UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS GUIDE
ETH is Switzerland’s federal institute of technology in Zurich. Its bachelor’s degrees are taught mainly in German, and you need a C1 German certificate by March 31, 2027. For autumn 2027, you can still start only if your school-leaving certificate gives direct admission, as a strong IB Diploma or A levels can. A U.S. high school diploma leads to an entrance exam instead, so most U.S. students can start in autumn 2028 at the earliest. There are no essays or interviews.
September 2027 entry
GET TO KNOW THE DEGREES
ETH lets you apply for only one bachelor’s programme, and every programme begins in German, so your German needs to be at C1 level before you apply. In the second and third years, some courses may be taught in English.
YOUR PROGRAMME
From Architecture and Computer Science to Physics and Environmental Sciences, grouped in five areas.
FIRST YEAR · 60 CREDITS
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, and biology as your programme needs them, plus its own basics and internships.
SECOND AND THIRD YEARS · 120 CREDITS
Programme subjects, electives, lab courses, project work, a bachelor’s thesis or other independent work, and Science in Perspective courses.
German is the main teaching language in every ETH bachelor’s programme, and ETH says a command of English is indispensable too. ETH offers no German courses for applicants, so reaching the required level is up to you.
Architecture and Civil Engineering: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Geospatial Engineering.
Engineering Sciences: Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science.
Natural Sciences and Mathematics: Biology; Biochemistry – Chemical Biology; Chemistry/Chemical and Bioengineering; Computational Sciences and Engineering; Interdisciplinary Sciences; Mathematics; Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Physics.
System-oriented Natural Sciences: Agricultural Sciences, Food Science and Nutrition, Earth and Climate Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences and Technology, and Human Medicine.
Humanities, Social and Political Sciences: Public Policy (Professional Officer), the one programme that leads to a Bachelor of Arts ETH. Every other programme leads to a Bachelor of Science ETH.
Who can apply: Non-Swiss citizens must also meet a residency criterion, such as a settled C permit with a home in Switzerland, or recognized refugee status. Check these before you plan around Medicine.
How places are given: Through a central aptitude test for medical studies, the EMS. Registration is with swissuniversities, and for autumn 2027 entry the deadline is February 15, 2027.
UNDERSTAND HOW ETH ADMITS
ETH checks your certificate against published rules for your country. It then admits you directly, or asks you to pass an entrance exam: a reduced one in four subjects or a comprehensive one in eight. A U.S. high school diploma always leads to one of the exams, which moves your start to autumn 2028 at the earliest. Motivation letters, awards, and portfolios aren’t considered, and there’s no interview.
YOUR CERTIFICATE
swissuniversities publishes ETH’s requirements for each country and certificate. They’re updated every year, and ETH can assess your certificate only once your complete application arrives.
Letrado’s adviceFind your certificate on the list and compare it line by line: subjects, levels, and grades. If a detail is unclear, ask ETH’s Admissions Office before you apply.
YOUR SUBJECTS
The rules for the IB, A levels, the German Abitur, and the U.S. diploma all ask for mathematics; physics, chemistry, or biology; and a language. They also ask for further subjects, such as history, geography, economics, computer science, or another language: three at Standard Level for the IB, four for the others.
Letrado’s adviceChoose your final-year subjects with this pattern in mind. Dropping a science or a language too early can turn direct admission into an entrance exam.
YOUR GERMAN
Unless you qualify for a waiver, you upload a recognized C1 certificate by the application deadline. Applications with a missing or insufficient certificate are rejected on formal grounds after March 31, and ETH says that deadline isn’t negotiable.
Letrado’s adviceChoose an exam date that leaves room for a retake before the deadline, and check when each exam releases results. A C1 certificate can’t be more than two years old when the application period opens.
2026–27 REQUIREMENTS · SWISSUNIVERSITIES
Your certificate meets ETH’s rule in full.
Four subjects, when your certificate comes close.
Eight subjects, for other certificates.
The IB Diploma: direct admission with 38 of 42 points, not counting bonus points; Mathematics (either course); physics, chemistry, or biology; and one Language A, all at Higher Level, plus three more listed subjects at Standard Level. Otherwise, the reduced exam.
A levels (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland): direct admission with three A levels at grade A or above in mathematics; physics, chemistry, or biology; and a language, plus at least four more listed subjects at AS or GCSE level. Otherwise, the reduced exam. Scotland has a matching rule for Advanced Highers.
A U.S. high school diploma: no direct admission. With at least three AP exams scored 3 or higher, in mathematics; biology, physics, or chemistry; and a language, plus four listed subjects taken in your last three years of high school, you take the reduced exam. Otherwise, the comprehensive exam. Either way, the earliest start is autumn 2028.
These are the lists for the 2026–27 academic year. ETH updates them annually and is planning changes for all bachelor’s programmes from autumn 2028, with details expected from spring 2027.
WHAT ETH DESCRIBES
You can’t sit the exam without applying first. Candidates for autumn 2027 had to apply by March 31, 2026; their exam is January 18 to 28, 2027.
December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
September 15 to October 15, 2027.
January 17 to 27, 2028.
September 18, 2028.
The exam has written papers and oral exams, all in German. It costs CHF 550 for the reduced exam and CHF 800 for the comprehensive one. ETH offers no preparation courses, but it publishes subject lists, a reading list, recommended textbooks, and past papers.
WHAT ETH DESCRIBES
Your fee is paid and your application is in eApply.
ETH checks it. If something is missing, it emails you.
You download the decision in eApply.
ETH’s application steps include no interview. The decision is admission, admission after an entrance exam, or a refusal, for example over a missing language certificate. The only spoken assessment is the entrance exam’s oral part.
WHAT ETH SAYS
ETH publishes no AI rule for bachelor’s applicants, whose applications contain no essays. For students, ETH encourages lecturers to set their own rules on generative AI.
Theses carry a declaration of originality stating whether generative AI was used. Using unauthorized tools, or not disclosing them, is subject to disciplinary action.
PLAN THE APPLICATION
You apply through ETH’s own portal, eApply, not a national platform. For autumn 2027 entry, the application period runs from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, at 23:59 Central European Time. Bachelor’s studies start only in the autumn, on September 20, 2027. If your certificate leads to the entrance exam, an application in this window means sitting the exam from January 17 to 27, 2028, and starting on September 18, 2028.
Application period opens
Dec 1, 2026Entrance exam, for autumn 2027 starters
Jan 18–28, 2027Application deadline
Mar 31, 2027School-leaving certificate
Aug 31, 2027Studies begin
Sep 20, 2027ETH says processing can take up to eight weeks after it receives your application. You can submit only during the application period, and the fee isn’t refunded, even if you withdraw.
For one bachelor’s programme only. You pay the CHF 150 fee online, for example by credit card, before you can submit.
Your school-leaving certificate, or a copy once you have it, and your school reports from the last three years.
A recognized C1 or C2 certificate, uploaded by March 31, 2027.
A color passport photo, a copy of your passport or ID card, a CV, and ETH’s signed declaration of consent.
Some countries’ rules ask for a certificate showing you’ve been admitted to a recognized university at home in the same subject.
Originals by post: If you accept a place, your school-leaving certificate, any university admission certificate, your German certificate, and any translations must reach ETH as originals; copies and certified copies aren’t accepted. eApply tells you which to post and which to upload. ETH returns them during your first autumn semester.
Translations: Any document not in German, English, French, or Italian needs an official translation into German or English that follows ETH’s binding standards.
File sizes: Up to 5 MB per document, and up to 20 MB for school reports.
Germany and France: Direct admission is possible when mathematics, a science, and a language were taught in your last two years and passed in the final exam with an average of at least 70%, plus four more listed subjects. France also asks for a moyenne finale of 16/20 or above. Germany’s rule adds a university admission certificate for Pharmaceutical Sciences and Architecture.
Singapore: Direct admission with mathematics, a science, and a modern language at H2, each at grade B or above, four more listed subjects, and proof of admission to a recognized university in Singapore. Otherwise, the reduced exam.
India, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Canada: Your school-leaving certificate plus proof of admission to a recognized university at home, in the subject you want, leads to the reduced exam. Otherwise, the comprehensive exam.
EU citizenship: Your passport doesn’t change which rule applies. ETH looks at the certificate you hold, and your fee depends mainly on where you lived when you earned it.
Your visa: You’ll need ETH’s confirmation of admission, which Zurich accepts only once every requirement, including your German certificate, is met. Never enter Switzerland on a tourist visa: it can’t be converted into a residence permit.
Visa costs: About CHF 50 to 100 for the embassy, CHF 95 to the Canton of Zurich, and CHF 182 when you register in Zurich after arriving.
Housing: ETH suggests booking temporary accommodation first and searching locally. Woko, a student housing cooperative, rents rooms to ETH and University of Zurich students.
WHAT YOU WRITE
No personal statementETH asks you not to upload motivation letters, awards, or portfolios; they aren’t considered for bachelor’s admission.
For your ETH application, you write a CV, which is a factual record rather than an essay. If you need a Swiss visa, you’ll also write a short statement, after you’re admitted, of why you plan to study at ETH and what you plan to do afterward. It goes with your visa application, not to ETH’s admissions office. Neither is judged as a piece of writing, so keep both accurate, plain, and consistent with your documents.
Letrado’s adviceIf you use AI, keep it to brainstorming, understanding a topic, or checking spelling and grammar. Write every line of your CV and visa statement yourself, and never let a tool add a detail that isn’t true.
ETH asks for a complete CV in table form, listing every school you attended, any university study, and work experience, and it provides a template. Give your schools, dates, and qualifications in order, and make sure every date matches your certificates and reports.
Zurich’s migration office asks visa applicants for a written statement of why they plan to study at ETH, the planned length of study, and a short outline of their plans afterward. ETH’s visa page asks you to keep it short and says a few sentences are enough.
MAKE ROOM FOR THE FINANCIAL QUESTION
ETH’s fee depends mainly on where you lived when you earned your school-leaving certificate, not only on your passport. Most students arriving from abroad pay the threefold rate of CHF 2,190 a semester. Living costs are the larger part of your budget.
SIMPLE FEE · GROUP 1
For Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens, and for anyone who lived in Switzerland or Liechtenstein when they earned their school-leaving certificate, whatever their nationality.
THREEFOLD FEE · GROUP 2
For everyone else, including most international students. EU or EFTA citizenship alone isn’t enough; you’d also need, for example, a qualifying Swiss work permit before your studies begin.
FEES FOR A YEAR · BOTH GROUPS
Tuition plus compulsory semester fees for two semesters, at the simple or threefold rate, from ETH’s cost sheet for international students (fees in force since autumn 2025).
These fees have applied to new students since autumn 2025; check them again for autumn 2027. ETH assigns your fee group once, before you start. You can’t move to the simple fee later, even when you continue to a master’s.
ETH’s tuition fee groups (opens in a new tab)ETH’S COST SHEET · A YEAR, THREEFOLD FEE
CHF 28,100ETH’s approximate study and living costs for an international student paying the threefold fee, except in Architecture. At the simple fee, ETH’s figure is CHF 25,200. ETH’s general finance page recommends planning on CHF 20,000 to 26,000 a year.
ETH’s cost sheet doesn’t name an academic year: its fees are those in force since autumn 2025, and its rent is a 2024 average. ETH’s housing page puts a room with a shared kitchen and bathroom at CHF 800 to 1,000 a month. Check ETH’s figures for 2027–28 before you budget, and add flights.
ETH’s cost sheet for international students (PDF) (opens in a new tab)Letrado’s adviceBudget all three years at the rate you’ll actually pay, and keep a cushion for rent while you search for a room, which ETH says takes time. If a scholarship is what makes ETH possible, remember that ETH’s own need-based support starts only after your first year.
If you’re not an EU or EFTA citizen, you need a national D visa. Apply in person at a Swiss embassy or consulate general at least three months before you travel. Zurich’s migration office asks you to show CHF 21,000 in your own account, with a statement from a bank in Switzerland; letters from parents aren’t accepted.
ETH: studying in Zurich with a visa (opens in a new tab)CLIENT JOURNEYS
Here are three related stories. These students weighed studying one subject in depth from the start, very different costs, and the choice between focus and breadth, the same questions that matter at ETH.
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AI illustrationWHEN YOU’D LIKE A HAND
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