ETH ZURICH – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Founded in 1855 in Zurich by the Swiss Confederation, the university today educates more than 22,200 students from 126 different countries. The university has more than 21 Nobel Prize winners, including Albert Einstein. Medicine, sustainability, technology and critical thinking are some of its main focus areas. Officially called the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, the university has 16 academic departments that provide academic teaching and conduct scientific research in subjects ranging from engineering and architecture to chemistry and physics.

Education at ETH Zurich combines solid theory with practical application, and most degree programs are built on strong mathematical foundations. While the main language of instruction for undergraduates is German, most master's programs and doctoral studies are conducted in English. Located in Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, ETH Zurich has two main locations. One is in Zurich city center and the other is a modern campus built on a hill on the outskirts of the city.

Students at ETH Zurich face an intense workload, but still find time for cultural and other leisure activities and to attend the many regular symposia and conferences on campus, where some of the best minds in science come to speak. ETH students like to exercise their bodies as well as their minds, and there are numerous varied sports on offer on campus. The biggest annual event is the SOLA relay, which takes place in 14 sections over a total distance of 140 kilometers. More than 900 teams are known to participate in the annual spectacle at the same time.

Since the 1880s, students have been able to show off their best moves at Polyball, a classic prom event with live music from various orchestras and bands. Every November, 10,000 dancers, music lovers and partygoers usually flock to the ETH's extensively decorated main building for an unforgettable night.

Admission Requirements for International Students

Undergraduate

Prospective students who wish to apply to undergraduate programs offered by ETH Zurich must meet the admission requirements set out below.

• International Baccalaureate (IB)
  • Admission without entrance examination if the following requirements are fulfilled:
    • 38 out of 42 points (without bonus points);
    • At Higher Level (HL): a) Mathematics: applications and interpretation or Mathematics: analysis and approaches, b) physics or chemistry or biology, c) 1 language A;
    • At Standard Level (SL): three additional subjects of the following: physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, economics or business management, 1 further language only, computer science.
  • Otherwise: Reduced Entrance Examination ETHZ
• European Baccalaureate
  • European Baccalaureate + proof of tuition in the subjects 1. mathematics, 2. physics, chemistry or biology, 3. language of instruction or a foreign language during the last two years before the Baccalaureate final exam.
  • These subjects must be part of the Baccalaureate final exam and passed with a minimum grade average of 70%.
  • Four of the following subjects must – in addition to the 3 subjects above – also have been part of the final three years of schooling: physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, another language, geography, history, economics.
  • Otherwise: Reduced Entrance Examination ETHZ
• For students from Great Britain;
  • (I)GCE with three Advanced Levels or Cambridge Pre-U Certificate (three Principal Subjects) in: 1. mathematics; 2. physics or chemistry or biology, 3. language of instruction or foreign language with minimum grade A in each A-Level, respectively D 3 in each Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject and at least four additional subjects (I)GCE AS, (I)GCSE or Cambridge Pre-U Short Courses out of the following: physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, another language, geography, history, economics.
  • Otherwise: Reduced Entrance Examination ETH Zurich.
  • GCE A–Levels or Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects taken after or in conjunction with other than the above mentioned secondary school credentials (e.g. ten years German Gymnasium + A-Levels): Comprehensive Entrance Examination ETH Zurich.
• For students from the USA;
  • Upper secondary school-leaving certificate + Reduced Entrance Examination ETHZ if High School Diploma is accompanied by at least three Advanced Placement Tests, each one with a minimum score of 3 in: 1. mathematics; 2. biology or physics or chemistry; 3. one language. 
  • In addition, four of the following subjects must have been taken during the last three years of high school: physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, another language, geography, history, economics.
  • Otherwise: Comprehensive Entrance Examination ETHZ

Graduate

Prospective international students who wish to apply for graduate programs offered by ETH Zurich must meet the admission requirements outlined below.

• Bachelor's Degree Diploma
• High Grade Point Average
• Official transcripts of the courses taken by the applicant during college/university education
• Work experience may be required for certain programs
• Certificate in English Proficiency (for students from countries whose first language is not English)
  • Certificate in English proficiency received through internationally recognized proficiency tests such as IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, CAE, CPE.
• GRE/GMAT exam score may be required in accordance with the specific admission requirements of certain programs.
• In addition, ETH Zurich may require applicants to sit various exams and obtain a sufficient score in line with the admission requirements specific to the program applicant is applying to.

• 21 Nobel Laureates
• 2 Fields Medallists
• 2 Pritzker Prize Recipients
• 1 Turing Award Recipient