FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz) is a university of applied sciences owned by four cantons, with ten schools on four sites: Basel, Brugg-Windisch, Muttenz and Olten.[1] Its facts page counts 11,572 students in 34 bachelor’s programmes and 2,955 in 25 master’s programmes.[2] FHNW is not ranked individually in the sources we could read, and we could not confirm a QS World University Rankings 2027 position.
The semester fee depends on where you lived when you started: CHF 750 for Swiss residents, CHF 1,000 for residents of the EU or EFTA, and at least CHF 5,000 for everyone else, from the 2025/26 study year.[3] The Basel schools of art and design and of music charge CHF 1,250 to the last group.[3] Most degrees are taught in German; some bachelor’s and master’s programmes are taught in English.[4]
Key facts
| Official name | Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW); English: University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland[1] |
| Location | Four sites: Basel, Brugg-Windisch, Muttenz and Olten (Brugg-Windisch campus: Bahnhofstrasse 6, 5210 Windisch)[5] |
| Type | Intercantonal public institute with its own legal entity and the right of self-administration; owned by the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Solothurn[1] |
| Founded | 1 January 2006 according to Wikipedia; the university itself says it celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026 and cites a state treaty of 27 October/9 November 2004[6] |
| Students | 11,572 in bachelor’s and 2,955 in master’s programmes (facts page, undated, linked to the 2024 annual report). FHNW’s profile page says about 15,000 students[1], Wikipedia gives 13,984 for 2024[6][2] |
| Employees | About 3,000[1] |
| Schools | 10: Applied Psychology; Architecture, Construction and Geomatics; Art and Design; Business; Computer Science; Engineering and Environment; Life Sciences; Music; School of Education; Social Work[2] |
| Programmes | 34 bachelor’s (BSc, BA) and 25 master’s (MSc, MA) programmes[2] |
| Language of teaching | Full range in German; selected programmes fully or partly in English[4] |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | Not confirmed (no position found in the sources we read) |
| Semester fee 2025/26, Swiss residents | CHF 750 (plus CHF 100 materials and licences per semester)[3] |
| Semester fee 2025/26, residence in EU/EFTA | CHF 1,000[3] |
| Semester fee 2025/26, residence elsewhere | At least CHF 5,000; CHF 1,250 at the Basel schools of art and design and of music[3] |
| Official website | fhnw.ch |
Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.
About FHNW
FHNW is an intercantonal public institute with its own legal entity. Its owners are the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt and Solothurn, and each canton governs it under a four-year mandate.[1] Wikipedia dates the foundation to 1 January 2006 and describes the university as the result of merging the Aargau university of applied sciences with institutions from Basel and Solothurn; the Basel Academy of Music and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis joined in 2008.[6]
The university has about 3,000 employees and says people from more than 60 countries study and work there.[1] Its mandate has four parts: teaching, continuing education, applied research and development, and services.[1] In its facts page it reports 1,357 applied research projects with industry partners and 3,894 continuing education qualifications.[2]
How is FHNW ranked?
We found no individual position for FHNW in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026. The QS site blocks automated access and none of the sources we read names an FHNW position, so we do not give a number. Times Higher Education’s profile page for FHNW, as we could read it, also shows no rank.
Universities of applied sciences are often left out of research-based world rankings. Treat the absence of a rank as a statement about the ranking method, not about teaching quality. How we compile rankings. For the Swiss list, see universities in Switzerland.
What can you study at FHNW?
FHNW offers 34 bachelor’s and 25 master’s programmes across its ten schools.[2] The full range is available in German. Selected programmes are taught fully or partly in English.[4] The programme list shows, among others:
- Bachelor’s in English only: Business Administration (International Management) and Business Information Technology.[4]
- Bachelor’s in English and German: Computer Science, Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, AI & High Performance Computing, Game Technologies & Extended Reality and others; International Business Management is offered in English, German and French.[4]
- Master’s in English or partly in English: Life Sciences programmes in Muttenz (for example Bioanalytics, Biotechnology and Data Science), Business (Finance, International Management), several Master of Science in Engineering profiles, and Art and Design programmes in Basel such as Fine Arts.[4]
The list we read was cut off at the end, so it may contain further English-taught programmes.[4] Check the programme page for the teaching language, place and next start date.
How much does FHNW cost?
FHNW sets one fee schedule for all bachelor’s and master’s students, valid from the study year 2025/26. The fee depends on your civil-law residence at the start of your studies, not on your passport.[3]
| Residence at start of studies | Per semester | Per year (two semesters) |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland (also Swiss citizens, and students whose parents live in Switzerland) | CHF 750 | CHF 1,500 |
| EU or EFTA | CHF 1,000 | CHF 2,000 |
| Neither Switzerland nor EU/EFTA | at least CHF 5,000 | at least CHF 10,000 |
| Neither of these, at the Basel schools of art and design and of music | CHF 1,250 | CHF 2,500 |
The yearly column is our doubling of the semester fee. The rules also name recognised refugees and stateless people with residence in Switzerland among those paying CHF 750.[3]
Other fees
- Application fee: CHF 200, non-refundable.[3]
- Materials and licences: CHF 100 per semester. The students’ association membership of CHF 10 per semester appears on the fee page.[3][7]
- Diploma fee: CHF 300 at graduation.[3]
- Where a programme requires an aptitude assessment (CHF 100) or an entrance examination (up to CHF 300), the school may charge that fee; the Basel music school charges CHF 200 for the aptitude assessment.[3]
- Students on leave pay CHF 100 per semester. Compulsory excursions and study trips can cost extra, and a fee waiver can be requested in financial hardship.[3]
The fee page itself shows no year and refers to the fee regulation as the binding text.[7] FHNW estimates living costs of about CHF 1,800 to 2,000 a month for rent, living expenses and books; the page has no date.[8] For wider costs see our Study in Switzerland guide.
How do you apply to FHNW?
Admission rules are set by each school and programme, so there is no single FHNW rule for foreign qualifications. The pages we read show the following:
- Entrance examination, School of Engineering and Environment: applicants with a foreign diploma need a completed training of at least three years at upper-secondary level plus at least one year of work experience in the field. The examination covers German, English, mathematics and physics.[9]
- Exchange and incoming students: FHNW’s pages for incoming students point to the international office of the school. For Life Sciences, the home university must nominate you and you apply through Mobility-Online.[10][11]
- Visa: depending on your country you may need a visa and a residence permit; processing generally takes one to three months.[8]
For degree admission with a foreign diploma, contact International Affairs FHNW (international@fhnw.ch) or the admissions team of your school.[11] We give no deadlines here because they change every year and differ by programme. The registration fee of CHF 200 is due when you register.[3]
Which language level do you need?
The teaching language is set by the programme. The full range of programmes is in German; selected programmes are taught in English.[4] The programme list names German level C1 for some German-taught music programmes.[4]
For exchange students in Life Sciences, FHNW asks for level B2 or higher in German for bachelor’s modules and in English for master’s modules.[10] This is an exchange rule; for a full degree check the study regulations and the admission page of your programme. We did not find a single FHNW-wide language level for degree students, so check the admission page of your programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are FHNW tuition fees for international students?
From 2025/26 the semester fee is at least CHF 5,000 for students whose civil-law residence at the start of studies is neither in Switzerland nor in the EU/EFTA. Residents of the EU or EFTA pay CHF 1,000 and Swiss residents CHF 750. The Basel schools of art and design and of music charge CHF 1,250 to the first group.[3]
Is FHNW a university?
FHNW is a university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule), an intercantonal public institute owned by four cantons.[1] It is a different institution from the University of Basel.
Does FHNW teach in English?
Some programmes do. The programme list shows English-only and English-and-German bachelor’s programmes and a number of English-taught master’s programmes; the full range is in German.[4]
Where are the FHNW campuses?
Basel, Brugg-Windisch, Muttenz and Olten.[1]
Is FHNW in the QS World University Rankings?
We could not confirm an individual FHNW position in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
More about studying in Switzerland
- Switzerland: best universities
- Study in Switzerland: complete guide
- Cost of Studying Abroad
- International Student Scholarships
- University Ranking Methodology
More university profiles in Switzerland
- Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH)
- EPFL
- ETH Zurich
- Franklin Switzerland
- Geneva Graduate Institute
- HES-SO
- IMD Business School
- Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)
- University of Basel
- University of Bern
- University of Fribourg
- University of Geneva
- University of Lausanne
- University of Lucerne
- University of Neuchâtel
- University of St.Gallen (HSG)
- University of Zurich
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
- Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)
Sources
[1] FHNW: Profile and organisation (page without a date; refers to the 20th anniversary in 2026)
[2] FHNW: Facts and figures (page without a date; the linked annual report is the 2024 one)
[3] FHNW: Gebührenordnung Ausbildung (fee regulation for bachelor’s and master’s programmes) (valid from the study year 2025/26; adopted by the university council on 16 Dec 2024, approved 13 Jan 2025)
[4] FHNW: Degree programmes (programme list by teaching language) (page without a date; the list was cut off at the end when we read it)
[5] FHNW: Location Brugg-Windisch (page without a date)
[6] Wikipedia: University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (founding date, mergers and legal status; student figures for 2024)
[7] FHNW: Studiengebühren (German-language fee page) (page without a date; refers to the fee regulation as binding)
[8] FHNW: Info Switzerland (visa, living costs, accommodation) (page without a date)
[9] FHNW School of Engineering and Environment: Aufnahmeprüfung (entrance examination) (page without a date)
[10] FHNW Life Sciences: Welcome for incoming students (page without a date; rules for exchange students)
[11] FHNW: Incoming students (page without a date)
Figures may change; check official sources before you decide. How we compile our data · Found an error? Tell us.