Basel, Switzerland
Switzerland's oldest university, and a major centre for Life Sciences and pharmaceutical research.
Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is Switzerland's oldest university and sits in a city that's also home to global pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Roche — giving its Life Sciences, Chemistry and Medicine programmes unusually direct industry ties. It's consistently one of the most research-intensive universities in Switzerland by output per capita.
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AAB (A Level) · IB 34
High tier · indicative for the flagship courses below — always verify per-course requirements directly with the university.
Most public universities (minimal fees)
low tier for Switzerland — figures are typical ranges, not this specific university's published fee.
German (Bachelor's) — most Bachelor's programmes are taught in German; English becomes more common at Master's level.
city campus, Basel
Informational only — scholarship amounts, deadlines and even which schemes are running change often (sometimes per intake), so treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee. Always confirm current details directly with the scholarship provider or Basel's financial aid office.
Swiss public university tuition is already low for everyone, so scholarship schemes are smaller in number and mainly aimed at exceptional students or postgraduate/research applicants.
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Life Sciences
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Typical entry: Requires two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths
Chemistry
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Typical entry: Requires two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Maths
Medicine
⏱️ Typical duration: 5–6 years where entered straight from school (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong); typically a 4-year postgraduate MD entered after a Bachelor's (US, Canada)
Typical entry: Requires Chemistry + Biology · Eignungstest / EMS (mandatory aptitude test for Medicine)
Humanities
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Business
⏱️ Typical duration: 3 years
Typical entry: Mathematics helps but usually isn't required recommended
Durations are typical for Switzerland — always confirm the exact length (including any placement or integrated Master's year) on the course's own page before applying.
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IELTS: 6.5–7.0 overall (English-taught tracks)
Most Bachelor's programmes are German- or French-medium — proficiency in the language of instruction is usually required alongside or instead of English.
Enter your grades and budget in the free Switzerland University Shortlist Builder to see whether Basel is a reach, target or safety for you — alongside every other Switzerland university that matches.
Build my Switzerland shortlist →Quick answers about grades, tuition, deadlines and applying to Basel as an international IGCSE / A Level / IB student.
As a typical benchmark for international entry, Basel expects around AAB at A Level or 34 points on the IB Diploma. This is indicative for Basel's flagship courses — competitive subjects like Medicine and Law usually sit above this baseline, and the exact requirement varies by course, so always confirm the specific figure on Basel's own admissions page before applying.
International tuition at Basel typically falls in the Most public universities (minimal fees) range (low tier for Switzerland). This is a typical range for the university's tuition tier, not Basel's specific published fee for every course — confirm the exact figure for your intended programme directly with the university.
Basel follows Switzerland's typical intake calendar: September, with applications generally due varies widely by institution — eth zurich and epfl close around 30 april. Always verify the exact date on Basel's own admissions page, since deadlines can shift year to year.
Switzerland universities, including Basel, typically ask international applicants for 6.5–7.0 overall (English-taught tracks). Most Bachelor's programmes are German- or French-medium — proficiency in the language of instruction is usually required alongside or instead of English.
Switzerland's oldest university, and a major centre for Life Sciences and pharmaceutical research. Founded in 1460, the University of Basel is Switzerland's oldest university and sits in a city that's also home to global pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Roche — giving its Life Sciences, Chemistry and Medicine programmes unusually direct industry ties. It's consistently one of the most research-intensive universities in Switzerland by output per capita.
Yes — Basel accepts applicants from IGCSE-to-A-Level, IGCSE-to-IB-Diploma, and directly from the IB Diploma. Tutopiya's free Switzerland University Shortlist Builder matches your predicted or actual grades against Basel and every other Switzerland university we track, tagging each as reach, target or safety.
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