Evolution of the university campus
Discover the evolution of the campus over time through SwissTopo (click on the image):

Timeline
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On November 7, the first eleven students started a two-year curriculum at the Ecole Spéciale de Lausanne. | ![]() |
At that time, the curriculum included various subjects: chemistry, physics, mathematics, drawing, architecture, and civil engineering. The Ecole Spéciale de Lausanne was a private initiative inspired from the Ecole Central de Paris.Students were trained to become high level builders. The first five students graduated in 1855.
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The School was affiliated to the Académie de Lausanne and became the Technical Faculty of the Académie de Lausanne. | ![]() |
In 1890, two major events once again marked its fate: first the Academy was transformed into a University. Its Technical Faculty then became known as the Ecole d’ingénieurs de l’Université de Lausanne (Engineering School of the University of Lausanne). Secondly, a new training programme was born: Electricity. A Programme which will give birth to many research areas and sections a few decades later.
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The School celebrated its first jubilee. At that time, it had 132 students and 24 professors and had the reputation of being very selective. | ![]() |
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The School relocated to a large building, the former Hotel Savoy in Avenue de Cour. | ![]() |
Less than two years later, it again changed names to become the Ecole polytechnique de l’Université de Lausanne, in other words EPUL, an acronym which will remain for a long time. Simultaneously, the Physics section was created.
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The Institution celebrated its hundredth anniversary with 45 professors, privat-docent (private lecturers) and lecturers while the student enrolment was around 500. | ![]() |
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On the 9th of October 1968, the National Council unanimously adopted the new “Law on Federal Institutes of Technology”. | ![]() |
The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) was officially founded on 1 January 1969. The Confederation started the transfer – that will last twenty five years – of the entire institution to a new location, in Ecublens-Dorigny.
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EPFL celebrated not only its 125 years of existence, but also inaugurated the first buildings of its new campus. The construction site will continue for several decades. | ![]() |
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In order to foster technology transfer and the creation of companies, the PSE Foundation of the Science Park was created on the EPFL campus. | ![]() |
In the following years, the Science Park hosted dozens of companies in three buildings. This initiative considerably helped the whole area, and especially EPFL and University of Lausanne researchers.
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The architecture section was created. From this year on, all of EPFL is in one location. | ![]() |
The Confederation had kept its promise: the SVS program, with the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne became a reality as the chemistry entire section was in one location only.
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EPFL changed its structure. Its departments gave way to big schools (facultés) to strengthen trans-disciplinary collaboration. | ![]() |
The School of Life Sciences was created along with a College of Humanities, the latter in collaboration with both the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva.
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Celebration of the 150th anniversary. More than 6000 students are studying at EPFL. | ![]() |
Creation of Microcity in Neuchâtel
Inauguration du Rolex Learning Center
EPFL Valais Wallis and EPFL Fribourg founded.
Campus Biotech founded in Geneva.
The EPFL passes the 10’000 studens mark.