The University of Zurich, founded in 1833, is Switzerland’s largest university. While a comprehensive university, its Faculty of Science offers a wide range of programs in natural sciences, mathematics, and some interdisciplinary technology-related fields.
The University of Zurich, UZH, was founded in 1833 and is the largest university in Switzerland, with about 28,000 students and 7,000 staff. Around one student in five comes from abroad. It was the first university in Europe to be founded by a democratic state rather than by a monarch or the church. The main building, designed by Karl Moser and opened in 1914, stands on Rämistrasse above the old town, next to ETH Zurich, and the Irchel campus in the north of the city holds the sciences.
The university has seven faculties: theology and religious studies, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, economics, arts and social sciences, and science. It is a leader in medicine and life sciences, with the University Hospital Zurich and a veterinary hospital. Law, economics, psychology and the humanities have long been strong, and the Institute of Evolutionary Medicine and the neuroscience centre carry out international research.
Albert Einstein received his doctorate from UZH in 1905 and was a professor extraordinary at the university from 1909 to 1911. Erwin Schrödinger developed wave mechanics while teaching here, and the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen studied in Zurich. In 1867 Nadezhda Suslova became the first woman in Europe to receive a medical degree, at Zurich, which shows the university’s early openness to women. About a dozen Nobel laureates are linked to the university.
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around 700 francs per semester at present. Check the current tariff. Bachelor’s programmes are mostly taught in German, while a growing number of master’s programmes are in English. Admission requires a Swiss Matura or an equivalent, and foreign applicants must meet language and academic conditions. The university offers support to international students with housing and language courses.
Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and student housing is scarce. The university cooperates with ETH in many fields, and the two schools share a research environment.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). Numerous international partnerships for research and student exchange. Collaborations with Zurich’s research institutions and hospitals.
Research:
Strong research in areas such as molecular biology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, physics (particle physics, condensed matter), chemistry, mathematics, earth sciences, and environmental sciences. Growing focus on data science and bioinformatics.
Famous Alumnis:
Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Rolf M. Zinkernagel
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7000
Current students***:
28000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
150000
Pros
Leading comprehensive university with strong science faculties, excellent research opportunities, located in a major international city.
Cons
Less focused on engineering compared to ETHZ/EPFL. Can be competitive.
Best For
Students seeking a strong foundation in natural sciences or mathematics within a large, research-intensive comprehensive university.
A good alternative in the same country is Université de Genève, which likewise covers astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers marine science and telecommunications as well.
Universität Basel overlaps with this university on astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies, so the two are easy to compare, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers life sciences as well.
Universität Bern overlaps with this institution on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, so the two are easy to compare, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers aerospace and telecommunications as well.
Also strong in astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich makes a sensible second look at home; it is slightly smaller, at about 24,500 students against roughly 28,000 here, and is also a public institution.
In terms of fields, Université de Lausanne is the nearest neighbour, with bioinformatics, geotechnics and nanotechnologies again at the core; it covers marine science as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 17,000 students against roughly 28,000 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics outside the home country, Freie Universität Berlin in Germany is a natural reference; it is slightly larger, at about 33,000 students against roughly 28,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies outside the home country, University of Wrocław in Poland is a natural reference; it covers optics and telecommunications as well, and has almost the same size, at about 25,000 students.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań in Poland, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's and doctoral, and covers optics and telecommunications as well.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on astroscience, bioinformatics and nanotechnologies is Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Germany, and it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes.
The closest overseas parallel on astroscience, bioinformatics and geotechnics is Nagoya University, located in Japan; it runs the same bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, and covers aerospace and food science as well.
*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 the University of Zurich?
The main building is at Rämistrasse 71 in Zurich, Switzerland. The Irchel campus holds the sciences.
When was it founded?
In 1833, as the first university in Europe founded by a democratic state.
How large is it?
About 28,000 students and 7,000 staff, which makes it the largest university in Switzerland.
How many faculties does it have?
Seven: theology and religious studies, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, economics, arts and social sciences, and science.
Which scientists are linked to UZH?
Albert Einstein received his doctorate there in 1905, and Erwin Schrödinger developed wave mechanics while teaching there.
Who was Nadezhda Suslova?
In 1867 she became the first woman in Europe to receive a medical degree, at Zurich.
What is it known for?
Medicine, life sciences, law, economics, psychology and the humanities.
What does it cost?
Tuition fees are low by international standards, around 700 francs per semester at present. Check the current tariff.
In which language are courses taught?
Mostly in German, with a growing number of master's programmes in English.
Is Zurich expensive?
Yes. It 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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