Swiss Public Universities through Independent Magic Mentor Admissions Support

Is EHL a Swiss public university?

No. Although EHL Hospitality Business School is officially recognised as a Swiss University of Applied Sciences through its association with HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland), it is not a Swiss public (cantonal) university such as ETH Zurich, EPFL or the Universities of Zurich, Geneva and Basel. EHL operates as an independent, non-profit higher education institution and charges tuition fees that are considerably higher than those at Switzerland’s public universities. Its degrees are officially recognised in Switzerland and internationally.

Today, EHL is widely regarded as the world’s leading hospitality business school and has been ranked #1 globally for Hospitality & Leisure Management by the QS World University Rankings for multiple consecutive years.

If your goal is to study Business, Hospitality or Culinary Arts in Switzerland, I strongly recommend comparing EHL with institutions such as BHMS, Hotel Institute Montreux, and Les Roches Marbella, as well as Switzerland’s public universities, to determine which option best matches your academic profile, career ambitions and budget.

Swiss Native-Language Hospitality Schools (Hotelfachschulen)

Many international students are familiar with Switzerland’s private hospitality universities. However, Switzerland also has a long tradition of federally recognised Higher Technical Colleges (ES / Höhere Fachschulen) that primarily educate Swiss and European hospitality professionals. These schools usually teach in one of Switzerland’s national languages—German, French or Italian—and often require previous vocational training or relevant industry experience. They award a federally recognised higher-professional qualification, such as Dipl. Hotelier-Gastronom HF or the French-language equivalent, rather than a conventional university bachelor’s degree.

German-speaking Switzerland (Hotelfachschulen)

• SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern — Lucerne
• Hotelfachschule Thun — Thun
• Hotelfachschule Zürich (HFZ) — Zurich
• EHL Hotel School Passugg — Passugg; programmes are available in German and English

These schools are highly respected within the Swiss hospitality industry and emphasise practical management training combined with professional experience. For example, SHL’s German-language HF programme includes school-based study and paid internship semesters.

French-speaking Switzerland

The best-known French-language option is the École Hôtelière de Genève (EHG). Its three-year École Supérieure programme in hotel and restaurant management is taught in French and includes three six-month paid internships. The school’s ES diploma is recognised nationally and internationally.

At university level, EHL Hospitality Business School is recognised as a Swiss University of Applied Sciences through HES-SO. Unlike the ES/HF hospitality schools, EHL awards bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Italian-speaking Switzerland

Students wishing to study in Italian can consider the Scuola specializzata superiore alberghiera e del turismo (SSSAT) in Bellinzona. SSSAT is a specialist higher-education centre for hospitality and tourism in Italian and offers federally recognised professional pathways.

My recommendation

These schools can be excellent options for students who already speak German, French or Italian and want to build a career in the Swiss hospitality industry. For many international students who do not yet speak one of Switzerland’s national languages, English-language institutions such as BHMS or EHL may be more accessible and can provide a smoother route into the international hospitality sector while still offering practical experience in Switzerland.

Which Swiss hospitality schools hold Swiss institutional accreditation?

Swiss institutional accreditation should not be confused with being a public or cantonal university. Institutional accreditation is awarded under the Swiss Higher Education Act by the Swiss Accreditation Council, the joint accreditation body of the Swiss Confederation and the cantons.

EHL Hospitality Business School is associated with HES-SO, Switzerland’s public University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland. This allows EHL to offer officially recognised HES-SO bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Among Switzerland’s internationally focused private hospitality schools, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Les Roches Global Hospitality Education and César Ritz Colleges Switzerland are also listed by swissuniversities as institutionally accredited Swiss higher-education institutions at university-of-applied-sciences institute level. They are not, however, part of a public cantonal university network.

The key distinction is therefore that EHL is integrated into the HES-SO public University of Applied Sciences system, while Glion, Les Roches and César Ritz are independently operated institutions holding Swiss institutional accreditation.