Zurich offers courses in almost every academic discipline imaginable, including economics, technology, medicine, sociology, art & design, architecture and lots more. The college and its students benefit not only in terms of everyday life, but also in terms of personal development from the diversity offered by living in a city with 30,000 students and college attendees. Zurich is truly a student city, with a plethora of cafes, interesting events and a stunning location by the beautiful Lake Zurich, bordered by mountains and unspoiled nature. In the summertime, student life is centred along Limmat Quay and in the city's many public squares and parks. Here, students can meet to work on course material or for recreation. These many small social events enrich student life in the city and allow students to achieve the perfect balance between the challenges of course work and their free time.

Zurich was once the centre of the silk industry, which brought the city great wealth. Over the past century, this wealth has successfully helped develop the city's unique banking sector. But Zurich has lots to offer from a cultural point of view, too. And this is by no means limited to the city's museums and galleries and those in the nearby city of Winterthur; the exquisite details in the city's architecture, building facades and in its lovingly decorated restaurants and hotels are also a joy to behold. This love of detail has been a defining feature of Swiss culture since time immemorial. In the world of textile design, too, the success of St.Galler embroidery and of Zurich silk fabric is owed to the love of detail and master craftsmanship so abundant in the region.

St.Gallen is a city with approx. 75,000 inhabitants in the eastern, German-speaking part of Switzerland, close to the Austrian and German border. St.Gallen is situated between the Swiss Alps and Lake Constance, nestling in a picturesque landscape. The beginnings of the settlement date back to St Gallus. In 612, he established a hermitage by the River Steinach, which after his death evolved into a place of pilgrimage. In 719, the Alemannic monk Otmar founded a monastery in honour of the monk, Gallus, and named it St.Gallen. The Abbey District with the cathedral and the Abbey Library – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – can still be visited today.

The city’s economic boom began during the Reformation with the textile industry. As industrialisation progressed, the first embroidery machines were developed in St.Gallen. At the beginning of the 20th century, St.Gallen experienced the high period of embroidery and became an international fashion metropolis. The founding of the University of St.Gallen in 1898 as a trade academy occurred during this time. In 1910, 50% of the world’s production of embroidered goods came from St.Gallen. Textiles for haute couture are still produced in St.Gallen and distributed throughout the world.

 
The narrow streets of the old town provide an excellent place to linger, with numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. The modern city of St.Gallen also has rich cultural offerings, with theatres, museums and concert halls. St.Gallen has an excellent infrastructure with good connections to the Swiss railway network and is located only an hour from the Zurich Airport.