Ensuring the long-term quality of studies – New measures affecting the start of the autumn semester 2027

As part of the 2026 budget relief package, the Cantonal Council decided to limit state funding for the University of St.Gallen which, in the end, would limit the student population to a maximum of  9,500 students in the future. In recent years, HSG has grown steadily. HSG must now limit this growth. This is being done with an eye to the resources available, but also to ensuring and safeguarding the quality of education that HSG provides. HSG seeks the strategic goal of not only maintaining its outstanding position in the German-speaking world but also to expanding it across Europe.

To achieve this, measures are required that will place demands on all areas of the university; be it the faculty, the service staff and students as well. Ultimately, these measures will strengthen the quality of your education and ensure that the graduates of the University of St.Gallen remain optimally prepared for a demanding and rapidly changing job market.

In what direction are the changes heading?

In an effort to stabilise student numbers at 9,500, various measures are currently being prepared. We cannot disclose all of them at this stage, as we must not pre-empt the work of the relevant committees or the approval process from the cantonal government. We will inform you as soon as these are finalised. Specifically, we can provide details regarding the following measures, which were decided by the Senate Committee and will affect the Assessment Year and Master’s programmes in Business Administration:

The Business Administration programmes are experiencing the strongest growth at HSG. To manage student numbers effectively, admission to the Master’s programmes in this field will be affected.

The Master’s programmes in Accounting and Corporate Finance (MACFin), Marketing Management (MiMM) and Business Innovation (MBI) will be specialised. This means that admission to these programmes in the future will be via a selection process that applies equally to all applicants – regardless of whether they obtained their Bachelor’s degree at HSG or at another university. 
 
Further measures are still under review. We would also like to emphasize that enrollment to the Assessment Year will remain open and a Swiss Matura will continue to qualify students for admission to the Bachelor’s programme.