More than 13,000 students enrolled for the first time at the start of the fall semester

The enrollment figures to date indicate that the number of students will continue to increase in the 2026/27 academic year. So far, 1,676 students have enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, exceeding the previous year’s figure. By comparison, 1,630 new students had enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at the start of the 2025 fall semester.

At the master’s level, enrollment is currently still below last year’s level. One week before the start of classes, 477 students from Switzerland and abroad had enrolled in a master’s degree program. At the same point last year, the figure was 516. However, this number is expected to rise over the coming weeks. Admission numbers for master’s degree programs remain high, and not all admitted students have completed their enrollment yet.

The University of Basel currently has 13,263 students and doctoral candidates. At the start of the previous academic year, the number was 12,890. Since additional students will enroll in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs during the first few weeks of the semester, the total number is expected to rise further.

Among students beginning a bachelor’s degree program in 2026, psychology, law, and business and economics are particularly popular. The natural sciences, including pharmaceutical sciences, biology and chemistry, are also in high demand. In the humanities and social sciences, subjects such as history, political science and English are attracting considerable interest.

At the master’s level, psychology, law, and business and economics, as well as computer science, infection biology and drug sciences, are particularly popular.

Around half from Northwestern Switzerland

Of the students who enrolled at the start of the semester, 21 percent come from the canton of Basel-Landschaft, 14 percent from the canton of Basel-Stadt, 15 percent from the cantons of Aargau and Solothurn and 20 percent from other parts of Switzerland. Thirty percent earned their secondary-school or other qualifying educational credential abroad. Women account for 59 percent of all students and doctoral candidates.

As part of the “Start Smart” Week, new students can once again look forward to an attractive program of events at the start of the semester. It begins with the Opening Ceremony at Theater Basel and continues throughout the first week of the semester.

Further information

Matthias Geering, University of Basel, Head of Communications & Marketing, tel: +41 61 207 35 75, mobile: +41 79 269 70 71, email: matthias.geering@unibas.ch