Swiss institutions operate largely on a system of exchange agreements with foreign schools. For a list of Swiss institutions of higher education check out The Swiss Education and Research Network, and then contact the university directly to obtain further information. As soon as a Swiss university is contacted by the university where the foreign student is registered, it will send the appropriate forms, including housing information, directly to the student. Switzerland does participate in the European Socrates Erasmus exchange program, and in most cases, Erasmus students pay the registration fees to their origin institution.

To facilitate mobility and academic recognition, most institutions within Switzerland have adopted the European Credit Transfer System.