UniDistance Switzerland

Name

UniDistance Switzerland

Legal name

UniDistance Suisse

Website

https://unidistance.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UniDistance Suisse is a Swiss-accredited distance learning university institute delivering Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programs across five faculties to 2,700+ students via a Moodle-based blended model with monthly on-campus sessions, serving working adults in Switzerland and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Distance Learning

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Competency-Based Universities (CBE) (EDAHALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Distance learning programs
• Online university degrees
• Continuing education courses
• Blended learning model
• Doctoral research training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brig

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Semester Tuition Fees: Semester-based tuition fees charged per academic term. Fees are charged per semester regardless of the number of modules taken in that term. Fees vary by program. Includes repeat/rattrapage modules.
2. Auditor Fees: Auditors (non-matriculated students) pay a fee of CHF 400 per semester to access up to two modules' content and participate in monthly sessions without earning credits.
3. Continuing Education Programs: Short courses (formations courtes) and Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs generate revenue through course fees. These are fee-for-service programs, typically 100% online, with pricing per program ranging from CHF 1,100 to CHF 7,000 depending on the program and credits.
4. Corporate Training and Consulting Mandates: The institution offers custom training programs and consulting mandates to businesses, generating additional non-educational revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

UniDistance Suisse is an accredited Swiss university institute delivering accredited Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programs across five faculties (Law, Psychology, Economics, History, Mathematics & Computer Science) via a blended distance learning model that combines self-paced online study through a Moodle-based campus with monthly on-campus or virtual regroupement sessions. It also offers continuing education (CAS programs, short courses), auditor enrollment, corporate training mandates, and knowledge transfer programs such as KidsUni and Uni60+.

Product overview

UniDistance Suisse is a Swiss university institute offering accredited distance learning programs across five faculties: Law, Psychology, Economics, History, and Mathematics & Computer Science. The institution operates a unified platform centered around its Moodle-based online campus that delivers Bachelor degrees (in Psychology, Law, History, Mathematics, and Business & Economics), Master degrees (including Law, Psychology, Economics/Business/Data Analytics, and an upcoming Master in Artificial Intelligence launching August 2026), and Doctorate programs. The product portfolio includes specialized continuing education offerings such as CAS in Data Protection, nutrition courses, and corporate training programs. The institution also provides knowledge transfer initiatives including KidsUni for children and Uni60+ for seniors, alongside auditor enrollment options and the Programme 25+ for non-traditional students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's degree programs Part-time, distance-based bachelor's programs (Law, Psychology, History, Mathematics, Business & Economics) of 3–9 semesters designed for working adults and career-changers.
• Master's degree programs Online master's programs in Law, Psychology, Economics/Business/Data Analytics, Historical Sciences, and the new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (launching August 2026).
• Doctoral programs (Doctorat) Doctoral programs representing the highest academic title in Switzerland after the master's degree, with research supervision and access to national and international research networks.
• Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Master program providing solid foundations and advanced skills in artificial intelligence, covering understanding, innovation and evolution in the expanding field of AI.
• Continuing Education (CAS programs and short courses) Fee-for-service continuing education offerings including CAS in Data Protection, CAS in Emotional Intelligence, CAS in Food and Behavior, and short courses (e.g., La nutrition au féminin), typically 100% online, priced from CHF 1,100 to CHF 7,000.
• Online Campus (Moodle-based learning platform) Moodle-based learning management system providing online access to all course content, interactive exercises, video materials, virtual classes, and forum discussions, accessible 24/7 and serving as the institution's primary teaching and learning platform.
• Auditeur status (External listeners) Non-matriculated auditor enrollment allowing individuals to attend up to two modules per semester for CHF 400, accessing Moodle content and monthly regroupement sessions without examinations or ECTS credits.
• Programme 25+ (Admission without maturity diploma) Admission pathway for adults over 25 without standard entry qualifications, consisting of an 8-month self-study period followed by entrance exams enabling eligible candidates to enroll in Bachelor programs.
• Corporate Training (Formations pour les entreprises) Customized training programs and consulting mandates for companies and organizations, providing professional development services delivered via the institution's distance learning infrastructure.
• KidsUni Knowledge transfer program introducing children and young people to university-level concepts and learning experiences.
• Uni60+ Continuing education program for seniors aged 60 and above offering open learning opportunities.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse collaborates with the University of Zurich on the 'Open Online Course in Good Research Practices' project, led by Prof. Dr. Matthias Voigt, aimed at promoting good scientific practices among doctoral candidates and postdocs. This collaboration also extends to the Educational Psychology Lab research projects.
• University of Freiburg (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse collaborates with the University of Freiburg (Germany) on externally funded research projects in educational psychology. Doctoral candidates may have collaborative arrangements with this partner university as part of their structured PhD program.
• University of Giessen (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse collaborates with the University of Giessen on externally funded research projects in educational psychology, providing doctoral candidates with international research network access.
• CUSO (Conférence Universitaire de Suisse Occidentale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse participates in the CUSO Swiss Doctoral Program in Mathematics, organizing events such as the annual Graduate Colloquium. CUSO professors guide PhD students in presenting their research, and Birkhäuser publishing house awards book vouchers for the most engaging presentations.
• HES-SO (University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse collaborates with HES-SO on the 'Open Online Course in Good Research Practices' project, which aims to promote good scientific practices among doctoral and postdoc researchers.
• European PRIDE NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniDistance Suisse joined the European PRIDE network, affirming its commitment to excellence and innovation in doctoral education and strengthening collaboration with reference institutions in Europe and beyond.
• Birkhäuser PublishingminorOthersAt the CUSO Graduate Colloquium, Birkhäuser is expected to award a book voucher for the most pedagogically engaging presentation by a PhD student.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Athabasca University: Canada's leading online distance-learning university offering accredited undergraduate and graduate programs. Highly comparable operating model — asynchronous online courses with optional in-person components, multi-faculty breadth, and similar scale (tens of thousands of students).
• Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC): Online-only public university in Catalonia with a similar blended e-learning model, multi-faculty portfolio, and international student recruitment. Comparable scale and pedagogical model, though UOC operates primarily in Spanish/Catalan.
• FernUniversität in Hagen: Germany's only state distance-learning university, operating across multiple faculties with a blended model similar to UniDistance Suisse. Comparable size, governance (state public university), and target market of working adults seeking accredited distance degrees.
• TÉLUQ (Université du Québec): French-language online distance-learning university affiliated with the Université du Québec network. Comparable structure as a specialized distance university with francophone programs and similar student scale (~20,000), serving working adult learners across multiple faculties.
• Swiss Distance University of Applied Sciences (FFHS): Switzerland's other major distance-learning higher education institution, offering applied bachelor's and master's degrees via distance learning. The closest direct domestic peer in terms of geography, regulatory regime, and target learner profile, though FFHS is a UAS rather than a traditional university.

Broad incumbents

• The Open University (UK): The world's largest dedicated distance-learning university, offering accredited bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. Significantly larger and more international than UniDistance Suisse, but shares the same distance-first pedagogical model and target learner (working professionals).
• University of London International Programmes: International distance-learning arm of the University of London, offering accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to students worldwide. Operates in the same cross-border distance learning market as UniDistance Suisse, though with significantly broader recognition and portfolio depth.

Others

• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Swiss private university of applied sciences offering part-time and hybrid programs targeted at working professionals. Comparable Swiss continuing-education and professional upskilling segment, particularly in business and data analytics, though not a pure distance-learning institution.

Regional players

• Charles Sturt University (Open Learning): Australian public university with a large online distance-learning division serving both domestic and international students. Comparable operating model for working professionals but geographically focused on Asia-Pacific rather than Europe.
• EPFL Extension School: Swiss provider of continuing education and online programs affiliated with EPFL, focused on technology and data science upskilling. Comparable continuing-education and corporate-training segment, though narrower in scope than UniDistance's broader academic portfolio.

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unidistance

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UniDistance Switzerland