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ETH Zurich

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University Guide

About ETH Zurich

Explore overview, courses, fees, admissions, campus life, scholarships and student accommodation guidance in one premium Admistay guide.

ETH Zurich is one of the top public universities in Switzerland, ranked #7 in QS World University ranking, 2025. It is considered as one of the top universities in the world for scientific excellence and technological innovation. Few notable ranking of this university are as follows

  • US News and World Report, 2024
    • #33 in Best Global Universities
    • #5 in Best Global Universities in Europe
    • #1 in Best Global Universities in Switzerland
  • Times Higher Education (THE), 2024: #11
  • QS World university ranking, 2025
    • #1 in Europe Universities
    • #1 in Western Europe Universities
    • #1 in for Earth and Marine Sciences

In comparison with other European countries, university tuition fees are very low in Switzerland. Currently, ETH Zurich fees are 730 CHF per semester or around 73,000 INR per semester. The cost of living in Switzerland is very high. Indian students need around 2.22 lakhs INR to cover the annual living expenses while studying in ETH Zurich.

You can apply for ETH Zurich admissions in the Autumn Semester only. The application timeline for bachelor programs is from 1 December 2024 to 31 March 2025. For the masters programs, the application period is 1 November to 30 November 2024. For admission to Bachelor’s degree studies, Indian students need to have German language requirements as the programs are taught in German only. The minimum requirement is of C1 level. Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, DSH are among the accepted German language tests.

Table of Contents
  1. ETH Zurich Courses and Fees
  2. ETH Zurich Admissions
  3. ETH Zurich Cost of Attendance
  4. ETH Zurich Financial Aid
  5. FAQs

ETH Zurich Courses and Fees

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology comprises 16 departments that provide academic education and engage in scientific research. These departments cover a diverse range of subjects, including engineering, architecture, chemistry, and physics. Check out some of the ETH Zurich courses and fees.

ETH Zurich Courses and Fees

Courses Annual Tuition Fees (in CHF) Annual Tuition Fees (in INR)
Master of Science [MS], Civil Engineering CHF 8,580 ₹ 1016902
Master of Science [MS], Computer Science CHF 8,580 ₹ 1016902
Master of Science [M.S], Earth Sciences CHF 1,460 ₹ 173039
Master of Science [M.S], Biology CHF 1,460 ₹ 173039
Master of Science [M.S], Food Science CHF 1,460 ₹ 173039

ETH Zurich Admissions

ETH Zurich acceptance rate is 27% for international students. It has 25,380 students among which, 4425 are doctoral students, from more than 120 countries. ETH Zurich admissions are offered in Autumn intake season only. The application periods are

  • Bachelor programs: 1 December 2024 to 31 March 2025
  • Masters programs: 1 November to 30 November 2024

Indian students need to submit any of the following certificates for admission to bachelor programs at this university.

  • Higher Secondary School Certificate
  • Higher School Certificate
  • All India Senior School Certificate
  • Indian School Certificate
  • Intermediate Examination Certificate

Check out the ETH Zurich application requirements mentioned below.

Eth_zurich_admission_requirements

ETH Zurich Cost of Attendance

Switzerland is very expensive in terms of cost of living. It majorly depends on your living standard, the costs of health insurance and your personal lifestyle. You will need around 2,350 CHF per month for the cost of living in Switzerland. Without rent, it would be around 1,430 CHF per month. Refer to the graph below to know more about the bifurcation of the expenses.

Eth_zurich_cost_of_attendance

ETH Zurich Financial Aid

ETH scholarships are granted as a secondary source of finance and do not cover the whole living and studying costs. They are eligible up to the end of the regular duration of studies set out in the respective program regulations, and two more semesters in relation to the entire duration of studies. You can also apply for the "Solidarity Fund for International students" for financial support from the second semester on. The scholarships are as follows

Scholarships Eligibility
BSc Scholarships Passed the base examination (all parts).Base examination plus 4 semesters minimum of120 credits (incl. first year exam)
MSc Scholarships Minimum 40 credits in preceding masterstudy year with an average of 20 KP/semester

Application Process for Scholarships

The application window for scholarships is open from 1 September 2024 until 31 October 2024 for the academic year 2024/25. ETH scholarships are paid in one or two installments

within the academic year of the application. The decision is published for download in eStip (student portal). You need to submit the following documents to be eligible for scholarships.

  • Parents’ definitive tax return from 2023, indicating taxable income, assets, allowed deductions, computed tax
  • Other scholarship decisions (country of origin, foundations) for 2024/25
  • Loan decisions 2024/25
  • Form “Evidence of assets”, completed and signed by parents
  • Internship contract (if any)
  • Decree of orphan’s pension/ old age pension/ alimonies (if any)
  • Evidence of transport costs (if you are not in the City of Zurich)

Research and Teaching Assistantship

Center for Comparative and International Studies (CIS) at ETH Zurich offers around 10 positions to each cohort of students admitted to Master in Comparative and International Studies (MACIS). In these positions, you are allowed to work for 10 hours per week and earn around 1,000 CHF per month. TA/ RA positions also offer a great opportunity to be involved in ongoing research projects undertaken by CIS professors. However, these positions are offered on a competitive basis upon admission.

Employees who graduate from ETH Zurich earn an average of 101,000 CHF in companies like Google, Apple, Uber among others. ETH Zurich notable alumni include 21 Nobel Prize Laureates, 2 Fields Medalists, 3 Pritzker Prize winners, and 1 Turing Award winner. This list also includes the renowned physicist Albert Einstein, who is considered the father of modern physics and the creator of the general theory of relativity.

FAQs

Ques: Is ETH Zurich hard to get into?

Ans: ETH Zurich is considered a highly competitive institution, and getting accepted can be challenging. With a competitive acceptance rate of 27%, admissions at ETH Zurich are quite selective for prospective candidates. The university receives many applications from talented individuals worldwide, making the admission process highly competitive.

Ques: Does ETH teach in English?

Ans: Undergraduate programs are primarily taught in German, while most master's and doctoral programs at ETH Zurich are conducted in English.

Ques: Is it expensive to study in ETH Zurich?

Ans: Studying at ETH Zurich comes with certain costs, but it is important to consider the overall expenses beyond just tuition fees. Currently, the fees for bachelor's, master's, and diploma courses at ETH Zurich amount to 730 CHF per semester. It's worth noting that there are two semesters per year, which means students will need to budget for these fees accordingly.

Ques: Does ETH Zurich require GRE?

Ans: Yes, ETH Zurich requires the GRE for admissions. The GRE score is a mandatory part of the ETH Zurich admissions requirements and will play a significant role in the acceptance of your application. The requirements are:

  • GRE Analytical = 3.5 or 50%
  • GRE Quantitative = 165 or 90%
  • GRE Verbal = 155 or 70%

Ques: Is ETH Zurich a top university?

Ans: Yes, ETH Zurich is one of the top universities in the world. Some of the rankings are:

  • Ranked #7 by QS World University Ranking, 2025
  • Ranked #33 in Best Global Universities by US News and World Report, 2024
  • Identified as “Continental Europe’s Top University”
Courses & Fees

Compare courses in a cleaner, easier way

Explore tuition, duration, language, eligibility, and exam requirements without the clutter.

Courses

75

Fee from

₹1,73,039.2

Exams

TOEFL · IELTS

Showing 5 of 22 bachelors

Overview
Degree TypeBachelor
Duration3 years
Study ModeFull Time
LanguageEnglish, German
Fees
Tuition FeeINR 1.7 L/Yr
Native FeeCHF 1,460 /Yr
Estimated Total₹2410696
Fee trendTuition progression
Official Program Page
Admission Guide

Admission Process

ETH Zurich also known as Swiss Federal Institute of Technology admissions are offered for both Autumn and Fall intake for undergraduate admissions, but for international students Swiss Federal Institute of Technology admissions are open for Autumn intake only. With an acceptance rate of 27% the admissions at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology tend to be competitive and require the applicants to fulfill all the admission requirements. For undergraduate ETH Zurich admissions you would need to submit your High School leaving certificate, original transcripts and German language proficiency score of Level C1. For graduate admissions at ETH Zurich you would need a bachelor’s degree in a related field with a GRE score and a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or an TOEFL iBT score of 100.

In the year 2022 there were roughly 8,200 new students enrolled, out of which 3,060 were enrolled in the undergraduate programs at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. ETH Zurich admissions are offered for Bachelor of Science and Master of Science programs in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics and System-oriented Natural Sciences. At the time of filling the application form, for each Swiss Federal Institute of Technology graduate or undergraduate admission form you will have to submit a non-refundable application fee of CHF 150 (INR 13,668).

ETH Zurich Admissions

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Admission Deadlines

At the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology late application for graduate programs is not possible, whereas late application period for undergraduate programs is May 1 to July 31 for all the students, if there are spots left in the program. Following are the application deadlines for UG and PG programs at ETH Zurich:

Program Application Deadline
Undergraduate Autumn Semester 31 March 2024
Graduate Programs 15 December 2023

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Graduate Admission

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology admission are offered to multiple MSc programs in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Engineering Sciences and Natural Sciences and Mathematics to all the national and international students, and the students are admitted to the program if they fulfill the admission criteria ETH Zurich admissions for graduate programs. Following are the admission requirements for international students for graduate admissions at ETH Zurich.

Application Portal: ETH eApply Portal
Application Fees: CHF 150 (INR 13,668)
Admission Requirements:

  • UG Degree
  • GPA or aggregate: No minimum GPA Requirements
  • English language proficiency scores:
  • German language proficiency scores:
    • TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
    • Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
    • Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed
  • Test Scores:
    • Expected GRE - GRE Analytical = 3.5 or 50% | GRE Quantitative = 165 or 90% | GRE Verbal = 155 or 70%
  • Letters of reference
  • Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement
  • Resume or CV
  • Declaration of Consent
  • Interview

ETH Zurich Graduate Admission

Top Graduate Programs Admission Requirements:

Programs Language Requirement Degree Requirements Documents Checklist
MSc Architecture German: Level C1 Bachelor's degree in Architecture Digital Portfolio, LOR, SOP
MSc Chemistry TOEFL: 100 IELTS: 7.0 Bachelor's degree in a Chemistry 1-2 Page essay explaining your motivation to join and your research area
MSc Earth Sciences TOEFL: 100 IELTS: 7.0 Bachelor's degree in a related field 2 Academic LOR, 1 Motivation Letter (1 A4 page)
MSc Statistics TOEFL: 100 IELTS: 7.0 Bachelor's degree in a related field 2 Academic LOR, SOP (100-300 words)
MA Comparative and International Studies TOEFL: 100 IELTS: 7.0 Bachelor's degree in a related field 2 Academic LOR, 1 Motivation Letter

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Executive MBA Admission

The Executive MBA programme EMBA X is co-designed and jointly run by the Department MTEC of ETH Zurich and the University of St. Gallen. As an EMBA X graduate, you will join Switzerland’s most influential alumni network (ETH Zurich + University of St.Gallen) as a socially responsible, well-rounded 21st century leader. Following are the admission requirements for EMBA at ETH Zurich:

Application Portal: MBA Admission
Application Fees: CHF 150 (INR 13,668)
Admission Requirements:

  • UG Degree
  • English language proficiency scores:
    • TOEFL iBT- 100
    • IELTS- 7.0
  • Letters of Reference
  • Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement
  • Resume or CV
  • Interview

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Undergraduate Admission

ETH Zurich offers a large number of Bachelor’s degree programmes in the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics and System-oriented Natural Sciences. Following are the admission requirements for undergraduate admissions at ETH Zurich for all international students:

Application Portal: ETH eApply Portal
Application Fees: CHF 150 (INR 13,668)
Admission Requirements:

  • Recognised Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate
  • High school transcripts
  • Reduced Entrance Exam or Comprehensive Entrance Exam (if required)
  • German language proficiency scores:
    • TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
    • Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
    • Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed
  • Letters of Reference
  • Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement

ETH Zurich Undergraduate Admission

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Admission Decision

For undergraduate admissions, if you have submitted all the required documents and test scores on time, you will be informed about the admission decision within 10-30 days of your application submission.

After your application has been screened by the Admissions Office and assessed by the Admissions Committee, a written admission decision is sent to you for downloading on eApply. Decisions are normally issued within 2-3 months of the submission deadline.

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Admission: Selection Criteria

The reported acceptance rate for ETH Zurich is 27% making the admission process competitive and difficult for all international students. The admission decision at ETH Zurich is made based on your previous academic performance, language proficiency and your letter of motivation.

There are three types of admission to the first semester of the desired Bachelor’s degree program:

  1. Admission without entrance examination
  2. Admission contingent upon passing the reduced entrance examination (4 examination subjects)
  3. Admission contingent upon passing the comprehensive entrance examination (8 examination subjects)

Apart from the above requirement you will also have to fulfill the German language requirements as all the Bachelor programs at ETH Zurich are taught in German. Following are some of the German language proficiency scores you would need:

  • TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
  • Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
  • Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed

For graduate programs you would need a Bachelor's degree in a related field and for some programs you might have to submit a GRE score, the GRE code for ETH Zurich is 3331. Apart from this you would also need an IELTS score of 7.0 or above or a TOEFL iBT score of 100.

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology: Students Profile and Diversity

Following is the ETH Zurich student profile and recent enrollments for the year 2022:

Particulars Details
Total Enrollment 8,200
Undergraduate Students Enrollment 3,060
Graduate and Doctorate Enrollment 5,140
Women 24%

FAQS

Ques. How can I get admission in ETH Zurich?

Ans. To get admission in the PG program of ETH Zurich you will have to fulfill the following admission criteria:

  1. Bachelor’s degree in a related field
  2. Resume
  3. 2 academic LOR
  4. Letter of Motivation
  5. English language proficiency scores:
    1. TOEFL iBT- 100
    2. IELTS- 7.0
  6. German language proficiency scores:
    1. TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
    2. Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
    3. Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed

For UG programs following are the admission requirements for international students:

  1. Recognised Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate
  2. High school transcripts
  3. German language proficiency scores:
    1. TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
    2. Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
    3. Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed
  4. Entrance Exam scores (if required)

Ques. Is it hard to get admission in ETH Zurich?

Ans. ETH Zurich gets many applications every year, but it has a reported acceptance rate of 27% making it difficult to get admission into the university as the university maintains a high prerequisite for admission. In 2022 there were roughly 8,200 new students enrolled, out of which 3,060 were enrolled in the undergraduate programs.


Ques. Can I study in ETH Zurich without German?

Ans. At ETH Zurich all undergraduate programs are taught in German, and some postgraduate programs are also taught in German. So, it is not possible to apply at ETH Zurich without prior knowledge of German language. To get admission at ETH Zurich you would need to meet at least Level C1. Following are some of the tests you can take to prove your efficiency in the German language:

  1. TestDaF- Level 4 or higher in all test components
  2. Goethe-Zertifikat C1- At least “gut”
  3. Goethe-Zertifikat C2- All exam sections must be passed

Ques. Are programs at ETH Zurich taught in English?

Ans. An increasing number of courses in higher semesters of the Bachelor's degree programmes are taught in English, while most of the Master's degree programmes are taught exclusively in English. To show your proficiency in English you will have to match the following criteria:

  1. TOEFL iBT- 100+
  2. IELTS- 7.0 or above

Ques. What is the application deadline for ETH Zurich?

Ans. At ETH Zurich late application for graduate programs is not possible, whereas late application period for undergraduate programs is May 1 to July 31 for all the students, if there are spots left in the program. Following are the application deadlines for UG and PG programs at ETH Zurich:

Program Application Deadline
Undergraduate Autumn Semester 31 March 2024
Graduate Programs 15 December 2023
Placements & Recruiters

ETH Zurich Placement Details

ETH Zurich in Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland placement details include salary insights, top recruiters, and hiring trends to help students understand career outcomes and campus opportunities.

Students usually compare highest package, average package, and recruiter profile before applying. This section gives a compact overview of career outcomes and placement visibility in Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Recruiters
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Salary Metrics
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Placement Metric

Highest Package

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Represents the top salary package reported in the available placement information.

Placement Metric

Average Package

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Shows the typical package range students may expect based on the available average salary data.

Placement information is currently limited.

More salary or recruiter data may be updated later for this college.

Rankings over the years

Year-wise highlights from global and country rankings available for this university.

2024

Highlights
2024
  • Top source: QS
  • 28 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Engineering, Data Science and Analytics
  • 3 ranking records in 2024

2025

Highlights
2025
  • Top source: QS
  • 1 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall
  • 1 ranking record in 2025

2026

Highlights
2026
  • Top source: THE
  • 6 ranked streams
  • Focus areas: Overall, Engineering
  • 2 ranking records in 2026

Contact Information

Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland

+41 44 632 11 11