The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology is a public institution of higher education in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is a research university. This university is also famous as EPFL. It was founded in 1969. This university has to find itself as a public research university specializing in Engineering and Natural Sciences.
It is a part of the Domain Swiss Federal Institute of Technology which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. This university’s aim was to train talented Engineers in Switzerland after being inspired by the French Engineering School.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology History
In 1853, the roots of modern-day university can be traced back to the foundation of a private school under the name Lausanne Special School at the proposal of Lois Rivier, a graduate of the Central School Paris, and John Gay, the then professor and rector of the Academy of Lausanne. It had only 11 students and the offices were situated at Rue du Valentin in Lausanne at its inception.
It became the Technical Department of the Academy of Lausanne in 1869. In 1890, when the academy was modernized and acquired the status of a university, the technical faculty changed its name to the Engineering School of the University of Lausanne. It was renamed the Polytechnic School of the University of Lausanne in 1946.
EPFL started to develop into the field of Life Sciences in 2000 following the nomination of Patrick Aebischer as president.
This university had grown to 1,400 Students and 55 Faculty Members in 1969. The environment of this university is highly international from all over the world. More than 125 countries are represented on the campus. The university has two official languages which are French and English.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Former President
Name |
Term |
|
Maurice Cosandey |
January 1969 to July 1978 |
|
Bernard Vittoz |
August 1978 to November 1992 |
| Jean Claude Badoux |
December 1992 to February 2000 |
| Patrick Aebischer |
March 2000 to December 2016 |
Swiss Federal Institute of TechnologyPresident
Martin Vetterli has been the president of this university since 2017 and is still present.
Student Enrolled at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
In 2021, this university enrolled a total of 12,720 students out of which 6,428 were Undergraduate students and 6,115 were Postgraduate students.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Fees
Students |
Tuition Fees |
|
Undergraduate Students |
1,266 CHF |
| Postgraduate Students |
1,266 CHF |
| International Students |
1,266 CHF |
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Campus
The Engineering school of the University of Lausanne from which this university in its modern-day form originates was situated in the center of Lausanne. Five years after EPFL was separated from the University of Lausanne and became a federal institute under its current name in 1974. The construction of a new campus at Dorigny in Ecublens began.
In 1978, the launch of the first EPFL buildings on the new campus took place. The campus of this university has been developing ever since.
Also, the Department of Architecture shifted to the campus in Écublens uniting all departments of this university on the same site. In 2010, the latest addition to the university campus was the Rolex Learning Center. EPFL forms a vast Campus Complex at Lake Geneva with 20,000 students combined with Lausanne University.
Associated Campuses with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
This university operates a network of associated campuses in Western Switzerland often sharing these spaces with partner academic institutions and hospitals which are:
- Fribourg: Smart Living Lab
- Neuchatel: Microcity
- Geneva: Campus Biotech
- Sion: EPFL Valais or Wallis
Majors at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
- Science
- Engineering
- Social Sciences
- Programming
- Mathematics
- Business
- Computer Science
- Health & Medicine
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Ranking
Globally, EPFL is ranked 101-105 by the Academic Ranking of World Universities and as #35th by Times Higher Education Reputation in 2022. In 2023, it is ranked as #16th by QS World University Rankings and # 41st by Times Higher Education. Also, it is ranked #69th by U.S. News &World Report Best Colleges Ranking.
Language Center at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
The language center offers Language and Communication Modules for French, Italian, German, and English to enable learners to take part more effectively in Academic, Professional, and Social situations in an internationalized multilingual and multicultural context.
Also, Tandems has set up in the framework of the Tandem Program of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lausanne. This concept involves two people of different languages meeting daily to teach each other their respective language
Buildings at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
The campus comprises almost 65 buildings on 136 acres. It is according to the growth of the school. The campus includes different types of architecture:
Modularized Building (Late 1970s-1980s)
This building is now under the Schools of Basic Sciences and Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
- 1990s: The buildings with institutes from the Schools of Engineering Sciences and Techniques, Scientific Park, and Computer and Communication Sciences.
Modern (2002-2004)
This is a new building with the School of Life Sciences and the College of Management and Communications and Architecture institutes.
Rolex Learning Center
This is a new library built in 2010.
2014: Swiss Tech Convention Center
The Swiss Tech Convention Center and the Quartier Nord as like Convention Centers, Student Accommodation and Shops, etc.
Schools and Colleges at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
This university has 8 Schools & Colleges which are:
- School of Basic Sciences
- School of Engineering
- School of Computer and Communication Sciences
- School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- School of Life Sciences
- College of Management of Technology
- College of Humanities
Further, there are 7 closely related institutions which are:
- Swiss Cancer Center
- Center for Biomedical Imaging
- Center for Advanced Modeling Science
- Campus Biotech
- Wyss Center for Bio & Neuro Engineering
- Swiss National Supercomputing Center
- Lausanne Cantonal School of Art
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Language of Instruction
- French
- English
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Affiliations
- European University Association
- EuroTech Universities Alliance
- CESARE
- Top International Managers in Engineering
Contact Us
Address
Rte Cantonale, Lausannen 1015, Switzerland
Phone No
+41 21 693 1111
Official Website
epfl.ch
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the GPA requirement at this university?
This university requires a GPA of at least 3.0.
What is the acceptance rate at this university?
The acceptance rate at this university is 8%.
What are the official colors of this university?
Its official color is Swiss red.
What is the failure rate at this university?
The failure rate of this university is almost 60%.