ETH Zürich: Excellence Scholarship

What the funding covers

• A living allowance of CHF 13,500 per semester for students starting in autumn 2027 (CHF 12,000 before then).
• A full tuition-fee waiver for the standard length of the master's (three or four semesters).
• About 60 scholarships were available for students starting in 2027/28.

Who can apply

• Applicants to an ETH master's programme, from any university in the world.
• Outstanding bachelor's results: ETH asks for the top 10% of your cohort (grade A).
• You must not already be enrolled in, or hold, a master's degree.

How to apply

1. Apply for your master's programme and ESOP together through ETH's eApply portal.
2. Upload a pre-proposal for your master's thesis research as part of the scholarship application.
3. Name two professors as referees if your programme does not already require recommendation letters; they submit letters directly.
4. Submit between 1 and 30 November 2026 (11:59 pm Swiss time) for a start in autumn 2027. Decisions are communicated by the end of March.

Before you apply: things to know

• The ESOP window closes on 30 November, two weeks before ETH's regular master's deadline of mid-December. Apply in November to be considered for the scholarship.
• Being in the top 10% is necessary but not sufficient; the thesis pre-proposal and references carry real weight.
• Zürich is among the most expensive cities in Europe; the allowance is set to cover a modest student budget there, not luxuries.

A working timeline

Counting back from the next deadline (Nov 30, 2026). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.