(per)The number of freshmen at ETH Zurich has swelled considerably; 17 per cent more than last year, with 2,100 first-year students matriculated for the new winter semester, this is 17 per cent more than last year. The number of first semester students is again at the level of 2003, and the total number of matriculated students at all levels, including post graduates and PhD students, is above the 12,000 mark.

Architecture and the mechanical engineering sciences are the most popular study courses, with around 250 new students each, closely followed by electrical engineering and information technology. This year between 100 and 150 newcomers will be commencing their studies in physics, computer science, human movement sciences and sport, as well as biology and civil engineering. The last two, where numbers are up 80 per cent on last year's, are fairly booming. The final count of new matriculations at ETH Zurich will be published in December.

Universities cost more and more

Not only student numbers have grown. Universities cost more and more to run. According to figures from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, funding from the federal government and the cantons rose by three per cent in 2004 to 4.9 billion CHF. 46 per cent of the funds come from the federal government, which covers 90 per cent of the costs for both Federal Institutes of Technology. As far as the cantonal universities are concerned, an average of 26 per cent of their funding comes from the federal government.

Two thirds of the money goes towards personnel costs. Assistants and scientific staff cost around 1.4 billion CHF each year, administrative and technical personnel, 1.075 billion, 592 million are spent on professors' salaries and 232.32 million for other lecturers.