University of Basel

Key facts

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

About the University of Basel

The university opened on 4 April 1460 and is the oldest in Switzerland. It began with four faculties: Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts. The Faculty of Science followed in 1937, economic sciences became a separate faculty in 1997 and Psychology in 2003, which gives seven faculties today.^[1] The university calls itself research-oriented, with an emphasis on life sciences and medicine, and says it sits at the meeting point of Switzerland, Germany and France.^[7]

Women were allowed to study at Basel only from 1890.^[1] Since 1996 the university has been independent from the cantonal government, and since 2007 the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft have supported it in equal parts.^[6]

How is the University of Basel ranked?

The university’s own rankings page gives these positions:^[3]

The page says Basel is among the 100 to 150 best universities in four major rankings. It does not give publication dates, so the editions are the ones the university labels. The university notes that QS rests 30 percent on the opinion of academic experts and 15 percent on employer reputation, which can cause considerable swings from year to year.^[3] Rankings differ by publisher and year, so treat one position as one view. How we compile rankings.

What can you study at the University of Basel?

The university’s programme list shows 50 Bachelor’s and 85 Master’s entries, from Actuarial Science to Zahnmedizin (dental medicine). The list also contains subject entries such as “Biologie – ausserfakultäres Bachelorstudienfach”, so it is not necessarily the number of separate degrees.^[8] Many programmes are interdisciplinary and aligned with the university’s focal areas.^[8]

The largest faculty is Medicine, followed by the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.^[2] Doctoral candidates make up 22 percent of the student body, and around half of them come from abroad.^[2]

How much does the University of Basel cost?

The fees page names one rate for enrolled students and one for doctoral candidates, and no separate rate for foreign students.^[4] For two semesters that is CHF 1,700 a year for students (our arithmetic). The page does not state a year for the amounts.^[4]

Other fees

• A late application costs an additional CHF 150, if granted.^[4]
• Semester registration during the period of grace costs CHF 50; registering for courses after the deadline costs CHF 100.^[4]
• Course auditors pay CHF 60 per credit hour.^[4]

For rent and living costs, see our Switzerland guide and the Study in Switzerland guide.

How do you apply to the University of Basel?

Applications for all three levels are made online.^[9] Admission follows the admission regulations that the President’s Board issues each December for the next academic year.^[10]

• Bachelor’s with foreign qualifications: you need a secondary school leaving certificate, or an equivalent degree, from an institution Basel recognises. A country list says which certificates give access to all Bachelor’s programmes and on what conditions; it is based on the swissuniversities recommendations. Some certificates also require the Complementary Examination of the Swiss universities (ECUS), held once a year in August, so those applications are possible for the fall semester only. If a certificate does not automatically give access to all programmes at home, you must prove admission to an equivalent programme in that country. Special rules apply to non-Swiss applicants for Medicine and Dental Medicine.^[10]
• Master’s: a Bachelor’s degree of 180 credit points from a recognised institution. Missing knowledge can lead to conditions or additional requirements of up to 60 credit points. A degree from a foreign institution counts only if it gives access to the chosen Master’s programme in the country that issued it. A university-of-applied-sciences degree needs an average of at least 5 on the Swiss scale.^[11]
• Doctorate: a recognised Master’s degree; the doctoral regulations of each subject add requirements. Additional requirements are limited to 24 credit points.^[12]

We give no deadlines here because they change every year; the university publishes them per level and some programmes start in the fall semester only.^[9]

Which language level do you need?

German and English are the two principal languages of instruction. Bachelor’s programmes, and some Master’s programmes, are taught mostly in German, and German is also the principal examination language. Basel advises students to reach level C1 of the CEFR (the European scale from A1 to C2; C1 is advanced) before the programme starts, and the same for English in Master’s programmes taught mainly in English.^[5]

The language page lists no language certificate and puts the responsibility on the student: failed examinations cannot be excused by insufficient language skills. The university’s Language Center helps students reach the needed level.^[5] Check the study regulations of your programme for further language rules.

More about studying in Switzerland

• Switzerland: best universities
• Study in Switzerland: complete guide
• Cost of Studying Abroad
• International Student Scholarships
• University Ranking Methodology

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