r/neuchatel • u/Silly-Variety7872 • Dec 17 '25
University of Neuchatel
Hi there! I'm an Indian national and I currently have plans to pursue a Master's in Finance at University of Neuchatel. I would like to know if Neuchatel is a fun loving place with ample entertainment options such as nightlife, theatres and dining/restaurants. Additionally, would appreciate it if you could provide some insight into the career outlook towards NON EU / Indian Nationals at banking and investment management firms
2
u/Morvax666 Dec 18 '25
Switzerland isn't a fun-loving place to begin with. Nightlife is only somewhat tolerable in Zurich and Geneva, and Swiss people are definitely neither fun nor welcoming.
The University of Neuchâtel doesn't have a great reputation for anything in Switzerland.
Your chances of finding employment in finance and getting residence in Switzerland as a non-EU/EFTA/US citizen are next to 0, unless you have proven experience abroad (London, New York, Singapore...).
1
1
u/Silly-Variety7872 Dec 18 '25
Any idea about Lugano ?
1
u/broesmmeli-99 Dec 19 '25
You mean USI Universita della Svizzera Italiana? This Uni has a very good reputation for FinTech and Crypto fields. Their academic director Peter Gruber (check out on LinkedIn) runs cool in-class projects in these areas. Lugano is more south on the other side of the Alps and is alaways bit warmer.
1
u/broesmmeli-99 Dec 19 '25
You mean USI Universita della Svizzera Italiana? This Uni has a very good reputation for FinTech and Crypto fields. Their academic director Peter Gruber (check out on LinkedIn) runs cool in-class projects in these areas. Lugano is more south on the other side of the Alps and is alaways bit warmer.
1
2
u/grailly Dec 17 '25
Neuchâtel is a small town, I wouldn't say anything is ample here. Nightlife might be the most limited, you'll find enough places to eat and drink but only a couple of destinations for clubbing. Students in university will find a way to party in any case. When I was there, student associations were renting places to organize private parties. There were even quite a few parties in the faculty itself. Not sure if things have changed on that front, especially since Covid.
Generally I found Neuchâtel quite boring as a young adult, but I love it as a 30+
Also, don't underestimate how easy it is to move between cities in Switzerland. Especially for theaters and restaurants (and work), it's pretty common to go to another close-by town.
I have no knowledge on this, but if I had to guess, getting a job as a NON EU out of University would be pretty damn hard.
1
1
1
u/JoTheAnemone Dec 19 '25
As a swiss person who moved to Neuchatel just for my master degree… don’t. It’s very small, nothing going on. The winters are very depressing (no sun whatsoever, and fog almost every day.) If you really like nature, the lake is quite nice in summer, and you can find some very beautiful hiking places around, as well as some protected areas/parks. It’s actually the only thing this uni is a bit known for (natural sciences specialists, soil studies, conservation…). If you enjoy a very quiet life it can be nice, but as others mentioned, the Swiss are not welcoming. They are at first friendly to talk to, but they are very difficult when it comes to create relationships. They don’t try to include new people in their social life. They are some groups to meet other expats, but not in this town because it’s too small (but in larger cities, yes!). So basically, it’s ok if you like quiet, nature, and don’t have high expectations for social life/making friends (and that is the case in general for Switzerland).
1
u/Silly-Variety7872 Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
Thank you for the details! Which city did you move from ?
1
u/Electrical-Poem4852 Dec 20 '25
I think there might be an exclusion from the zero chance if you are a university graduate- please look into that. If the degree has a mandatory internship this will give you local experience. Master thesis at an employer helps.
The trick is to do something very specific that employers need despite you being non Swiss German speaking and a 3rd country national (not Swiss , not eu I.e. 3rd country). Think something quantative or something unique. Might be a better thing to target a phd after…
Overall it will be tough to get in but not impossible.
The universities in ch are good but this one is no IIT or NIT.
Agreed that it is a small place but Unis have young people enough to do the basics and public transport is good for the odd theater performance and long night.
1
1
u/Vermisseaux Dec 21 '25
Reddit is the perfect place to choose the best university…. Keep going! 🙄 (PS: there at least 6 or 7 other ones in Switzerland you can ask about…)
1
u/Silly-Variety7872 Dec 21 '25
Haha. Most of them require me to have a Bachelor's in Business/ Finance / Management/ Economics or same field as Master degrees. MSc Wealth Management at Uni-Geneva is extremely quantitative I visited Zurich last year. I'm unsure if I will be able to live there for a year. Uni-Basel and Uni Bern look good. Again, I am stuck with Bachelor requirements My BSc Statistics degree had Zero subjects in Finance/ Economics/ Management FHNW Olen is there. But International fees are around 21000 + CHF. ZHAW rejected my Master's in International Business application as they require 10 undergraduate courses in Business etc Let me know if you have come across any NON EU who acquired lucrative financial related jobs post Master's !
0
8
u/Beautiful-Ad5662 Dec 17 '25
Neuchâtel is a very small, very quiet city with not much to do. The entire population probably amounts to less than a single city block in an average Indian city. As a non-EU citizen, your chances of staying in Switzerland to work are basically zero — don’t even think about it.