What are the new maximum federal funding rates for cantonal and SUP universities as of 1 January 2027?

Cantonal universities receive a maximum of 20 percent of the reference costs, while SUPs receive a maximum of 30 percent of the reference costs, according to the report approved by the Federal Council on 25 September 2026.

What is the role of the monitoring decided by the CSSU University Schools Council?

The monitoring, established on 26 February 2026, provides key indicators to regularly monitor the evolution of global federal funding and the respective profiles of cantonal universities and sup, allowing both financial stability and access to competitive funds to be observed.

How do cantonal and SUP university missions differ according to the BSS assessment?

Cantonal universities are oriented towards theoretical teaching and fundamental research, while sup offer practical training and mainly carry out applied research, while maintaining equal value in the federal system.

Federal funding for cantonal universities and universities of applied sciences

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 25 September 2026

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The Federal Council approved on 25 September 2026 the report on fair funding: 20% maximum for cantonal universities, 30% maximum for sup from 1 January 2027.

Context

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Operational details

How to read the funding

To find one's bearings, it is useful to separate three elements: mission, basic funding and competitive research. The source places cantonal universities and UAS on different profiles, with funding criteria suited to their respective missions. For the national reader, the figure should therefore be read together with the federal share, cantonal support and access to third-party funds.

The comparison to be made

Level
Level	Cantonal universities	UAS
Profile	theoretical teaching and fundamental research	practice-oriented education and applied research
Federal funding indicated	20 percent of reference costs	30 percent of reference costs
Competitive research	primarily FNS instruments	comparatively more important role for Innosuisse

The comparison is not intended to establish which profile is superior. The report speaks of distinct but equally valuable profiles and links their complementarity to strengthening research and innovation. The weightings of the performance criteria in teaching and research should be read in relation to the mission of each type of school.

From the standpoint of stability, the source assigns a central role to basic subsidies and cantonal funding: they create the conditions for competing, nationally and internationally, to obtain third-party funds. From the competitive standpoint, however, the analysis focuses on the instruments of FNS and Innosuisse, with different weight for the two categories.

The transition to 1 gennaio 2027 requires precision. The source indicates that 20 and 30 percent are maximum values; it therefore maintains two distinct reference points, not a single parameter for all schools. To track developments, the reference is overall federal funding considered together with the respective profiles.

The monitoring decided by the CSU of the CSSU serves precisely this purpose. The key indicators will make it possible to regularly track funding and profiles, while the Federal Council takes note of the decision. The stated logic is to follow the evolution of the system, not stop at a single snapshot.

The link with the professional world remains separate from the dossier: those who wish to explore it can consult the annunci di lavoro and aziende che assumono, without confusing these tools with the indicators on university funding.

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Key points

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the new maximum federal funding rates for cantonal and SUP universities as of 1 January 2027?: Cantonal universities receive a maximum of 20 percent of the reference costs, while SUPs receive a maximum of 30 percent of the reference costs, according to the report approved by the Federal Council on 25 September 2026.
What is the role of the monitoring decided by the CSSU University Schools Council?: The monitoring, established on 26 February 2026, provides key indicators to regularly monitor the evolution of global federal funding and the respective profiles of cantonal universities and sup, allowing both financial stability and access to competitive funds to be observed.
How do cantonal and SUP university missions differ according to the BSS assessment?: Cantonal universities are oriented towards theoretical teaching and fundamental research, while sup offer practical training and mainly carry out applied research, while maintaining equal value in the federal system.