What Oldhand says is very true. Plus you will have to speak the local language as lectures are given, in my Canton of Zurich anyway, in German.

I come from South Africa, where education is "bought" by paying high fees or acquiring study loans, (or bursaries from private companies if you are a top achiever) on a basis that if you can pay you can learn. Here there seems to be a priority on earning your education by qualifying for entrance with high marks.

Right from school, students here seem to be weeded out according to their marks attained, and they branch off into doing some sort of trade studies, which are highly competed for. Only Top Students go further, to Technicons and Universities to study for professions.