Founded in 1559 by John Calvin, the University of Geneva is a public research university in Geneva, Switzerland. Its Faculty of Science is renowned for research and education in exact, natural, and environmental sciences, mathematics, and computer science.
The University of Geneva, UNIGE, goes back to the Academy founded in 1559 by the reformer John Calvin, with Theodore de Beze as its first rector. It became a university in 1873. It has about 19,000 students and 4,500 staff, and around 40 percent of the students come from abroad. The historic building, Uni Dufour, stands on Rue Général-Dufour, in the old town, and the main teaching sites are Uni Mail, for law, economics and humanities, and the science campus in the Plainpalais area.
Geneva is home to many international organisations, including the United Nations office, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Red Cross. This setting gives the university a strong profile in international law, international relations, global health and diplomacy, and many of its students begin careers in these institutions. It is also close to CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics, which cooperates with UNIGE physicists.
Jean Piaget, the psychologist who studied child development, taught at the university, and Ferdinand de Saussure, the founder of modern linguistics, was a professor of Sanskrit and general linguistics. In astronomy, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz discovered the first exoplanet around a sun-like star in 1995 at the Geneva Observatory, and they received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics. The university is also known for biochemistry, chemistry and neuroscience.
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around 500 francs per semester at present. Check the current tariff. Bachelor’s programmes are mostly taught in French, while a number of master’s programmes are in English. Admission requires a Swiss Matura or an equivalent, and foreign applicants must meet language and academic conditions. The university provides courses in French for international students.
Geneva is expensive, and student housing is scarce, so students are advised to look for a room as soon as they receive an offer. The city is compact, with trams and buses.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Marine Science, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of LERU and the UNICA network. Extensive international collaborations, including with international organizations in Geneva (e.g., CERN, WHO). Numerous student exchange programs.
Research:
Leading research in particle physics, astrophysics, quantum physics, molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, environmental science, climate change, computer science, and mathematics.
Famous Alumnis:
Jean Piaget, Werner Arber, Michel Mayor, Didier Queloz
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4500
Current students***:
19000
Foreign students***:
40%
Cumulative former students***:
100000
Pros
Highly-ranked comprehensive university with strong science programs, excellent research in fundamental sciences, located in an international hub city.
Cons
Primarily focused on fundamental sciences and computer science, less on applied engineering. Cost of living in Geneva is very high.
Best For
Students and researchers interested in fundamental sciences, particularly physics, biology, and computer science, in a highly international environment.
The comparison with Universität Zürich is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it is slightly larger, at about 28,000 students against roughly 19,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Universität Bern takes a similar route through astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Where this institution leans on marine science, bioinformatics and geotechnics, Université de Lausanne does the same, and it has almost the same size, at about 17,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies at the centre is Universität Basel, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
The comparison with Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich is straightforward on subjects, since both focus on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, and it covers metrology and aerospace as well, and is slightly larger, at about 24,500 students against roughly 19,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Sorbonne Université, based in France, is built around astroscience, marine science and bioinformatics much like this institution, and it is larger, enrolling about 55,000 students against roughly 19,000 here, and is also a public institution.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Freie Universität Berlin, located in Germany; it covers optics and manufacturing as well, and is larger, enrolling about 33,000 students against roughly 19,000 here.
Seen from abroad, Université PSL (France) is a close relative on subject matter, since astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics are central to both, and it covers optics and automation as well, and has almost the same size, at about 17,000 students.
If this university is on your list for astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Germany deserves a comparison, because it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers agriculture and optics as well.
University of Wrocław offers an international parallel to this university, with astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies as common ground; it is slightly larger, at about 25,000 students against roughly 19,000 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Geneva?
The historic building, Uni Dufour, is at Rue Général-Dufour 24 in Geneva, Switzerland.
When was it founded?
As an Academy in 1559 by John Calvin. It became a university in 1873.
How large is it?
About 19,000 students and 4,500 staff, with around 40 percent of students from abroad.
Why is Geneva important for students?
The city is home to many international organisations, including the United Nations office and the World Health Organization.
What is the link with CERN?
CERN is close to Geneva and cooperates with UNIGE physicists.
Who discovered the first exoplanet around a sun-like star?
Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz at the Geneva Observatory in 1995. They received the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Who taught there?
Jean Piaget and Ferdinand de Saussure.
What does it cost?
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around 500 francs per semester at present. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly in French, with a number of master's programmes in English.
Is Geneva expensive?
Yes. It is expensive, and student housing is scarce.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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