Fachhochschule Graubünden

Key Highlights

• Independent, canton-sponsored public university of applied sciences since 2020
• Institutionally reaccredited without conditions through 19 June 2032
• Institutional roots extend to the Abendtechnikum Chur founded in 1963
• Main study locations are in Chur, with an additional listed FHGR location in Zurich

Student Life & Environment

Student life is distributed across FHGR’s study buildings and the wider city of Chur rather than organized around a residential campus. The university provides learning and gathering spaces, a canteen, a library, student associations, a choir, and university sport. Student-led groups cover interests such as charitable activity, sustainability, sporting events, and social events. The sports programme includes team sports, fitness, endurance, flexibility, and outdoor-oriented activities suited to the surrounding alpine region. FHGR does not operate its own student accommodation. Students commonly use shared apartments, independent residences, hotel apartments, or private rentals. The university maintains a housing portal and assists with some residence arrangements, but availability can be limited, particularly in residences used by international students. Its current housing guidance estimates a shared-room rent of approximately CHF 500–750 per month, while other arrangements vary substantially in price and included meals. Student Services offers confidential support with learning strategies, time management, balancing study with work or family, career planning, mentoring, funding questions, disadvantage-related accommodations, and crisis situations. Career support includes application-document review, interview preparation, workshops, employer contact, and access to a university job board listing internships and employment opportunities.

Location & Surroundings

FHGR’s principal location is Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland. The university currently lists several buildings around the city, including sites on Pulvermühlestrasse, Ringstrasse, Comercialstrasse, and Sommeraustrasse. Applicants should check their programme’s address and timetable rather than assuming all teaching occurs in one building. FHGR also lists a location on Limmatstrasse in Zurich, while certain collaborative programmes may use other Swiss teaching locations. Chur is a compact regional centre with rail and bus connections to Zurich, St. Gallen, and the main valleys of Graubünden. Its setting gives students direct access to the Alps and to recreation areas such as Brambrüesch. Destinations including Arosa, Davos Klosters, Lenzerheide, Flims Laax Falera, and St. Moritz are reachable within the wider region, although journey times differ. The city setting supports commuting, private housing, and part-time work, but it does not offer a conventional self-contained residential campus. Students planning a move should compare housing location with their assigned FHGR building and budget for local transport where necessary.

Costs & Career Outcomes

FHGR’s published study-cost page lists tuition of CHF 960 per semester for students from Switzerland or Liechtenstein and CHF 1,550 per semester for international students, plus a one-time CHF 300 enrolment fee. The registration fee is credited against first-semester tuition but is not refunded if the student does not begin. Teaching materials, specialist software, excursions, travel, accommodation, and meals can create additional costs. These were the current figures displayed during research in August 2026; students should confirm the invoice applicable to their programme and status. For international students, FHGR recommends planning approximately CHF 2,000 per month for living costs, depending on lifestyle. Its housing page places a typical shared-apartment room at about CHF 500–750 monthly, while residence and private options can fall outside that range. Health and accident insurance is compulsory for Swiss residents, although qualifying foreign coverage may permit an exemption. The university’s career approach reflects its applied-sciences remit. Curricula are intended to prepare graduates for professional roles, and Student Services supports career planning, CV and interview preparation, mentoring, and contact with employers. Students and graduates can use FHGR’s job board for internships and vacancies in Chur and elsewhere in Switzerland. International students face legal limits on employment: FHGR states a maximum of 15 hours weekly during teaching periods, with additional restrictions for non-EU/EFTA students, including a six-month waiting period and work-permit requirements.