ETH in numbers
- ~23,000 students, ~125 nationalities
- Top 10 worldwide (often top 5 in engineering and tech, QS/THE)
- 22 Nobel laureates among alumni (Einstein, Röntgen, Pauli...)
- Two campuses: Zentrum (city centre) and Hönggerberg (north)
Programmes
Bachelor (3 yrs, in German)
Architecture, civil eng, EE, computer science, mechanical, chemistry, biology, Earth sciences, environment, mathematics, physics, materials science, food science, agronomy, human medicine (joint with UZH).
Master (1.5–2 yrs, mostly in English)
Specialised programmes in data science, robotics, ML, energy, environment, transport, advanced mechanics, biotech, computational science, etc.
PhD (3–5 yrs)
Doctorate in all fields. Annual salary: CHF 50,000–77,000 (SUK scale), above European average.
Admission
Bachelor — Swiss
- Gymnasium maturity = direct access
- Professional maturity → bridge (UNS, 1-year prep)
Bachelor — International
- Recognised foreign maturity OR ETH admission exam (notoriously hard)
- German level C1 minimum (DSH, TestDaF)
- Highly selective
Master
- Bachelor in a related field
- English B2/C1
- Selective (especially data science, robotics)
Fees (since 2025)
- Swiss students and residents: CHF 730/semester
- International students: CHF 2,190/semester (triple, since autumn 2025)
- The increase aims to better reflect the real cost of studies
Student life
- Housing: Justinus and WOKO residences (~3,000 places), shared flats essential. Rent: CHF 600–1,200/month
- Dining: ETH Mensa (CHF 9–13/meal), many campus cafés
- Transport: tram and S-Bahn direct; ZVV student pass ~CHF 50/month
- Sport: ASVZ (academic sports), >120 sports included in fees
- Associations: 250+ student associations, scientific and cultural events, ETH Polyball festival
Scholarships
- ETH Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity (ESOP): for international masters, up to CHF 12,000/yr + fees
- Federal scholarships for foreign students (SEFRI)
- PhD: doctorate salary covers living
Tips
- German is crucial for bachelor: don't underestimate the level
- Apply from November for master (deadline mid-December)
- Prep maths/physics intensively: very selective admission exam
- Culture is demanding but collaborative: students work in groups
- Zurich is expensive: plan CHF 2,000–2,500/month for a comfortable life (rent included)
- Outcomes are exceptional: Google, ABB, Sonova, banks, scale-ups (UBS, CSEM)
