ETH Zurich is a world-leading public research university in Zurich, Switzerland, specializing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Founded in 1855, it has a rich history of pioneering research and education, with numerous Nobel laureates among its alumni and faculty.
ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is one of the leading universities of science and technology in the world. It opened in 1855 as the Federal Polytechnic School and has about 24,500 students and 10,500 staff, and around 40 percent of the students come from abroad. The main building, designed by Gottfried Semper, stands above the old town on Rämistrasse, and a second large campus, Hönggerberg, lies on the Zürichberg hill, with modern laboratories and student housing.
Albert Einstein studied physics and mathematics at the polytechnic from 1896 to 1900, and later returned as a professor. Wilhelm Röntgen, Wolfgang Pauli, Richard Ernst, Kurt Wüthrich and Leopold Ružička are among the Nobel laureates linked to the school, and the number of Nobel Prizes associated with ETH is above twenty. John von Neumann earned a diploma in chemical engineering there in 1926. The school is a main source of Swiss engineers, architects and scientists.
ETH is organised in sixteen departments covering architecture and civil engineering, engineering sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, system-oriented natural sciences, and management and social sciences. Computer science, robotics, materials, energy, climate, physics, chemistry and life sciences are the best-known fields. The ETH AI Center and the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems support work on machine learning, and the school takes part in major facilities such as the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano.
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around a thousand and a half francs per year at present, but the school has announced higher fees for international students, so check the current tariff. Bachelor’s programmes are taught in German, with French or English possible for part of the course, and most master’s programmes are in English. Admission requires a Swiss Matura or an equivalent, with an entrance examination for some foreign certificates.
Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and student housing is scarce. The tram and the funicular connect the main building with the city centre.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Automation, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Metrology, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Project Management, Quality, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Extensive international collaborations with over 800 universities worldwide, strategic alliances with leading companies (e.g., Google, Microsoft, IBM, Siemens, Roche), and active participation in European research programs. Key member of IDEA League and Global Tech Alliance.
Research:
Groundbreaking research across diverse fields including quantum computing, AI, materials science, sustainable energy, environmental systems, biomedical engineering, robotics, and earth sciences. Strong emphasis on fundamental research and technology transfer.
Famous Alumnis:
Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, Richard R. Ernst, Wernher von Braun, Niklaus Wirth
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10500
Current students***:
24500
Foreign students***:
40%
Cumulative former students***:
200000
Pros
World-class academic reputation, numerous Nobel laureates, cutting-edge research facilities, strong industry connections, highly international environment, wide range of specialized programs.
Cons
Highly competitive admission and demanding curriculum, high cost of living in Zurich.
Best For
Students and researchers seeking a top-tier, globally recognized education and research environment in science, engineering, and technology.
Among national alternatives, EPFL stands out for its focus on metrology, aerospace and bioinformatics, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and is smaller, enrolling about 12,000 students against roughly 24,500 here.
On content, Université de Genève and this school are close, as both teach astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics can consider Universität Zürich, and it is slightly larger, at about 28,000 students against roughly 24,500 here, and is also a public institution.
In terms of fields, Universität Bern is the nearest neighbour, with astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics again at the core; it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral.
Universität Basel works in much the same fields, chiefly astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
UTokyo in Japan shares the astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics orientation of this institution, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science and transportations as well.
Tokyo Tech offers an international parallel to this school, with astroscience, aerospace and bioinformatics as common ground; it is smaller, enrolling about 10,000 students against roughly 24,500 here, and is also a public institution.
If this school is on your list for metrology, aerospace and quality, Warsaw University of Technology in Poland deserves a comparison, because it covers transportations and optics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 32,000 students against roughly 24,500 here.
Wrocław University of Science and Technology in Poland shares the metrology, aerospace and quality orientation of this institution, and it covers transportations and optics as well, and has almost the same size, at about 26,000 students.
The closest overseas parallel on aerospace, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Technische Universiteit Delft, located in the Netherlands; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is ETH Zurich?
The main building is at Rämistrasse 101 in Zurich, Switzerland. The second campus is at Hönggerberg.
When was it founded?
In 1855, as the Federal Polytechnic School.
How large is it?
About 24,500 students and 10,500 staff, with around 40 percent of students from abroad.
Who studied there?
Albert Einstein studied physics and mathematics there from 1896 to 1900, and John von Neumann earned a diploma in chemical engineering.
Which Nobel laureates are linked to ETH?
Wilhelm Röntgen, Wolfgang Pauli, Richard Ernst, Kurt Wüthrich and Leopold Ružička, among others.
What does ETH teach?
Architecture, civil engineering, engineering sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and management and social sciences.
What does it cost?
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around a thousand and a half francs per year at present, but higher fees for international students have been announced. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Bachelor's programmes in German, and most master's programmes in English.
How do you get in?
You need a Swiss Matura or an equivalent, with an entrance examination for some foreign certificates.
Is Zurich expensive?
Yes. Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and student housing is scarce.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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