The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is a research institute/university in Lausanne, Switzerland, that specialises in physical sciences and engineering. The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology complex has three main world-rank missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level.
EPFL is widely regarded as one of the world leading universities.
The roots of modern-day EPFL can be traced back to the foundation of a private school under the name École spéciale de Lausanne in 1853 at the initiative of Lois Rivier, a graduate of the École Centrale Paris and John Gay, the then professor and rector of the Académie de Lausanne.
Like every public university in Switzerland, EPFL is obliged to grant admission to every Swiss resident who took the maturité high-school certificate recognized by the Swiss Federation. As such, for Swiss students, EPFL is not selective in its undergraduate admission procedures.
The real selection process happens during the first year of study.
The three most widely observed international university rankings, QS World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities and Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranks EPFL No. 2, No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the field of Engineering and Technology on continental Europe in their 2015–2016 rankings.
