Franklin Switzerland

Key facts

Checked against the sources listed at the bottom of this page on 5 November 2026.

About Franklin Switzerland

The institution was founded in the late 1960s when Fleming College, a programme of The American School in Switzerland, was closing. Four faculty members and the chair of Fleming’s European board created a new institution named after Benjamin Franklin, then called Franklin College.^[2] The first campus opened in 1970 at Villa Cirla in Lugano; since 1986 the permanent campus has been on Via Ponte Tresa in Sorengo.^[2] Its own facts page gives 1969 as the founding year.^[1]

The history page records that in 2025 the institution officially renamed itself Franklin Switzerland.^[2] Wikipedia gives the background: in 2020 the Swiss Accreditation Council rejected the request for accreditation as a university, the Federal Administrative Court rejected the appeal in 2023, and the institution was required to change its name and branding by 2026.^[4] The university’s own pages do not describe this dispute.

How is Franklin Switzerland ranked?

We found no position for the institution in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published on 18 June 2026; QS blocks automated access and none of the sources we read names one. The university’s pages we read mention no ranking either. Small liberal arts institutions are rarely included in world rankings, so this says little about quality.

What the university does claim is its accreditation: it describes itself as the only liberal arts university in the world accredited in both the United States and Switzerland.^[1] Note the Swiss status is “university institute”.^[3] How we compile rankings.

What can you study at Franklin Switzerland?

The majors page lists 18 undergraduate majors, among them Economics, Finance, International Management, International Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Communication and Media Studies, Fashion Studies, History, Environmental Sciences and Studies, and Visual Communication Arts.^[8] The page also links to combined majors, minors and an honors programme.^[1]

Graduate study consists of an M.A. in Sustainability and Transformation and a Ph.D. in Political Science.^[1] Other routes are a gap year, summer programmes and a partnership with Emerson College that includes a global B.A. and a combined B.A.–M.A.^[1] The teaching language is English.^[1]

How much does Franklin Switzerland cost?

Franklin charges in Swiss francs for most students and uses a dual-currency system: US citizens, permanent residents and Canadian citizens pay in US dollars on a separate page, Swiss/EU/EEA students and all other nationalities pay in CHF.^[9] Undergraduate amounts:

Neither undergraduate page names the academic year; the graduate payment schedule is labelled 2026–2027.^[5][6] Residence and meal-plan figures are averages. A one-time orientation fee of CHF 550 applies to new students. The pages add estimated indirect costs (books, travel, personal expenses) and give estimated totals for a new student of CHF 39,995 in the first semester at the international rate and CHF 25,375 at the Swiss/EU/EEA rate; the direct-cost subtotals on both pages are CHF 25 higher than their listed items, which the pages do not explain.^[5][6] Health insurance for international students averages CHF 1,345.^[5]

Graduate (M.A. in Sustainability and Transformation, founding cohort)

Tuition is CHF 8,500 per semester (CHF 25,500 per year); housing is CHF 5,875 per semester and an optional meal plan CHF 1,700.^[5] A non-refundable deposit of CHF 1,500 is due within six weeks of acceptance and is refunded if a student visa is not issued.^[10]

Franklin also lists scholarships, payment plans and a reciprocal Tuition Exchange scholarship for employees and their dependents.^[9] For wider costs see our Study in Switzerland guide.

How do you apply to Franklin Switzerland?

Undergraduate. Apply through Franklin’s own portal or the Common Application. You submit the application form and fee (CHF 50 or USD 65, waived for applications by the priority dates), a personal statement, official high school transcripts in English or officially translated and notarised, a final diploma or recognised equivalent, and one letter of evaluation. SAT or ACT scores are optional for US applicants.^[11]

M.A. in Sustainability and Transformation. You need a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised, accredited university. A GPA of 3.2 is recommended but not required. You also submit transcripts, a CV, a letter of motivation of about 500 words and two recommendation letters, and you have an interview with the Academic Director.^[10]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year; the pages list priority and final dates. The Ph.D. in Political Science has no requirements on the pages we read.^[10]

Which English level do you need?

Undergraduate applicants whose main language of instruction was not English need TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo English Test 110.^[11] For the master’s, proof is required only if the previous degree was not taught in English: CEFR B2 or higher, IELTS 6.5, a Cambridge English score of 160–179, or TOEFL 90.^[10] Teaching is in English, so no French or Italian is needed to study.^[1]

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

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• EPFL
• ETH Zurich
• FHNW
• 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)