ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, was founded in 1855 and is one of the world’s leading universities for science and engineering. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 8th in the world and the highest-ranked university in continental Europe. It’s known for engineering, computer science, architecture, mathematics and the natural sciences, and Albert Einstein is among its alumni.
ETH’s bachelor’s degrees are taught in German, and admission depends mainly on your school-leaving certificate, so international students need to check the rules carefully before they apply. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on ETH Zurich’s own guidance and official Swiss government information.
1. Choose a bachelor’s programme taught in German
ETH Zurich offers bachelor’s programmes in architecture and civil engineering, engineering sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, and system-oriented natural sciences, and the main teaching language in all of them is German. Most of its master’s programmes are taught in English. You can apply for one bachelor’s programme only, and you can only start in the autumn semester.
2. Check the admission requirements for your certificate
ETH’s admission requirements depend on the country and type of your school-leaving certificate, and they’re published each year on the swissuniversities website and in ETH’s country list. Depending on your certificate, you may be admitted directly, or you may first have to pass a reduced or comprehensive ETH entrance examination. ETH can only tell you which applies after it has received your complete application. ETH application process.
3. Know your deadline
If you have a non-Swiss school-leaving certificate, you apply through ETH’s eApply portal between 1 December 2026 and 31 March 2027 (23:59 CET) for autumn 2027 entry. There’s a non-refundable CHF 150 application fee, and processing can take up to eight weeks. Late applications aren’t possible, so don’t leave it until the last week.
4. Meet the German language requirement by 31 March
Unless you qualify for a waiver, for example because German is your mother tongue or you have a German Abitur from a school in Germany, you must submit a recognised German C1 certificate by the application deadline. The certificate can be no more than two years old at the start of the application period. ETH doesn’t offer German courses, and applications with missing or insufficient language certificates are rejected after 31 March. ETH language requirements.
5. Prepare for the entrance examination if you need it
If your certificate doesn’t qualify you for direct admission, you’ll need to pass the ETH entrance examination, which is held in German at ETH in the third and fourth weeks of January. The reduced exam costs CHF 550 and the comprehensive exam CHF 800, and you register for it in eApply between 15 September and 15 October. Because the exam takes place the January after your application, you’d start your studies a year later than applicants admitted directly. ETH entrance examination.
6. Focus on your grades, not extras
Bachelor’s admission at ETH is based on your school-leaving certificate and school reports, not on a personal statement. ETH asks applicants not to upload motivation letters, olympiad awards, portfolios or references, because they aren’t considered. What matters is that your certificate, school reports from the last three years and any translations meet ETH’s requirements.
7. Understand the fees
Since the autumn semester of 2025, ETH has had two tuition fee groups. Students with Swiss or Liechtenstein citizenship, or who lived in Switzerland when they got their school-leaving certificate, pay CHF 730 per semester. Most international students with a foreign certificate pay three times as much, CHF 2,190 per semester. ETH estimates that living costs in Zurich are about CHF 22,100 a year. ETH tuition fees.
8. Look for funding and housing early
ETH’s best-known scholarship for international students, the Excellence & Opportunity Scholarship Programme (ESOP), is for master’s students, so most international bachelor’s students need to fund their studies themselves or find a scholarship in their home country. Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and student rooms are in high demand, so start looking for housing as soon as you’re admitted.
9. Apply for your visa and residence permit early
If you’re from the EU/EFTA, you don’t need a visa: you register with the commune where you live within 14 days of arriving and receive a residence permit for study. If you’re from outside the EU/EFTA, you’ll usually need a national (D) visa for a stay of more than 90 days, which you apply for at the Swiss embassy or consulate in your home country once ETH Zurich has admitted you. You’ll need your admission letter and proof that you can pay your tuition and living costs, and processing can take several weeks, so apply as soon as you’re admitted. Health insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Switzerland, so arrange it when you arrive. SEM: entry and visas.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
If you’re from outside the EU/EFTA, you can work up to 15 hours a week during term, but not until six months after your course starts. Your employer has to apply for permission from the cantonal authorities, and ETH Zurich must confirm that the job won’t delay your studies. After you graduate from a Swiss university, you have six months to look for a job that matches your qualifications, and you can be admitted to work if your job is of overriding scientific or economic interest. SEM: working in Switzerland FAQ.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at ETH Zurich?
Most ETH master’s programmes are taught in English. If your bachelor’s degree is from outside Switzerland, you must apply for autumn 2027 entry between 1 and 30 November 2026, and this is also the window for the ESOP scholarship. Admission is based mainly on your bachelor’s degree, grades and subject background. For a PhD, you usually apply directly to a professor for a paid position. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
ETH Zurich is one of the most selective universities in Europe, so apply to other options too. Read our guides to EPFL, the University of Zurich, the University of Basel and the University of Geneva. Our guide to studying in Switzerland explains how the Swiss system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from ETH Zurich’s official admissions and tuition fee pages, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on ETH Zurich’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with ETH Zurich.