Università della Svizzera italiana
Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
USI Università della Svizzera italiana is a member of the Swiss universities system and the only Italian-speaking University in Switzerland. It is a multi-lingual university with courses taught in Italian and English and it has a strong international orientation. USI’s faculty members and students come from more than 114 different countries; USI was among the first universities in Switzerland to adopt the new European university structure that encourages students’ mobility across European campuses.
USI comprises 6 Faculties: Architecture, Economics, Communication, Culture and Society, Biomedical Sciences, Informatics and Theology (affiliated). With its geographical, political, and cultural background, USI has grown into a multilingual academic institution with a wide international atmosphere. USI’s small size, its positive teacher-to-students ratio, the integration of different disciplines, and top-quality technical and IT infrastructure make up the ideal conditions for study and research.
Life at the USI
The University offers students an ideal setup for university life, with state-of-the-art infrastructure, top quality study rooms, computer labs accessible day and night, advanced technologies for teaching, parks, gym, canteen, and cafeteria which all add to a friendly, familiar and safe environment.
Students who graduate from the Università della Svizzera italiana have no difficulty finding jobs and positions adequate to their title and expectations thanks to the university’s cross-disciplinary education and diverse curriculum. Courses at USI are increasingly focused as the course of study takes a specific direction, and this creates highly specialized professionals in their distinctive areas of expertise.
Find out more about Università della Svizzera italiana by filling in your details and the school will contact you.
Programs
Scholarships & funding
Dreaming about studying in Switzerland, but worried about the expenses?
Please check out the university website and find out more about our scholarships.
Videos
Contact school
Why study at Università della Svizzera italiana
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:
- Quality of the Swiss university system
- International faculty
- Leading interdisciplinary education
- Teacher/student ratio 1 to 9
- Strong ties with the business world
- Flexible structure, open to the exchange of ideas
- International, dynamic and welcoming environment
Awards & Accreditations
Ranked 328th worldwide (out of 1500 universities)
QS World University Rankings (2024)
Ranked #201-250 (out of 1799 universities)
THE World University Rankings (2023)
Ranked 32nd worldwide among 'young' universities (less than 50 years old)
THE Young University Rankings (2023)
Ranked 15th worldwide among small universities
THE World's Best Small Universities (2022)
Ranked 26th worldwide among 'young' Universities (less than 50 years old)
QS Top 50 Under 50 (2021)
Student services & facilities
- Housing Service: looking for an accommodation can be stressful; through the Housing Service you will receive support in this process;
- Careers and Alumni: always ready to suggestions on how to improve your curriculum and support your job research during and after your studies;
- Sports Service: over 50 weekly courses and a Gym at complete disposal of all students;
- International Relations and Mobility: planning a semester abroad is a good way to stand out with your study profile;
- Library: the library offers various multimedia tools and a comprehensive collection of periodicals. It also provides photocopying services and individual spaces for studying with facilitated opening hours.
Campuses
The Lugano campus is divided in West and East campus.
- The West campus is home to the Lugano university library, lecture rooms, event theaters, cafeteria, study areas, offices for the academic staff as well as the Student Services. Surrounded by public gardens and just in walking distance to the city center and the lake, this location creates the perfect study environment.
- The East campus (established in 2021) is located right across the river in 5 minutes walking distance from the West campus. Reserved for the Faculty of Informatics as well as the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences it is a hub of shared spaces, a multi-purpose hall, an exhibition space, a canteen, a crèche and sports areas.
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.
Student lifestyle
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.
Accommodation
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.
Reviews
Average rating 4.9
Based on 55 reviews.Contact
Università della Svizzera italiana
Want to get more information about this institute and its programs? Fill out the following form and we'll pass it on directly to a representative from the school, who will respond to your enquiry.
Great place to study. I had my master's degree here and I learnt a lot. Extremely valuable for my professional career.