Glion Institute of Higher Education

Key Highlights

• Swiss-accredited university-of-applied-sciences institute
• Founded in Glion above Montreux in 1962
• Physical campuses in Glion, Bulle, and London
• Specialized in hospitality, luxury, and applied business education

Student Life & Environment

Student life differs between the Swiss campuses. The historic Glion campus occupies a former hotel above Montreux and includes teaching, dining, applied-learning, fitness, and recreation spaces. Bulle is described by the institution as a more modern, business-oriented campus in a student town. Students may attend more than one campus during a program, so housing and daily routines should be checked against the semester-by-semester program structure rather than assumed from the record’s Montreux location. At the Glion campus, students can participate in a Student Government Association and student-led clubs and committees covering areas such as sport, arts, wine, and charity. Available activities listed by the institution include football, volleyball, basketball, swimming, tennis, hiking, yoga, boxing, and fitness. On-campus accommodation is available, with the institution reporting five student accommodation buildings at Glion and four at Bulle. Dining facilities are also part of both Swiss campuses and some serve as practical learning environments. The community is strongly international, which can be valuable for students preparing for cross-border hospitality or luxury careers. It also means students should plan carefully for visas, health insurance, language use outside class, and the cost of living in Switzerland. Accommodation, meal arrangements, and other compulsory or optional charges are separate considerations from tuition and should be confirmed in the intake-specific fee schedule before committing.

Location & Surroundings

The Glion campus is in the municipality of Montreux, on the slopes above Lake Geneva. Public transport connects it with central Montreux in approximately 15 to 25 minutes according to the institution. The setting provides access to the lakefront, nearby hiking and winter-sport destinations, and cultural attractions such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and Château de Chillon. Geneva and Zurich airports provide international connections, while rail links make other Swiss and nearby European destinations accessible. Bulle, in the canton of Fribourg, is Glion’s principal administrative and academic base. It offers a different environment: a smaller town with shops, cafés, and access to surrounding countryside. Program structure may require movement between Glion and Bulle, while certain degrees or semesters involve London. Applicants should therefore assess location at program and semester level, including residence permits, travel, housing availability, and currency differences. Montreux’s attractive setting comes with the practical realities of Swiss living costs and a hillside commute. Students who prefer a large urban campus should also recognize that Glion is above the town rather than in a central city district.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Glion publishes separate Spring and Fall 2026 fee schedules for bachelor’s, master’s, and executive programs in Switzerland and London. Fees are denominated in CHF or GBP depending on location and may change by semester. Applicants should calculate the full program cost from the relevant PDF, including tuition, application charges, accommodation, meal plans, learning materials, insurance, travel, and personal expenses. The public fee page explicitly states that these non-tuition items are excluded from Switzerland’s domestic tuition reduction. For new students eligible under Glion’s Swiss-status rules, the published 2026 domestic arrangement reduces tuition by 35% for bachelor’s and master’s programs on Swiss campuses. Eligibility includes specified Swiss-national and family residence-permit circumstances. Glion also lists limited scholarships and financial-aid packages assessed case by case after a complete application, plus separate partner, alumni, family, and hospitality-sector awards. Conditions and combination restrictions apply, so awards should not be assumed in advance. Career preparation centers on internships, applied projects, recruitment events, and individual support. Career Services assists with opportunity searches, CV preparation, interviews, and practical constraints such as visas and work permits. The two bachelor’s programs currently include two professional internships as standard. Master’s formats may offer an internship or business research project, depending on the program. These experiences can support entry into hotels, luxury companies, events, consulting, real estate, finance, and other service-oriented businesses, but placement location, compensation, and post-graduation employment are not guaranteed and depend partly on legal work authorization.