungary | Gimnáziumi érettségi bizonyítvány | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
| Israel | Te’udat Bagrut | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
| Lebanon | Baccalauréat général | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
| Romania | Diploma de Bacalaureat | Admission certificate from a recognised university of the country |
Your diploma: French bac, IB, Abitur, A-levels, US diploma and more
UNIL's country list for the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, sets a minimum for each diploma: 12/20 with mathematics and a science speciality for the French baccalauréat, 32 points without bonus points for the IB, an average 2.5 for the Abitur, and 6 AP exams on top of a US high school diploma. The 2027-2028 list is not yet published, and UNIL may change the current one at any time.
The list puts into practice UNIL's rule that your diploma must be essentially equivalent in hours and subjects to a Swiss maturité gymnasiale. UNIL's foreign-diploma page says the country list states minimum requirements. Even when your diploma is listed, the other conditions, in particular the six-subject canon, must also be met. UNIL's PDF gives, for each diploma, an average, any complementary condition such as a home-university admission, and whether the French exam or the ECUS applies; check all three in your own row before relying on the summary here. The French chapter explains who must take the French exam and who is exempt.
| Diploma | What UNIL requires |
|---|---|
| French baccalauréat (lycée général, from 2021) | 12/20, with the mathematics speciality and the SVT or physique-chimie speciality in première and terminale, exams included |
| International Baccalaureate | 3 Higher Level and 3 Standard Level exams covering the six subjects, mathematics or an experimental science at Higher Level, average 32 points without bonus points; + French exam if French is not your mother tongue or language of instruction |
| Germany (Abitur) | Zeugnis der allgemeinen Hochschulreife with average 2.5 + French exam, or an admission from a recognised German university in your UNIL field + French exam |
| Italy | Diploma of the Liceo classico, linguistico, scientifico (including scienze applicate) or scienze umane (including economico-sociale) + French exam; no average stated |
| United Kingdom (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) | 6 general-education subjects: 3 at A-level (or AICE AL, Pre-U Principal) with grades B, B and C, one of them mathematics, biology, chemistry or physics, and 3 others at GCSE or AS level; + French exam |
| United States | High School Diploma + 6 AP exams in general-education subjects, at least 3 in each; + French exam |
The UNIL list is valid only for the 2026-2027 academic year, and the PDF itself is headed Année académique 2026/2027. If you apply for autumn 2027, use it as a guide and check the 2027-2028 list as soon as UNIL publishes it. For the diplomas in the next table, only the average column is shown: their rows in the PDF add further conditions, such as a home-university admission, the French exam or the ECUS.
| Country | Diploma | Average on the list |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (Scotland) | Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) | 3 or C |
| Bolivia | Bachiller en Humanidades / Bachillerato | 64/100 |
| Brazil | Certificado de Conclusão do Ensino Médio | 7/10 |
| Gambia | West African Senior School Certificate | B3 |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education | 3 |
| South Africa | National Senior Certificate (NSC) | 60 % |
French baccalauréat
The French bac row counts only the specialities it names: the enseignement scientifique taken in première and terminale is not recognised, so the mathematics speciality and an SVT or physique-chimie speciality are decisive.
- Older series: série S obtained between 2015 and 2020 needs 12/20; série L with the mathematics option (2013-2020) also needs 12/20; série ES and série L without mathematics are not recognised.
- According to UNIL's FAQ on secondary diplomas as of October 2026, diplomas from French-speaking Turkish lycées, such as Saint-Michel, Saint-Benoît or Saint-Joseph, are not French baccalauréats.
- In France, seconde, première and terminale must be in a school under contract with the Ministry of Education; hors contrat schools are not recognised.
- Outside France, the last three years must be at an AEFE-accredited school, a GESBF member school or the full regulated CNED course.
International Baccalaureate
For the IB, you upload the transcripts of both years of the Diploma Programme with your online application, according to UNIL's FAQ on secondary diplomas as of October 2026.
US high school diploma and APs
UNIL's country list for the United States asks for a High School Diploma plus AP exams, and does not name the SAT or the ACT. The diploma must come from a public school under direct State supervision or one accredited by a regional agency. Taking AP classes is not enough: you must pass each AP exam with the College Board at 3/5 and send the AP Score Reports with your transcript. Some APs are not recognised, including Art History, Environmental Science, Psychology and Statistics.
How UNIL builds the list
UNIL bases its country list on the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the swissuniversities recommendations of 21 November 2024 and the swissuniversities admission commission. The country list is the document to check your diploma against. Processing can take several months, so apply as early as you can.
UNIL's FAQ on secondary diplomas, as of October 2026, also sets document rules for some countries: Moroccan applicants send certified copies of the diploma and of the transcripts of the last three years, Tunisian applicants those of the last four years.
When your diploma is not enough: the ECUS complementary exam
If UNIL recognises your foreign diploma but does not judge it equivalent to a Swiss maturité gymnasiale, you must pass the ECUS, the complementary exam of Swiss universities, before you can enrol. The latest published ECUS ran in Crissier from 6 to 8 August 2026 (written) and 10 to 13 August 2026 (oral), after a file deadline of 28 February 2026; the 2027 dates are not yet published.
If your diploma is not recognised at all, you cannot sit the ECUS: the exam is for recognised diplomas that UNIL does not judge equivalent to a Swiss maturité, not a second chance for every diploma.
No ECUS candidate can enrol at UNIL before passing the exam, and a diploma from UNIL's French-as-a-foreign-language school (EFLE) does not exempt you from it.
What the ECUS covers
The ECUS has four compulsory subjects: French at level C1, mathematics, English, and history including an introduction to law; UNIL's directive on enrolment conditions lists the same four. ECUS candidates are automatically exempt from UNIL's separate French exam, as the French rules confirm; French at C1 is already one of the ECUS subjects.
Restricted options for science and medicine
| UNIL school or faculty | Options allowed (numbered as on UNIL's page) |
|---|---|
| School of criminal sciences (ESC, forensic science) | 1, 2 or 3 |
| School of biology | 3 |
| School of medicine | 1, 2 or 3 |
| Pharmacy | 2 or 3 |
ECUS dates and deadlines
For the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, UNIL's deadline for ECUS candidates was 28 February, for all programmes and even without a visa, and the complete file, certified copies included, had to reach UNIL before 28 February 2026. UNIL's directive on enrolment conditions sets the same 28 February date for ECUS candidates. These deadlines have passed, and the 2027-2028 dates are not yet published.
The ECUS registration form is not something you download: UNIL supplies it after processing your file, and it had to reach the admissions service by the date above. The 2027 dates are not yet published.
French language requirements at UNIL: B1 exam and exemptions
If French is not your mother tongue or you hold no Swiss maturité, and you are not subject to the ECUS, you must pass UNIL's French exam at minimum level B1 before your enrolment becomes final, unless an accepted certificate exempts you. These are UNIL's conditions for 2026-2027, the latest published; the 2027-2028 conditions are not yet published.
UNIL's directive on enrolment conditions requires a good knowledge of French, at least B1, for admission, and Bachelor applicants whose mother tongue is not French and who hold none of the exempting diplomas must pass a French exam before final enrolment. UNIL's French-as-a-foreign-language school describes the group as applicants with a school-leaving title from a non-French-speaking country. UNIL's direction decides, without appeal, the cases where the requirement does not seem necessary.
The UNIL French exam
The UNIL French exam lasts about an hour and a half and has three tests: reading comprehension, written production and listening comprehension. The tests are set at level B1 of the Common European Framework, which UNIL describes as the minimum: you should be able to produce simple, coherent speech on familiar subjects.
If you fail the UNIL French exam, you are not admitted to your chosen programme, but you can enrol at UNIL's French-as-a-foreign-language school (EFLE); UNIL's directive puts it the same way: candidates who fail are not admitted to enrolment. A second attempt is allowed at the earliest at the next session, and a second failure is final.
For 2026-2027, the latest published, UNIL set two exam dates: 20 August 2026 for the autumn semester, which has passed, and 4 February 2027 for the spring semester, which is still ahead; UNIL's French-as-a-foreign-language school gives the same two dates. UNIL's directive places the exam on the Thursday of week 34 for the autumn semester and of week 5 for the spring semester; the dated session for autumn 2027 is not yet published.
Certificates that exempt you
| Certificate | Level UNIL accepts |
|---|---|
| DELF | B1 or B2 |
| DALF | C1 or C2 |
| TCF Tout public | B1, obtained with all 5 tests |
| TEF (Paris chamber of commerce) | Level 3 minimum, with the 2 optional tests at level 3 minimum |
| TELC | B1 |
| fide language passport (Swiss Confederation) | B1 |
| CQF of UNIL's intensive French courses (FIL) | B1 in each of the four exams |
| Full year of French studies | At least 60 ECTS at the Geneva ELCF, the Neuchâtel ILCF or UNIL's EFLE preparatory year |
Each exemption certificate must have been obtained within the three years before you start your studies at UNIL, and a copy goes into the file you send to the admissions service.
Two groups are exempt without a certificate. Applicants who must pass the ECUS are automatically exempt, and UNIL's directive on enrolment conditions exempts them as well. Students of German law are exempt from the French exam requirement; for that route UNIL asks for an enrolment certificate (Studienbescheinigung) covering at least 3 semesters of law at a German university.
UNIL publishes no English-language test requirement for its Bachelors: French is the language that decides admission. The teaching-languages chapter lists the two HEC Lausanne Bachelors taught in French and/or English.
Learning French at UNIL first
Reaching B1 in all four skills tested by the CQF of UNIL's intensive French courses (FIL) exempts you from the French exam for enrolment, and UNIL recommends these courses to non-French-speaking students who plan to study at UNIL.
For a longer route, UNIL's EFLE sends A1 learners through 60 credits of Accès-FLE before its preparatory year, while A2 learners join the full-time preparatory year directly. You can take both to prepare for studies in French in another UNIL faculty. Entry to the EFLE's own programmes, not to a Bachelor, goes through an admission and placement exam held on the Tuesday before term, where you need at least A1 in each of the three tests.
UNIL admissions tests and interviews: SAT, physical aptitude and none for most
UNIL has no general entrance exam and does not ask for the SAT or ACT: for most Bachelors, your diploma plus, where required, the French exam or the ECUS is the whole test. The exceptions are sport sciences, with a physical aptitude exam the summer before you start (the latest held on 26 and 27 June 2026), and medicine, where entry to the 2nd year is by competitive exam.
UNIL's country list for US applicants asks for a High School Diploma plus 6 Advanced Placement exams with at least 3 in each, and names no SAT or ACT score. The other diplomas in the list name no SAT, ACT or similar admission test either: the extra requirement is the French exam or the ECUS.
| Programme | Test or extra requirement |
|---|---|
| Most Bachelors | None beyond the diploma, plus the French exam or the ECUS where the country list says so |
| Sport sciences | Physical aptitude pre-exam (APS), compulsory, fee Fr. 100.- |
| Medicine | No entrance test to year 1; competitive exam for entry to the 2nd year |
| Arts (Lettres) | Basic course in Latin or ancient Greek if your diploma has neither, depending on your subjects |
| Forensic science | Where a home-country admission is required, it must be in a listed science |
Sport sciences: the physical aptitude exam
Applicants to UNIL's Bachelor in sport and movement sciences must pass a physical aptitude pre-exam run by the Institute of sport sciences in the summer before studies start.
The latest published APS took place from Friday 26 June 2026 to Saturday 27 June 2026, from 7h00 to 19h00, and the registration fee was Fr. 100.-. The 2027 date is not yet published. The institute runs no specific preparation course.
If you fail the APS, you cannot start the sport sciences Bachelor.
Medicine: selection during the course
UNIL's medicine page says entry to the 2nd year is by competitive exam. Selection in medicine happens after the first year of study, not at the door; the medicine chapter covers the rules for foreign nationals.
Interviews
UNIL does not publish any admission interview for Bachelor applicants. The admissions service checks your written file against the formal conditions.
Medicine at UNIL: swissuniversities registration and rules for foreign nationals
To study medicine at UNIL you first register with swissuniversities, which closed before 15 February 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, and then apply to UNIL itself. As a foreign national you must also meet the cantonal regulation of 9 December 2020, which lists the foreign candidates treated like Swiss applicants; the 2027-2028 dates are not yet published.
Access to medical studies in Switzerland is regulated at federal level: you register with swissuniversities first, then with the university of your choice, and special admission conditions apply at Swiss level to foreign applicants. UNIL adds its own diploma conditions, covered in the earlier admission chapters.
Registration: swissuniversities, then UNIL
If you did not name UNIL as your first choice at swissuniversities, you cannot ask for admission to medicine in Lausanne after the 15 February deadline. Creating a Switch edu-ID account does not count as registering.
The School of medicine's page, which gives no year, asks for pre-registration with swissuniversities in Bern before 15 February and an online application to UNIL by 30 April. UNIL's additional-conditions page for 2026-2027 prints that date with the year 2025, a year that does not match the cycle the page describes, so it is not a deadline to plan around; use the date UNIL publishes for 2027-2028.
Foreign nationals treated like Swiss applicants
Under the cantonal regulation of 9 December 2020, the foreign candidates treated like Swiss applicants for a medicine place, provided they meet UNIL's enrolment conditions, include:
- Nationals of Liechtenstein, and foreigners settled in Switzerland or Liechtenstein with a C permit.
- Children, whatever their nationality, of EU, Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein nationals who hold a Swiss family-reunification permit.
- Children of parents with diplomatic status in Switzerland, and refugees recognised by Switzerland.
Candidates in these groups must hand in the documents proving their right of access by the swissuniversities deadline. If your nationality and residence status are not among the groups the regulation lists, you are not among the foreign candidates treated as Swiss for a place in medicine at UNIL, and UNIL's page does not describe a separate route for you.
The first year and the competitive exam
At UNIL, passage to the 2nd year of the Bachelor in medicine is by competitive exam. UNIL says it is committed to training 245 doctors each year, and part-time study in medicine is possible only from the second year.
UNIL's School of medicine publishes a "my first year in medicine" sheet for future students, labelled Version 2026-2027.
Pharmacy: first year only
In pharmacy, only the first year is taught in Lausanne; to continue in French-speaking Switzerland you must then transfer to the University of Geneva.
UNIL application step by step: deadlines for autumn 2027
UNIL has not yet published its foreign-diploma deadlines for autumn 2027; for the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, they were 28 February if you needed a visa or had to sit the ECUS, and 30 April for all programmes otherwise. Applying costs a non-refundable CHF 200, classes start in week 38, and a Bachelor cannot start in the spring.
UNIL's directive on fees and deadlines sets 28 February, with no year, for the complete file of applicants who need a visa and of those subject to the ECUS. That matches the 2026-2027 list, where 28 February applied to all programmes if you needed a visa; the 2027-2028 dates still need UNIL's confirmation.
The visa deadline is earlier on purpose. Visa procedures can take two to three months, so UNIL sets the deadline for applicants who need a visa two months before the general one.
The steps, in order
- Apply online: you file and validate your online application within the deadline and upload the required documents.
- Post certified copies if your country requires it: if you studied in a state that has not ratified the Lisbon Convention, you file in two steps, PDF uploads first and then certified copies by post. The diploma and the transcripts of the last three years must be certified by the competent ministry; the Hague Apostille and certifications by schools, police, town halls or notaries are not accepted.
- Pay the CHF 200 administrative fee, which is not refundable, even if you withdraw or are refused.
- Wait for the check: the admissions service checks the formal conditions; this can take several months, so apply early.
- Get the decision by post, with instructions to confirm your enrolment; a refusal also comes in writing.
- Confirm with original diplomas and transcripts within the deadlines in the instructions, or the file is cancelled.
UNIL's directive on fees and deadlines sets the CHF 200 fee for Bachelor applicants who hold a foreign school-leaving or university diploma. Any extra condition, such as the ECUS, the French exam or the diploma itself, must be met at the latest when classes resume.
No spring start for Bachelors
UNIL allows no registration in a Bachelor programme for the spring semester, except for guest students. If you miss the autumn intake, the next Bachelor start is the following September.
What is already open for 2027-2028
For the autumn semester 2027/2028, UNIL's registration page lists only two open channels: the admission "sur dossier" for Bachelor studies and the Passerelle médecine programme. The admission sur dossier, with a complete-file deadline of 30 November 2026 for autumn 2027-2028, is for adults with work experience who live in Switzerland and do not hold a qualifying school-leaving diploma. UNIL also runs an examen préalable d'admission for candidates aged at least 20 who hold no diploma allowing enrolment; for 2026-2027 its application deadline was 30 April. None of these is a route for applicants from abroad, and the regular foreign-diploma deadlines for 2027-2028 are not yet published.
What to study at UNIL: Bachelor programmes by faculty
UNIL offers 15 Bachelor programmes across seven faculties, from law and management to psychology, sport sciences and theology. A UNIL Bachelor is 180 ECTS credits over 6 semesters, three years of full-time study.
UNIL's Bachelors page lists 15 programmes, each in one faculty, and you apply to one programme, not to the university in general.
| Faculty | Bachelor programmes |
|---|---|
| Biology and medicine | Biology, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences |
| Law, criminal sciences and public administration | Law, forensic science |
| Geosciences and environment | Geosciences and environment |
| Business and economics (HEC Lausanne) | Economics, management |
| Arts (Lettres) | Lettres, with a choice of subjects |
| Social and political sciences | Psychology, sport and movement sciences, political science, social sciences |
| Theology and religious studies | Religious studies, theology |
Two UNIL Bachelors have extra conditions covered in other chapters: medicine has its own registration and a competitive exam for the second year, and pharmacy is taught only in its first year in Lausanne before a transfer to Geneva. UNIL's Bachelors page also links to joint Bachelors run with the universities of Geneva and Neuchâtel.
Length, credits and part-time study
The UNIL Bachelor of Law shows the standard format: 180 ECTS credits, 6 semesters, taught in French, at CHF 580 per semester. According to the programme pages as of October 2026, the application deadline shown is 30 April; the general deadlines chapter explains the earlier date for visa and ECUS applicants.
UNIL says all 15 Bachelors can be taken part-time, but only for a justified reason: health, family, professional or a personal project, and an accepted part-time Bachelor runs at 50% throughout. Under the migration authority's rule, third-country nationals who come to Switzerland only to study are excluded from part-time study.
The management Bachelor at HEC Lausanne
HEC Lausanne's Bachelor of Science in Management is described by UNIL as a bilingual French-English Bachelor, and its fact box lists the teaching language as French and/or English. It is 180 ECTS over 6 semesters, at CHF 580 per semester.
- Year 1, the propaedeutic year (60 ECTS): management, economics, mathematics, statistics, accounting, law, computer science, English and sustainability.
- Year 2 (60 ECTS): business functions and economics.
- Year 3: mobility abroad is possible for one or two semesters, with more than 160 destinations.
The HEC Lausanne management first year lists mathematics and statistics alongside management, economics and accounting.
Teaching languages at UNIL: French Bachelors, two bilingual HEC programmes
UNIL's Bachelor fact boxes give French as the teaching language for programmes such as law, psychology and medicine, while HEC Lausanne's Bachelors in management and economics are taught in French and/or English. Plan on studying in French, which is why UNIL's French exam, not an English test, is the language hurdle for admission.
Each UNIL Bachelor page has a fact box with a teaching-language line; the medicine box, for example, reads Langue d'enseignement Français.
| Bachelor | Teaching language |
|---|---|
| Management (HEC Lausanne) | French and/or English |
| Economics (HEC Lausanne) | French and/or English |
| Law | French |
| Psychology | French |
| Medicine | French |
The bilingual HEC Lausanne Bachelors
HEC Lausanne presents its economics programme as a bilingual French-English Bachelor, with foundations in management, economics, mathematics, computer science, communication and sustainability. The management Bachelor is described the same way. The fact box does not say which courses run in which language.
UNIL's admission rules apply in full to the HEC Lausanne Bachelors: if French is not your mother tongue or you hold no Swiss maturité, and you are not subject to the ECUS, you still need the French exam at B1 or an exempting certificate. UNIL publishes no English-language test or minimum English level for Bachelor admission.
Careers after UNIL
UNIL tracks its graduates through the federal "Devenir diplômés" survey, analysing the one-year data for cohorts from 2004 to 2022, but its survey page gives no employment rate. For support, UNIL's careers service is open to UNIL students and graduates, and while you study, a side job for foreign students is capped at 15 hours per week.
The graduate survey is federal: every two years, each Swiss university gives the Federal Statistical Office a full list of its graduates, who are surveyed one year and then five years after graduating. UNIL analyses the one-year data and says it does not have the longitudinal data.
UNIL's careers service
UNIL's Service d'orientation et carrières (SOC) is open to UNIL students and graduates, and to people interested in studying at UNIL.
Employers can publish job offers free of charge on UNIL's jobs platform, which reaches some 14'000 students.
Working while you study
| Rule | What UNIL publishes |
|---|---|
| Permit | A work permit is indispensable for any paid work |
| Hours | Students of foreign nationality: side job limited to 15 hours per week, after approval by the cantonal employment service |
| First semester | Study-visa holders: no side job in the 1st semester |
| Part-time study | Third-country nationals who come only to study are excluded from part-time study |
The first-semester rule is one of the conditions of a Swiss study visa, so it concerns applicants who need a visa. A side job cannot be part of your financial plan for the first months: the visa also asks for proof of funds, covered in the cost chapter.
Cost of study at UNIL: CHF 580 a semester and living costs
A UNIL Bachelor costs CHF 580 per semester in fees under the conditions for 2026-2027, the latest published, and UNIL's fees page gives one amount for Bachelor students, with no rate by nationality. The larger cost is living in Switzerland: for a study visa you must show at least CHF 2'100 per month; the 2027-2028 fee is not yet published.
UNIL's directive on fees and deadlines splits the semester amount into a CHF 500 course-registration fee, exams included, and CHF 80 in semester fees. The same CHF 580 applies to Bachelor, Master, the preparatory year and the French-as-a-foreign-language diploma.
Students on restricted leave pay CHF 210 per semester and on full leave CHF 130. A part-time Bachelor costs the same per semester as full-time study, so stretching your Bachelor makes it more expensive overall.
Application fee and late payment
Applying to UNIL with a foreign diploma costs a CHF 200 administrative fee, which is not refunded if you withdraw or are refused.
Pay UNIL's invoice on time. After a missed deadline, UNIL emails a reminder with a final 5 days; without full payment you are automatically removed from the register. UNIL lifts that only if you pay the fees plus a CHF 200 late surcharge within 15 days and the faculty agrees.
Reductions
If you are in financial difficulty, you can ask UNIL for a partial exemption. After an assessment by UNIL's social affairs and student mobility service (SASME), a reduction can be granted, and CHF 180 per semester then remains payable. A separate family relief, for those domiciled in the Canton of Vaud, reduces university fees by CHF 150.-.
Living costs and the visa budget
For a Swiss study visa, UNIL lists among the conditions that you have means of at least CHF 2'100 per month, and that you take no side job in the 1st semester. That monthly figure is the official minimum for visa applicants, not an estimate of what Lausanne costs; rent is the largest item, covered in the housing chapter.
Scholarships and financial aid at UNIL
UNIL publishes no merit or entrance scholarship for international Bachelor applicants, so plan to fund your first year yourself. UNIL's own monthly aid of CHF 100.- to CHF 700.- opens to foreign students with a student B permit only after they have validated 60 credits of their first Bachelor at UNIL.
| Aid | Amount | Who is eligible |
|---|---|---|
| UNIL monthly aid (SASME) | CHF 100.- to CHF 700.- per month | Foreign students with a student B permit: first Bachelor at UNIL and 60 credits validated |
| Aid on arrival | Not stated | Only Swiss nationals, C-permit holders or recognised refugees who first applied for a cantonal grant |
| Partial fee exemption | Pay CHF 180.- instead of CHF 580.- per semester | Students in financial difficulty, after SASME assessment |
| Family relief (Vaud) | CHF 150.- off university fees | Students dependent on parents living in the Canton of Vaud |
UNIL's social fund
UNIL has a social fund for students with temporary or lasting financial difficulties. Its aid can top up a cantonal grant or replace one that was refused, and UNIL can pay advances while a grant decision is pending. The social affairs and student mobility service (SASME) handles these requests and the partial fee exemption.
For an international Bachelor student, the timing is the catch. Aid on arrival is reserved for Swiss, C-permit holders and recognised refugees, and the monthly aid for B-permit students starts only after 60 credits, normally after a full year of study. Your first year has to be funded from your own means, which the visa process also checks.
Merit scholarships
UNIL's aid pages list no merit or excellence scholarship for international Bachelor applicants. Plan your first-year funding from your own means or from sources in your home country.
Housing for UNIL students: FMEL residences and the UNIL-EPFL portal
UNIL publishes no housing guarantee for new students. Its partner, the student-housing foundation FMEL, charges between CHF 470.- and CHF 1'230.- a month with charges included; UNIL's housing pages also point to a joint UNIL-EPFL portal for private rentals.
UNIL's own pages give two sizes for the FMEL. UNIL's housing page says the FMEL houses more than 2'500 students on various sites, mostly around Lausanne; the FMEL page on UNIL's site says more than 3'000. Either way, the FMEL is the student-housing foundation that UNIL's housing page names as its partner.
FMEL residences
Rents depend on the residence and room type, and you must also plan an initial rent guarantee of CHF 1'200.-.
The UNIL-EPFL portal and private rentals
UNIL and EPFL run a joint listings database reserved for their students, where private landlords post rooms and flats; you log in with your UNIL credentials. UNIL's site also lists furnished residences and studios run by private agencies, such as studios in Crissier from CHF 1045.- and an 18 m2 studio in Lausanne at CHF 900.- per month, charges included.
UNIL warns that renting through an agency is hard, especially for people arriving from abroad, who are asked for many guarantees and a Swiss guarantor. Plan a rent guarantee of up to 3 months' rent on top of the first month.
Registering your address
Anyone who moves to the Canton of Vaud to study for more than ninety days a year must register with the commune where they live. UNIL's residents-office page gives a deadline of 8 days after arrival, while UNIL's admissions page on visas gives 14 days; register within the shorter one. The residents-office page lists a commune fee of CHF 15.- to 30.- plus CHF 65.- for the permit.
Student life in Lausanne, visa and residence permit
If you need a visa to study in Switzerland, UNIL lists the conditions of a study visa, among them proof of at least CHF 2'100.- a month, and asks visa applicants to apply to UNIL at least two months before the general deadlines. After arrival, UNIL's visa page tells you to register with your commune for a B permit for training.
The visa steps below apply to applicants who need a visa to study in Switzerland. Some third-country nationals are exempt: those who already hold a valid residence permit or a long-stay D visa from another Schengen state request an entry authorisation instead.
The study visa
| Condition | What UNIL lists |
|---|---|
| Programme | State clearly your programme, its planned duration and the degree you aim for |
| Money | Means of at least CHF 2'100.- per month |
| Work | No side job in the 1st semester |
| Profile | Age and previous education compatible with the planned studies |
| Timing | Apply to UNIL at least two months before the general deadlines |
Visa applicants must apply to UNIL at least two months earlier than the general deadlines: the admission decision has to reach you in time for the visa, and visa procedures can take two to three months.
On arrival: registration and the B permit
Once in Switzerland, you register with the residents office of your commune to obtain a B permit for training. UNIL's visa page gives a deadline of 14 days, while UNIL's residents-office page says the deadline is 8 days after arrival. Register within 8 days and you meet both.
Campus life at Dorigny
UNIL describes its home as a campus on the shore of Lake Geneva, a place to live, experiment and learn. Sport takes place at the Centre Sportif UNIL-EPFL at Dorigny, which UNIL shares with EPFL.
UNIL's health service supports students' mental and physical health, from emergencies and routine consultations to a dental check-up or pregnancy.
Who is UNIL for? Summary and next steps
UNIL suits you if your school-leaving diploma is a general academic one that UNIL can treat as essentially equivalent to a Swiss maturité, and you are ready to study in French. For autumn 2027, the foreign-diploma deadlines are not yet published; the latest published pattern, for 2026-2027, was 28 February for visa and ECUS applicants and 30 April for everyone else.
UNIL is a good match for applicants who meet its country list and want a low-fee, French-language Bachelor on a lakeside campus. The bilingual HEC Lausanne Bachelors, taught in French and/or English, are the closest UNIL comes to English teaching. UNIL is not the right choice if you hold a vocational diploma, which UNIL does not recognise, or if you are not ready to study in French: even the HEC Lausanne Bachelors list French and/or English.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your diploma on the country list | The list is valid only for 2026-2027; the 2027-2028 version may change the minimum for your diploma |
| Your French | An accepted certificate such as DELF or DALF must be obtained within three years before you start, or you sit UNIL's French exam at minimum B1 |
| Whether you need the ECUS | A recognised but non-equivalent diploma means the ECUS, with the earlier deadline and an August exam |
Next steps for autumn 2027
- First, check your diploma against the country list and plan your French certificate. For the autumn semester 2027/2028, UNIL's registration page lists as open only the admission sur dossier and the Passerelle médecine, which are not routes for applicants from abroad.
- Medicine: in the 2026-2027 cycle, swissuniversities registration closed before 15 February; watch for UNIL's 2027 date, which may differ.
- If you need a visa or the ECUS: in the 2026-2027 cycle, the deadline was 28 February; plan to apply by a similar date for 2027 unless UNIL publishes a different one.
- Everyone else: in the 2026-2027 cycle, the deadline for all programmes was 30 April.
Applying early costs nothing extra and protects you if UNIL's processing takes several months, as its pages warn. When UNIL publishes the 2027-2028 country list and deadlines, check them against this summary before you submit.
UNIL: frequently asked questions
What is the UNIL acceptance rate?
UNIL publishes no acceptance rate and no count of Bachelor applications or offers. Its admissions service checks whether the formal conditions of the chosen programme are met, and only complete files sent within the deadlines are examined.
Do I need the SAT or ACT for UNIL?
No. UNIL's country list for US applicants asks for a High School Diploma plus 6 AP exams with at least 3 in each, and names no SAT or ACT. UNIL has no general entrance exam. The exceptions are a physical aptitude exam for sport sciences (fee Fr. 100.-, last held on 26 and 27 June 2026) and, in medicine, a competitive exam for entry to the 2nd year.
Do I need French to study at UNIL?
Yes, in most cases. If French is not your mother tongue or you hold no Swiss maturité, and you are not subject to the ECUS, you must pass UNIL's French exam at minimum level B1 before your enrolment becomes final. The exam lasts about an hour and a half. Certificates such as DELF B1 or B2 and DALF C1 or C2 exempt you if obtained within three years before you start. For 2026-2027, the latest published, UNIL set exam dates of 20 August 2026 (past) and 4 February 2027 (for the spring semester); the date for autumn 2027 is not yet published.
Can I study at UNIL in English?
Partly. HEC Lausanne's Bachelors in management and economics list French and/or English as the teaching language, while fact boxes such as those for law and medicine list French. UNIL publishes no English-language test for Bachelor admission; French is the language it tests.
What is the UNIL application deadline for 2027 entry?
UNIL has not published its foreign-diploma deadlines for autumn 2027. For the 2026-2027 academic year, the latest published, they were 28 February for applicants who needed a visa or the ECUS and 30 April for all programmes, with medicine registering at swissuniversities before 15 February 2026; all have passed. The only autumn 2027-2028 item open is the admission sur dossier, due 30 November 2026, which is not a route for applicants from abroad.
How much does it cost to study at UNIL?
Regular enrolment costs CHF 580 per semester under the conditions for 2026-2027, made up of CHF 500 in course fees and CHF 80 in semester fees. Applying costs a non-refundable CHF 200. For a Swiss study visa you must show at least CHF 2'100 per month.
Does UNIL accept the French baccalauréat, IB, A-levels or Abitur?
Yes, if you meet the minimum on UNIL's country list, which is valid only for 2026-2027. The French baccalauréat needs 12/20 with mathematics and a science speciality, the IB 32 points without bonus points, the Abitur an average 2.5 or a home-university admission, and a UK diploma 3 A-levels at B, B and C plus other subjects. Each row also says whether the French exam or the ECUS applies.
Can a foreign student study medicine at UNIL?
Possibly. You first register with swissuniversities, which closed before 15 February 2026 for 2026-2027, then apply to UNIL. Foreign nationals must also meet the cantonal regulation of 9 December 2020, which lists the groups treated like Swiss applicants; if your nationality and residence status are not on that list, UNIL describes no separate route. Entry to the 2nd year is by competitive exam.
Does UNIL offer scholarships to international students?
UNIL's aid pages list no merit or entrance scholarship for international Bachelor applicants. Its own aid of CHF 100.- to CHF 700.- per month is open to foreign students with a student B permit only after 60 credits of a first Bachelor at UNIL. A partial fee exemption, after assessment, leaves CHF 180.- per semester to pay.
Does UNIL guarantee housing, and what does a room cost?
UNIL publishes no housing guarantee for new students. The student-housing foundation FMEL, its partner, charges CHF 470.- to CHF 1'230.- per month with charges included. UNIL advises planning a rent guarantee of up to 3 months' rent.
Do I need a visa to study at UNIL?
If you need a visa to study in Switzerland, apply to UNIL at least two months before the general deadlines so the admission decision reaches you in time. UNIL lists means of at least CHF 2'100.- per month and no side job in the 1st semester among the visa conditions. Some third-country nationals with a residence permit or long-stay visa from another Schengen state are exempt and request an entry authorisation instead.
Is UNIL the same as EPFL?
No. UNIL, which traces its birth to 1537, teaches its Bachelors in seven faculties. EPFL is a separate institution at the same Dorigny site. They share some services, such as the Centre Sportif UNIL-EPFL and a housing database; admission, fees and rules are each institution's own.
Where these numbers come from
Official pages of University of Lausanne (UNIL), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.
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