Shortly there will be 10'000 students at EPFL
© Alain Herzog / EPFL 2013
After last year’s exceptional growth, the number of EPFL students is back to normal this fall. Provisional figures announce a 2.8% increase of new undergraduates. Mechanical engineering and micro-technology recorded the highest increases. The symbolic 10’000 students’ milestone is getting closer.
A new flock of students is crossing today the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausannes's doors for the first time. EPFL is pleased to welcome, according to preliminary figures, 1730 new students, an increase of 3,6 % in relation to last year’s statistics.
This year, micro-technology stands out amongst the most appealing subjects as it attracted 165 new students (+39 %). Mechanical engineering is not left behind with 225 new students (+ 28 %). On the other hand, there has been a decline of ENAC students (-13.3%), offsetting several years of strong growth.
The start of this school year is also marked by a sharp increase of students pursuing a master’s degree. There are 1106 (+ 10,6%), a logical consequence of the increase of EPFL bachelor students in recent years. Nearly one in three master students has carried out their bachelor degree in another university or University of Applied Sciences (HES).
According to the latest estimates, the symbolic 10’000 students’ milestone will get closer, but will not necessarily be crossed this year.
A changed campus
The new students - as well as their more advanced colleagues – are entering this morning into a transformed campus. For the first time, 500 of them will only have to cross the m1 metro line through an passageway in order to reach the lecture halls. Their new residence is managed by Lausanne’s student residence Foundation (Fondation maison pour étudiants Lausanne, FMEL). Indeed, since the beginning of this month, the Atrium welcomes them in a Northern District marked by the imposing silhouette of the SwissTech Convention Center, still under construction.
There is also a new auditorium: 192 seats have been setup in the Polydôme, former exhibition hall, transformed and renamed for the occasion. It now bears the name of the previous EPFL President Jean-Claude Badoux.
Finally, students will soon be able to walk the aisles of stores opening this week, while new restaurant choices will follow this autumn.
At the top of the rankings
Another gratifying aspect about the start of this school year has been last week’s publication of the QS World University Ranking. EPFL has risen to the 19th place worldwide – and 7th European – in its overall score and to the 8th place worldwide under the "Engineering and Technology" category.
EPFL’s direction is pleased to corroborate that the school’s appeal remains intact as well as the attractiveness of its master programs. It follows thoroughly the evolution of its enrolment and will be launching several projects to continue to increase its capacity.